Dianne Valiando

~Friday~

The best days are NOT spent in the office and lucky for me; my saint of a boss recognizes this as well. Last weekend I was granted the best gift an employer could give you (besides a bonus)….I got to leave work 4 hours early. As soon as I heard this amazing news I headed home to scoop Devan and we were off to Sedona to enjoy the weather (did I mention it was 70 degrees?)

The drive to Sedona is one we have both become familiar with and have come to enjoy….however; same cannot be said about the parking.  When we arrived to the trailhead we discovered that there were only 14 parking spots, all of which were full because people are inconsiderate bozos and don’t know how to park (I’M HEATED BECAUSE I BACKED INTO A BOULDER  this is why I don’t drive) never the less ,we found parking after going to a different parking lot.

The trail Devan and I both wanted to try was “Solider Pass” which was now a little further since we couldn’t find parking at the original spot. In order to connect to the trail of interest we headed down “Jordan Trail.”

Jordan Trail was mad nice, I was able to do my good dead of the day and pull a small child out of a pricker bush, only to walk myself into one while I carried her up a hill. At this point everyone was where they needed to be, or at least we thought so. Fast forward 60 minutes and a parking lot is in sight and wouldn’t you know….we are right back to where we started, we never connected to the trail. Needless to say we were bummed but the hike was still very nice.

~Saturday~ ***Insert Annie chillin’ like a villain & Dev at work

~Sunday~

Sunday, was yet another wondrous day…Dev and I woke up around 6:30am to give Solider Pass Trail another go. We were greeted by an empty parking lot this time which was a sign for great things to come. Solider Pass Trail is very popular in Sedona due to the cool landmarks such as the Devil’s Kitchen, the Seven Sacred Pools and Arches/Caves that appear on the trail. Since the spots were so well known we figured it would require little to no navigation which turned out to be the complete opposite. 

After being about 4miles into the hike and not seeing any of the landmarks besides Devil’s Kitchen we consulted our phones to see if we were on the right path…quite literally, we were not.

Apparently, we had passed the Seven Sacred Pool approx. 3.75 miles ago…we literally walked right passed them. I suggested that in order to find the arches we should just start walking towards the red rocks…makes sense. Next thing you know we are on the side of a cliff with legit nowhere to go but down (my bad). 

We never found the Arches that day, we went back a few days later and realized we just had to go a little further (turns out I was right after all ☺). 

Seven Sacred Pools:

Arches:

Soldiers Pass Trail is awesome; I can say that confidently since I hiked it three times in a 1 week span…I should probably look into purchasing a trail map or something (but what fun would that be?).

When in Scottsdale one must drop by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, but only after 5pm because that’s when admission is FREE. While there are only 4 exhibits, each provides an unique interactive experience and affords you the opportunity to culture ya-self.

Entering the museum is art in and of itself...

James Marshall aka Dalek is best known for his colorful geometric abstractions, which can be seen on the walkway when the sun hits the panels just right.

First up, Bruce Munro’s, Ferryman’s Crossing:

Shimmering rows of reflective compact discs lit by pulses of light, an installations that evokes sunlight bouncing off the surface of flowing water.

Next up, Kelly Richardson: Tales on the Horizon

This exhibit makes you feel like your in space or at least on the set of a high budget sci-fi film, regardless Dev and I had a lot of fun in this exhibit.

And for my favorite exhibit, we have Atmosphere by Chris Fraser.

You know you’ve missed us, and we’ve missed you, so we’re coming at you with a very special edition of Prescott Cribs. Ease yourself into a comfy chair, you’re about to get an unprecedented scroll through the grounds of the one and only “Valiando Sister Apt.”

Oh hi, I didn’t see you there...come on in. 

The living room is the perfect place to work out, entertain or binge watch Grey’s Anatomy. Any of the activities mentioned are a great way to unwind after a long day at the office. 

Yes, that is our christmas tree plant, complete with lights and a paper star.

I’m not sure if you noticed our wine corner, all those bottles were full once....what can we say, we like wine.

