Arizona Fun!!

How is it already the last week in November and the last time I posted was the first week in November?  That's crazy!  The days are just flying by!

I just wanted to stop by and share our trip to Arizona!  Kevin had to be in Phoenix for their state fair.  He was scheduled to be gone for 15 days.  That's over 2 weeks, so we decided I would fly in to see him so we wouldn't have to go so long without seeing each other.  The nice thing about the Phoenix fair is it's closed every Monday and Tuesday, so we had some "play" days.  The bad thing is it goes for a solid month.  Well, after we booked my trip to Arizona, Kevin's schedule got changed and he was only supposed to be in Arizona for 9 days and then he'd go to Minneapolis (again) for 6 days.  It didn't change my schedule, so I still flew in.

I left Raleigh on a Saturday afternoon and landed in Arizona Saturday evening REALLY late (like Midnight EST).  I was exhausted!  We ate dinner and I crashed!  Kevin had to work the fair on Sunday, so I got adjusted to the time difference, got some Accounting homework done and hung out around the house we were staying in until I had to pick the guys up from the fair that evening.

Hanging at the house on Sunday.

Monday morning, we woke up and drove 2 hours to Sedona and Red Rocks Country.  We stopped to get Starbucks on the way and saw the World's Largest Kokopelli!

 

Red Rocks Country is BEAUTIFUL!  We spent the morning checking out all the rock formations.

Bell Rock

Cathedral Rock

I really wanted to see this Chapel that's built into the rock, so we stopped there.  It was really pretty!

Finally, Snoopy's Belly Rock.

Can you see Snoopy?  Woodstock's just sitting on his nose!

We had lunch in Sedona at this great sandwich shop.  Then we drove over to Red Rock State Park, but didn't want to pay to go in, so we trekked back to Scottsdale.

We went out to buy pumpkins for carving before showering and getting ready for dinner.  Dinner was at Chino Bandidos, seriously one of the best places I've ever eaten in my life!  It's a total dive and is a mixture of Mexican food with Chinese food and Jamaican flavors thrown in.  Delish!

Takee-Outee!

When we got back to the house, we carved our pumpkins...what's one to do when you're in Arizona October 27?

A killer gnome and a trio of pumpkins!

Tuesday morning we had plans: Climb Camelback Mountain, eat at House of Tricks in Tempe for lunch, go to Hole in the Rock, and then check out Pinnacle Peak (which was literally in our backyard in Scottsdale).  Well, we got to Camelback around 9:30am and started our climb.  3 hours later, and part of my soul left on the top of that mountain, we made it back to the bottom.

Maybe the most un-athletic person on the mountain!

The pictures don't do it justice!  It was only 1.42 miles to the top.  The first 0.6 miles were easy.  The next 3/4 mile was a double black diamond- straight incline up (while holding with a death grip onto a metal railing) and the rest was climbing over boulders (some the size of a car) to get to the top.  The part that pissed me off the most were the women and men just RUNNING up, like it was a walk in the park.  Some not even sweating.  We saw one lady 4 times because she climbed to the top and back twice during our ONE climbed to the top.  Makes me sick to even think about it!

I tried to add some pictures with other people in them for perspective.  Also, we're still smiling because I refused to cry until we got in the car!

When we were done, I was wiped out!  We had consumed the 4 bottles of water and two bottles of Gatorade that we took with us, plus snacks at the top and I was still too dehydrated to live.  I cried.  I didn't have the energy to decide on lunch.  Kevin helped me make my to-go plate at Sweet Tomatoes and we ate at the house and then I slept for about 3 hours.  Forget about House of Tricks, forget about Hole in the Rock and sweet Pinnacle Peak in our backyard.  I was wiped out!

When I woke, it was time to pack my bags and chill a bit before heading to dinner and then the airport.  And I was even more upset that Camelback had stolen my entire day.

The flight was late and long and didn't include much sleep.  What red-eye does?  When I finally got home, I worked frantically on an assignment that was due that morning and then crashed for the rest of the day.  It took about 2 weeks to recover from that trip.  The time change didn't help, nor did the dry atmosphere, but Camelback was the true culprit for stealing my joy!

