Dec 14-21, 2020

In the midst of having avoided the airport since March of this year, we decided we were ready to head to warmer weather this December with Steven’s family! We found an incredible flight deal to Phoenix and decided this would be an incredible adventure given we’ve never visited Arizona before! Indeed, it was truly the most rejuvenating trip in the sun.

Have you ever met anyone more excited to wake up at 6am for a flight? ;)

For the first half of our trip, we stayed in a serendipitous Sedona retreat in the red rocks. We loved the Airbnb we found, which had all of the toddler essentials we needed as well as a lot of peace & quiet. The home resides in a “dark sky neighborhood” meaning the community is committed to limiting light pollution to enjoy the beauty of the stars at night.

We kicked off our first night with a spectacular dinner at Mariposa Latin Grill. Dare I say it’s one of the top ten meals we have ever had? From the ambience of the restaurant, which overlooked the setting sun of the red rocks to the impeccable designed interior and incredible food, we absolutely loved our experience there and would highly recommend. Their skirt steak is incredible and we loved all of our sides as well. Definitely a nicer restaurant that we’d typically visit to celebrate an occasion.

The next morning, we embarked on Devil’s Bridge Trail. Noah did great hiking (with our help)!

Noah learned how to put his hands in his pocks for the first time. What a little cutie!

Wiped out after hiking on his little legs. Thank goodness for toddler hiking backpacks! We got this one right before the trip.

This infamous view of the “devil’s bridge” was at the very end of the trail. It was terrifying to walk on, but totally worth the trek.

After that morning hike, we also strolled through the Boynton Canyon Vortex. What is a “vortex,” you might ask? We wondered the same thing. Many people believe Sedona is filled with a “spiritual energy” around these beautiful nature points of interest. Personally, I’m not sure I felt anything but the spots certainly were beautiful.

After hiking, we stopped by Dellepiane Burger for their famous Argentinian burgers. They’re pretty pricey (~$20 with fries, after a 20% discount), but Sedona is a touristy town so food in general was a little pricier.

Next to Dellepiane, there is a cute arts & shopping village called Tlaquepaque that we walked through. I wish we had stopped by in the evening as they had beautiful Christmas lights strung up that would have been lovely! Super adorable little area regardless.

Hiking is a morning, afternoon & night activity in AZ. In the evening, we drove to Airport Mesa, which features a really pretty overlook right next to the Sedona airport so you’re surrounded by planes taking off by the hour.

Three generations of the family! <3

We couldn’t visit AZ without visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time as well! This was definitely one of our most strenuous hiking days, especially given how steep & rocky the trails were, combined with having to motivate Noah to hike them!

With the help of many lollipops, stroller airlifts by mom & dad, and hand-holding, we thankfully made it through in one piece.

The face of a 2-year old that has survived & conquered the Grand Canyon!!

The next day, we took a break from hiking and decided to visit the haunted “ghost town” of Jerome (~30 minutes drive from Sedona). Once a populous and wealthy mining town, mischief, mayhem & unfortunate accidents overtook the town resulting in its infamous reputation as the “Wickedest Town in the West.”

It’s a tiny town only worth visiting if you have an extra half day to spare!

Their most famous restaurant, the Haunted Hamburger, is quite delicious and had an awesome milkshake! Fun fact: it’s the same couple that owns 17+ businesses in this one town alone.

My favorite hike from all of Arizona had to be Cathedral Rock. Though it was short at 1.5 miles, it was practically a vertical steep rocky climb to the top. The views took our breath away!

Pretty proud of all the hiking my body endured at 7 months pregnant ;) Makes up for the mostly sedentary past few months at home!

After those special days in Sedona, we drove 2 hours south to Phoenix again. Phoenix to us, represented a chance to indulge in really good Asian food and get back in the hustle and bustle of the city!

We first visited a delicious hole in the wall Thai restaurant called Chanpen Thai. Absolutely delicious and at their lunch special prices, so affordable! Their drunken noodles were definitely the best. The meal even came with complimentary veggie soup and matcha ice cream, say what?!

In the heart of downtown, a sprawling green space called Papago Park offers a nature sanctuary and a fun little rock formation called Hole in the Rock, which is well…a hole in a rock. Not a must see, but conveniently located downtown if you’d like a change in scenery!

We stayed in a beautiful condo complex through Airbnb in Scottsdale by the Fashion Square mall. Absolutely loved the location, which had orange and lemon trees sprouting fruit galore! There are tons of West Coast transplants in AZ, who love the warm weather and lower prices compared to southern California. I can totally see why!

One of the hardest hikes we took in AZ was Camelback Hike, which felt never ending. Definitely not for the faint of heart if you want to make it all the way to the top. From steep to rocky to long, it was a challenge for all!

I’m proud to report that four of us did make it to the very top where a lovely little Christmas tree greeted us!

There’s a popular global Taiwanese hot pot chain called Tasty Pot that happened to be in Phoenix! Really good and probably one of the only places you can find the Taiwanese fabled stinky tofu around here.

Noah absolutely loved visiting the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale. There is a train ride (his favorite) and carousel (definitely not his favorite) you can ride as well as Western themed little kid villages. I wish we had a park like this in Chicago!

All in all, this was an incredible trip that we are so glad we ventured out to take. During our time in AZ, Noah’s vocabulary started to explode (so amazing to see) and he learned how to climb out of his pack n’ play (not so amazing…). We’re convinced that travel is the best way to elongate your life given each day is new and feels so much longer!

Another highlight of AZ included getting to see our dear friends, Sally & Matt who have temporarily (turned to permanently) relocated to Phoenix during the pandemic! Always love seeing friends outside of our normal settings <3

Below is a wrap-up of the highlights / must-do’s of our trip in case you’re contemplating your own trip to Phoenix/Sedona!

Phoenix/Scottsdale Favorites

• Hiking: Camelback Hike

• Food & Beverage: Milk Run (best bubble tea), Da Vang Restaurant (Vietnamese), Tampopo Ramen, Chanpen Thai, Tasty Pot (Taiwanese hotpot), Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs, Po Chicken (Korean fried chicken)

• Miscellaneous: Fashion Square Mall/canal in Scottsdale, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park

Sedona Favorites:

• Hiking: Cathedral Rock, Airport Mesa, Devil’s Bridge Trail, Grand Canyon (2 hours away)

• Food & Beverage: Mariposa Latin Grill, Sono Kitchen & Boba (for the Taiwanese popcorn chicken)