Right now, we are entering the kitchen....I love the kitchen because I love to eat food. 

Notice our beautiful work of art, for just $8 you too can be a Pintrest DIYourself-er and detail a world map according to your past adventures. 

Moving along. 

We wanna give a S/O to Don and Annette for gifting us the most perfect kitchen and living room furniture; our apartment would be a lot less comfy without their gracious gift. 

One of our favorite kitchen features is the pantry, pictures don’t capture the vastness! Also peep that toaster oven got that little number for only $7, talk about a DEAL.

Come right this way....to our left we got what appears to be a closest. 

Guess again ladies and germs, behind these doors is.....the laundry room. 

All my friends in the area have to go to the laundry mat so this right here is a #blessing.

Right across the hall is the bathroom. 

We kept the bathroom look nice and simple, pink and silver with a nice rainbow cow to complement the look. Makes sense. 

And now for the bedrooms...This right here is my room, colorful and eceletic (just like my personality, hehe).

Notice the couch, that folds into a solid bed, literally that thing is hard as a rock but perfect for friends and family to crash on if/when they decide to visit.

And now Dev’s room....

I know what you’re thinking....are you sure thats a room and not a jail cell? Yes, I am sure. Notice how Dev too has a lovely couch in her room, the story behind those is funny...but for another time (s/o Greg from K-Mart). As you can see Dev opted for the simple yet sophisticated look...I think she nailed it. 

Also, look how organized that closet is...way to go Dev.

What do you know, it’s every food lover’s favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. It’s the one day of the year where it is socially acceptable to wear elastic-waist pants and gorge yourself on carbs to the point where you literally pass out into what has now been coined a “food coma” (I know I’m not the only one, people). 

This Thanksgiving was a little different than all the others for Dev and I as we are thousands of miles away from our family and friends. At first, the thought of having a Thanksgiving alone was sad, but we truly took this as an opportunity to create some new memories; and if we’re being real, this meant more food us (every cloud has a silver lining). 

A week or so before the biggest feast of the year, Dev and I created a list and hit the grocery store to stock up on all the essentials. We coped a 12lb turkey, some stuffing, gravy, corn, mashed sweet potatoes, corn bread, crescents, spinach, mac and cheese, and some cranberry sauce among other things. You’re probably thinking “wow, that’s a lot of food for 2 girls,” but what you might not know is that us Valiando girls know how to eat.

Dev and I were excited to take on all the holiday cooking. To be honest, Dev was a little more excited than me, obsessing over how she was going to cook our turkey. Everyday she would mention a recipe, or call my mom asking for advice. I mean it was cute, but at the same time chick was acting like she was preparing for neurosurgery (I like to bust her chops, it’s my job as the younger sister, no?).

Thanksgiving day finally arrived. I woke Devan up at 9 so she could get her beloved turkey in the oven. 

We were aiming to eat around 2:30-3pm and we ended up right on the money. The prep took all morning. I found us a nice “Thanksgiving Playlist” which was the perfect combination of tunes your forgot about/didn’t know you wanted to hear. As we began prepping, we realized that we had forgotten a few things so I ran out to the store while Devan played with her turkey.

By 2:30 nearly everything was ready. I must say I was impressed with how nicely everything came together. The whole prepping process nearly went off without a hitch...except for when I dropped my pumpkin seeds all over the ground (Ugh). You see, I was trying to be resourceful by turning our Halloween pumpkin into homemade pumpkin soup.............

I was trying to utilize the pumpkin to its fullest potential, figuring that I could roast the seeds as well. However, it turned out I had butter fingers (literally, my hands were covered in butter) and as a result, I dropped those suckers all over the ground. Thank god for the 5 second rule, am I right?

Finally, the cooking was all done and it was time to eat. The only problem was...neither one of us knew how to carve a turkey. 

Being the problem solver that I am, I sized up that 12lb butterball and ripped his right leg right off. Dev looked at me and said, “wanna get me the left one?” Problem solved postponed. We then sat down to FEAST.  