Once again, it was a short trip, but it was nice to explore a new place and to see the hubby in the middle of his busy travel season!  If you ever get the chance, skip Camelback Mountain!  You'll be glad you did!

One last picture.  The setting sun behind the cacti was just beautiful.

Our Second Anniversary

Our second anniversary was 3 weeks ago.  Kevin and I both took the day off so we could be together.  I have to say, in the history of my work life, I've never taken a day off "just because".  It's always been because of an appointment or I'm sick or traveling somewhere that's planned.  Never just to have a day not at work.  It was magical...minus the fact that I had an accounting exam that morning.  It worked out though because Kevin needed to stop into work, so he did that while I took my exam and then it was a day for just us!

After my exam, I stopped by Krispy Kreme and brought the treats back home to deliver them to my hubby.  Knock, knock!  Krispy Kreme delivery! :)

Next it was time for gifts.  The second anniversary gift is cotton.  Kevin got me a monogrammed cotton robe.

I made him a blanket out of his old t-shirts!  I've been working on it for months- every weekend he's been away traveling for work.  A labor of love!

Then it was time to take a walk down memory lane!  We drove downtown for lunch.  Our first stop was Gravy for some ravioli.  Gravy was the spot of our rehearsal dinner.  The ravioli was unexpectedly amazingly wonderful!

Next was a stop at The Big Easy for a second lunch.  The Big Easy's catering company, Belle's Catering, catered our wedding.  I enjoyed a Belle's Apple Salad, the same from our wedding day, for a tasty lunch and to reminisce over the flavors of our wedding day.

The Stockroom, our reception spot, is right beside The Big Easy and we went in...just to remember our big night.  There were many men painting and doing repairs to The Stockroom and we just walked right on in.  We put on our first dance song, God Gave Me You- Blake Shelton, and we danced as if no one was watching!  :)  The men were not phased, so maybe no one was watching.

Our last stop was Bittersweet, a new dessert bar in downtown.  We were too early for their full dessert, coffee and cocktail menu, but we were able to get a carrot cake cupcake and enjoy that!  Delish!

We left downtown and headed to Cary Towne Center to check out a dress at Loft that I really wanted.  They didn't have it, so we continued on to a "surprise" spot.

That spot was Brides and Bouquets, our wedding florist.  Gregg put together the most gorgeous arrangement for me and I was truly surprised!  I didn't think Kevin was getting me flowers this year.  He gets an A+ for these flowers!  They were massive and smelled glorious!

On the way home, we rented two movies.  We got home and watched the first one...then rushed off to dinner at Bonefish Grill, the location of our first date and one of our favs.

When we got home, we watched the second movie...well, I did...Kevin fell asleep on me.  It was PERFECT!

It was such a great day remembering our vows and why we love each other!  Our marriage is officially 2 years old and I can't wait for many, many more!  Life with my man is THE BEST!  Happy Anniversary Kevin!

Jeff's 50th Stache Bash

Hello readers (there are like 2 of you)!  Thanks for reading and thanks for your patience as I post things that happened a month ago because life is just that busy!  I'll catch up one day, right?

The last weekend in September, Kevin and I traveled to Vermont to celebrate his dad's (SURPRISE) 50th birthday!  The weekend was REALLY fun and slammed packed, again!  I know I say it every time, but we never get the time we truly need up there.  A weekend is just not long enough!

After arriving late on Friday night, we drove to Kevin's mom's house on the lake to crash!  Our second flight from LaGuardia to Burlington was oversold by 5 seats and they ended up giving $1500 in Delta vouchers to folks willing to give up their seat.  Unfortunately, the next flight out was the next evening.  If that wouldn't have made us late for the surprise party, man oh man, we would have taken it!  Free round trip to Europe, yes please!

Our view of the lake the next morning!

