In December 2020 we spent our Christmas vacation seeing some sights in Arizona. One place we had never visited was this unique botanical garden in Superior, Arizona.
There are 4.7 miles of trails that wander through the gardens and the hills and cliffs that surround them that represent 11 different regions of the world. There are many opportunities to stop for beautiful pictures.
Below is a map of the grounds:
When we visited San Jose del Cabo in February 2024 we also took a couple of short trips to Cabo San Lucas. We took Uber rides and it cost approximately $35 each way.
I really wanted to try a cooking class but I also wanted to avoid the more popular ones (which were very expensive)–and we found Juan More Taco Food Tours and it was exactly what I wanted! We arrived at the location to join a group of others where we learned the itinerary for the day. Then we all loaded into vans where the organizers took us all to three different local markets for vegetables and meat. After we got back we prepared margaritas, guacamole, pico de gallo to get started. Afterwards the matriarch of the family taught us all how to make corn tortillas and adobo sauce to marinate the pork. Then we were treated to music and more margaritas while the rest of the meal was prepared. The food was great and the experience was even better!
We found our way to Medano Beach via access through a restaurant and hired a guy with a boat for an arch tour and rides to and from Lover’s & Divorce Beaches.
Our guide explained that Lover’s Beach has a small area where swimming is possible but to be very wary of Divorce Beach where rogue waves are common and so is tourists being swept away.
Another day we made an appointment with Cabo Expeditions to go parasailing–pretty cool experience, would definitely do it again!
Afterwards we went back to the main area just beyond the marina for some lunch at the famous Cabo Wabo (owned by Sammy Hagar from Van Halen) and did some shopping.
In December 2020 we spent out Christmas vacation seeing some sights in Arizona. I have always wanted to visit Saguaro National Park, so we made it a priority for this staycation. It did not disappoint.
I really just could not get enough of the scenery…
There are several trails through the area, so we did some hiking.
And the details up close were interesting too…
In July, 2019 I was fortunate enough to visit friends in Anchorage Alaska. They treated me to a whole weeks worth of adventure and my favorite part was the time we spent on the Kenai Peninsula.
Day one we went to Seward, Alaska to embark on a Kenai Fjords tour to visit the Aialek Glacier.
It was an all day trip and along the way we saw a lot of wildlife but the highlight of the entire trip was seeing the Killer Whales! A residential pod swan right under our boat. It. Was. Amazing.
Being so close to the glacier was really cool…and actually very cold even in July. It was so quiet and the cracking sounds the ice made was awesome. We saw some calving, but nothing major.
Afterwards we stopped at Fox Island for dinner. It was a banquet with prime rib, salmon, vegetables, salads, rolls, and more. It was so good and all-you-can-eat.
On day two we traveled to Homer, Alaska. The spit is a long stretch of very narrow land that juts out into the water. There is just one road that runs down the center with a marina and shops (mostly fishing charters but some gift shops too), restaurants (with some of the best super fresh halibut that money can buy), campgrounds, and beaches on both sides. It was drizzling the whole day and I saw a bald eagle on the beach!
This is a map of our travels over a couple of days. We only drove through Kenai but didn’t stop.
In February 2024 we took a trip to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. We live in Phoenix, Arizona so the flight was only an hour and half, which was great (unless you are the type to enjoy long flights). This was our first international trip ever, so we weren’t sure what the customs process would be like, but it was surprisingly uncomplicated.
We stayed at the Cabo Azul luxury resort. I have never stayed at such a nice place. The rooms, grounds, amenities, staff, food, and drinks were all top notch. 5 stars, definitely recommend.
The restaurants on site were awesome! The grill that is open all day and night is where we ate and drank the most. They have a swim up bar or will deliver your order to your lounger or cabana (and always charge to your room, so you don’t need to worry about bringing cards or cash). Javier’s is the more upscale and expensive restaurant–we had dinner there once and it was the best skirt steak I have ever had!
We also made sure to spend some time on the beach outside of the resort. One thing to note is that the beaches are not considered to be swimmable and can be quite dangerous with rogue waves and rip currents, so we did not get in the water. It was still beautiful.
We did some exploring around the city too. On Wednesday night there was a sort of street fair across from our resort in front of some other restaurants and we met a local artist who was such a fun lady with interesting artwork inspired by Frida Khalo. Every Thursday night there is an art walk downtown with lots of artists, live music and dancing, and bars and food everywhere–and we ran into the same artist again. This time I bought a piece from her. Then on Friday we went back to the downtown area for more of the nightlife scene and as we were approaching a bar we heard music coming from, this same artist lady saw us, flagged us down, and brought us inside for a roof top table where we watched a small live concert–because it turned out that she works there too!. The band was a quartet of young Koreans singing classic American rock, in Mexico! Really fun night!
And I can’t forget all of the shopping and interesting things we saw while out and about…