The meal was magnificent and it tasted even better than it looked. Our eyes might have been bigger than our stomachs (hard to believe, I know) so we hardly made a dent in our smorgasbord board of carbohydrates, but who doesn’t love leftovers??

After our meal we then decided to watch a YouTube video, “How to carve a turkey”. Turns out, carving “the bird” takes time and patience (note: we lack the latter) so by the time we were done with it, the poor thing looked like it lost a fight to a blender- all chunky and choppy and what not.

We cleaned in record timing seeing how all our “fine china” was actually tubberware, which meant we could slap a lid right on them and throw those bad boys straight into the fridge. We later had some cheesecake that we purchased from a bakery downtown (over priced but delicious) and paired our decadent dessert with some Irish coffee (gotta love that Irish cream).

All in all, it was as good as a Thanksgiving could get without having our whole family around. Luckily we won't have to face Christmas alone seeing as the rest of the Valiando clan will be here in less than 3 weeks. Can't wait!

Happy holidays; may your blessings be as big as your bellies :)

xoxo Dev & Annie

Weekends are for one thing and one thing only, EXPLORING. After sitting on my rear from 8-5, Monday through Friday it just makes sense to see what the world holds beyond  the office walls. Not to mention the impending Thanksgiving weight gain, its never too early to start working towards that spring break bod...right ladies!? 

Devan and I decided to keep our hike local this weekend and took the 5 minute drive to our favorite place in Prescott, Watson Lake. Watson Lake is home to the notorious Granite Dells, which look like they’re straight out of Jurassic Park or something. We paid the small entrance/parking fee and headed towards the  “Circle Trail.”

The trailhead started overlooking Watson Lake and the dells, and eventually led us down to the water. We took this opportunity to wander off the marked trail and climb the dells in order to see the lake from a different view. 

Compared to the hikes we’ve been taking lately, this one was cake. The ease of the hike paired with the perfect weather and views made for a spectacular Saturday afternoon.

This event can be described best in two words, EPIC FAIL. I know what you’re thinking, Annie (Yes, it’s Annie this time, HI!) be a little more positive....ok fine, I’ll give it a try. 

I am SO happy I woke up at 8am to make a 4-hour drive to Tucson to attend a balloon festival that was straight booty. While I can laugh about it now at the time I was heated. Did my frustration come from the fact that I have a peanut sized bladder and was stuck in traffic, maybe. Or was it the fact that this “festival” knocked me upside the head and robbed me blind? Definitely. 

The way this event was advertised was straight genius, I would like to take the time to tip my hat to their marketing team (Glow Fest 1, Patrons 0). The event was plastered all over the internet, Facebook, radio, etc. saying:

“Tubac Golf Resort & Spa is hosting its hugely popular Hot Air Balloon Glow Festival on Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 4 to 9pm. This event features,7-story high, brightly colored hot air balloons that glow in the night. Food and drink will be offered by Stables Restaurant with food stations and by Tucson Food Trucks. Live entertainment will feature The Bad News Blues Band playing big band swing and hard core blues. Entry fee is $10 for adults, $4 for kids 12 and under, kids 2 and under are free.”

Doesn’t that sound fun? I thought so and so did Devan and so did some of my other AmeriCorps friends so we decided we would take the trip south to Tubac, AZ. As I previously mentioned the drive was a little over 4 hours, we left super early so that we could make the most of the long journey. We all decided it would be worthwhile to explore Tucson since none of us have ever been and Tucson did not disappoint. We explored the University of Arizona and were even able to snag some Dunkin’ (which is like striking GOLD on the west coast); not to mention the temp was 80 degrees as opposed to snowy Prescott. 

After sippin’ on our Dunkin’ and walking around the U of A campus we headed to Tubac. After driving about 30 mins the road signs changed from miles to kilometers and border patrol was in sight (we were 20 mins from the Mexican border, in hindsight we should’ve kept driving). It was about 3:45 and the event started at 4 so we made it in perfect timing and were able to park and get into the event without a hitch. Unfortunately, the same can not be said about the 1,000′s of people who came after us. According to the newspaper and facebook page more than 17,000 people showed up to the event and at 4:30pm the event was closed and people who were on the highway were told by the police to turn around, that event was at capacity. Little did these people know that they lucked out. 