Saturday was filled with busy-ness setting up for the party in the morning.  Despite purchasing the party decorations and having them shipped up to Vermont in advance, we still needed a few cheap table cloths and after hearing the guest count, even though I was told not to, I purchased ingredients for pigs in a blanket and sausage and cheese dip to feed the crowd.  I'm so glad I did because all of the appetizers were GONE!

By the time I finally had a chance to breathe, there were guests everywhere and we were just waiting on Jeff to arrive!  Heidi took him up to Stowe for a night to celebrate his birthday and when he pulled onto his street and the garage lifted to show all of the guests in the garage, he was so overwhelmed that he didn't even turn in the driveway, he continued driving down the cul-de-sac and when he came back to park and got out, he had tears in his eyes!  We really surprised him!

As soon as he got out of the truck, there were hugs all around and Heidi's son, Austin, presented him with a shirt "My mustache brings all the girls to the yard".  Perfect!  Jeff has a pretty amazing mustache, so that was naturally the theme of the party!

Before food, we presented our gifts.  Some mustache themed items...

A Notre Dame Hoodie...

And then the big gift...tickets to a Notre Dame game in November.  We're all going!

To say he was surprised is an understatement!

Next was food and some yard games!

Aren't those stache beanbags amazing?!?!

 

Then came the cake!

It was just an evening of hanging with friends and family and enjoying the REALLY hot Vermont weather! (I actually thought I was going to die from heat stroke!)  The night ended with a dance party on the deck!  Oh yeah!

We slept like babies that night and woke up Sunday morning for breakfast from Bagel Market before cleaning up the party at Kevin's dad's house.

Then it was time for Kevin and me to explore!  The leaves were so pretty, so we took a ride over to Cold Hollow Cider to take in the beauty and have some maple donuts!

Relaxing outside was just so perfect and that apple slush was pretty amazing too!

Next it was time for the Cabot Store and stocking up on chocolate at the Lake Champlain Store!

On the drive back to Winooski, we saw this picturesque barn....

And I FINALLY saw the Whales Tails...

We visited with good friends Alex and Hannah and baby Peyton for the remainder of the afternoon before heading over to Kevin's grandparent's house for dinner.

Hanging with Peyton the day before!

It was great to see family and catch up with everyone!  After a quick stop to Kevin's dad's to say goodbye, we headed back to his mom's to pack up and get in bed.  9:30pm is really late going to bed when you have to be up at 3:50am for a 6am flight!

The sunrise after takeoff sure was beautiful though!

Until next time...

Labor Day Weekend in the NC Mountains

Just a few (2) days after Kevin got home from the Minnesota State Fair, we packed up and headed to the Asheville area for a long (and relaxing) Labor Day Weekend!

We stayed at Ridgecrest Conference Center...in Ridgecrest!  If you've ever driven up to Asheville on I-40, Ridgecrest sits beneath the huge white cross to your right just about 10 minutes east of Asheville!  Ridgecrest was having a singles weekend while we were up there, which lead to MANY interesting conversations and people.  I'll save those stories for another time, but I think Kevin and I can both say we're REALLY thankful for each other even more now!  I can't imagine having to date again!  Whew!

After crashing hard the first night, we woke up on Saturday morning ready for a Bruegger's breakfast and the Biltmore House!  Because it was a holiday weekend, there were way too many people inside the mansion, but Kevin and I had fun anyway!  He may have snuck a few "illegal" photos during our tour....

Lunch was at the Stable Cafe and was WAY too expensive for what we got, but it was a great atmosphere.

We walked up the hill to get the "classic shots"...

...before sitting for a spell on the estate's side porch overlooking the beautiful NC Mountains!

We took a brief walk in the gardens and found this koi pond.

Then it was time to trek back to the car to drive over to Antler Village.

But on the way, we spotted this gorgeous garden of sunflowers and hopped out of the car for a bit of fun!

After a little wine tasting, it was time for a rest, so we headed back to Ridgecrest and rested until we needed to shower and get ready for dinner.

Dinner was at The Grove Park Inn.  We arrived early for our dinner on the Sunset Terrace, so we were able to explore a bit before we were seated.  Dinner was fabulous, but I have to say, the best part was being able to have Kevin's undivided attention without the distraction of phones/emails/etc.

Sunday, we got up ready to eat breakfast at Ridgecrest, only to learn that they had already stopped serving for the day.  I guess the early bird gets the worm!  We were going to head into Asheville to eat at Tupelo Honey Cafe, but then I decided against it.  The plan was to explore Chimney Rock and I wanted to get there as soon as possible!

We literally wound down US-74 until we got to Chimney Rock.  It was about 10:15am and we were hungry, so we stopped on the road to eat.  Everything was closed!  It was like a ghost town, except for this lone chicken!

We finally spotted a place and walked in just in time for them to tell us we couldn't sit because they needed to change the kitchen over to lunch and they were too busy.  Frustrated, we drove on towards Lake Lure and stumbled upon the Lake Lure Smokehouse.  They still had people eating breakfast, so we gave it a try!

Apart from being understaffed and not clearing dirty dishes off of tables (so flies were swarming); taking a century to order our food and then waiting longer for it to come out; Kevin not getting half of his meal, but us still having to pay for it, because they too were turning the kitchen over for lunch; and the sketchy clientele, it was a wonderful breakfast!  I won't be back anytime soon!

Finally it was time for Chimney Rock and it too was swarmed with people because of the holiday weekend.  We waited in the tunnel to ride the elevator up (which was actually a good idea and saved our legs a bit) before going out on the actual Chimney Rock.

Then we climbed up to the Opera Box and Devil's Head before hiking all the way to the top of Exclamation Point!  It was quite the hike, so by the time we got up to the top, we took a rest!

Climbing down was easier, especially knowing I had an ice cream cone waiting for me at the bottom.  After our treat, we took the stairs down and hiked over to Hickory Nut Falls to see the waterfall.  It too was bustling with people, so after finishing our lunch, sitting on a rock, we got out of there.

Next we had to make the decision, climb uphill to get on a bus and ride back to the bottom to our car, OR take the Four Seasons Trail back to the bottom.  Four Seasons won out and it was a nice walk because it was actually quiet for once!

Just as soon as we got back to the car, the bottom fell out.  Like torrential rain!  It's a wonder we made it off the mountain!  It was raining so hard we really couldn't see in front of us.  Too close to the side and we could have gone right off.

We were hot and sticky from a day in the woods, so the first order of business was a shower and then it was FINALLY time for Tupelo Honey Cafe for dinner.  The wait was GREAT!  Maybe 30 minutes and the food was DELICIOUS!  Like, "slap yo mama" good!  Every bite I took was an explosion of flavors in my mouth!  To start we had the Sparkling Blueberry Punch (which is the best drink I've ever tasted) with the homemade biscuits and honey with blueberry preserves.  Next came our meal.  I had the Sweet Potato Pancake with Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts and Salsa Verde Blake Eyed Peas.  I know, I know, breakfast and dinner.  I just couldn't decide!  Kevin had the Nutty Fried Chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and gravy.  I think he had asparagus too.  Best meal of my entire life!

We walked around downtown a bit before heading back to Ridgecrest to call it a day!


Monday was all about the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville.  The real reason for our entire trip!  After packing up the car, we made the drive to Hendersonville and got out pumped and ready for a festival....only to find there was no one out!  I got an apple cider slush and we went into Mast General Store to look around.  By the time we got back outside, the place was popping!

We enjoyed a cheerwine in the shade before getting our apple fix!

As we were walking down the street, we spotted a shop called Vermontage, so we had to go in.  Among other Vermont treats, they had maple creemees.  We got one-delish!  In Vermont, apparently they don't call it soft serve ice cream, it's a creemee!

Next was a piping hot apple turnover!  Yumm!

And finally corn on the cob, because what kind of festival is it, if you don't have some good corn?

I wish we could have stayed until the King Apple Parade at 2:30pm, but we needed to get home.  So, we grabbed a bag of honey crisps and headed out of town to hop on 40 for home.

Not sure when we'll be back, but I thought it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend and a great first "official" introduction to the NC Mountains for Kevin!