We paid our $10 a person to get in and we picked out a perfect spot on top of a little hill with a perfect view of the field where all the balloons would eventually set up and take flight. We had made arrangements with some of the VISTA’s serving in Tucson to meet up and hang out, it’s always fun to meet new people and hear about their projects.

After chilling out for an hour or so the sun went down and it got chilly. I hardly noticed the chaos until I got up to get a warm beverage. There were 1,000′s of people waiting in 3 lines for food, it was insane. However, the hot cocoa line was short so Devan and I headed that way. We were like “Hell yea,” amped we didn’t have to wait in a crazy long line. We handed the guy the money and he handed us....nothing. He handed us NOTHING. Why? Because they were out of cocoa. What was I suppose to do when its brick and there’s no cocoa? Wait. So we waited and waited and waited, people were yelling at the poor guy and Devan and I were just making small talk. He was a nice lad, a nice lad in an unfortunate, cocoa less situation. 

However, this nice lad became my mortal enemy when he said that the balloons would not go in the air, nor would they all glow at the same time. Say whatttttt? Pissed. Disappointed. We were SO disappointed. We went back to tell our crew the news but somehow they already found out and wanted to hit the road. I mean wouldn’t you be frustrated too? So we said goodbye to our new Tuscon VISTA friends and hit the road, the long road of traffic. 

The Glow Festival was a letdown, but at least we were able to meet some cool new people and get up close and personal with some of the Hot Air Balloons.

The same can not be said for some of these people who left incredibly hostile yet comical reviews on the festival event page:

“Too bad all it was was $10/person to watch people blast hot air into 10 balloons. There was no flying at all. They couldn't even do it often enough to get in any kind of rhythm to take good photos. Add to that, a solid hour just to park, poorly planned event, massive lines to try to get anything to eat... What a waste of time. Save your money and do anything else.”

“The planning for this event was incredibly disappointing. It was like if someone would try to run the state fair with 10 employees. The hot dog stand was an absolute joke. There was a line of easily 100+ people and the stand had 1 cook who was more engaged in talking to the customers than actually cooking. I observed the same people in line for over 2 hours. Then, I had to take my child to pee behind some cars because of the lack of restrooms and 30min line to get in. Absolutely ridiculous. Heard great things about this event and drove an hour to get there. Next year I won't be back even if they pay me too.”

“Extremely pissed over this event. We drove nearly 1.5 hrs and then spent another 30 mins on the frontage to crawl up and have a lady tell us sorry we're full? Whomever is in charge of planning, you need to step down.You knew there were a lot of people going and to be told "sorry we're full and not letting anyone else in" That's bull.”

And now for my personal favorite:

“I got my balls caught between a tree and a ladder when I was 8, being at this event was more painful...”

Veterans Day. A day to thank the brave men and women who serve our country and also a day off (I know, I’m the worst kind of person but who doesn’t appreciate a day off from the old 9-5). Did I mention it was Wednesday? FREE NATIONAL PARK DAY!

I woke Dianne (From this point on she will be called Dev) up mad early so that we could attempt to do a hike I have been DYING to do, Mt. Humphrey’s Trail, which leads to the highest peak in AZ. I checked the weather the night before and the forecast said COLD AF. So naturally I told Dev it was gonna be 50 and to wear layers and it would be gucci. I navigated us to Flagstaff which is an hour or so away and messed up getting to the trailhead. As I navigated us into the trees Devan began to question my navigational capabilities but I reassured her that my natural sense of direction would prevail.....it didn’t (Darnnnn) and we ended weaving in and out of trees and I told Devan to continue driving into the depths of the woods. It was only until we came across a large puddle that was reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean that I knew we had to turn around and take the road more traveled. That puddle would’ve swallowed the Jetta whole and I wouldn’t have been able to look the AAA driver in the face when he would have inevitably had to come and pull my whip out of this mini ocean. 

Fast forward 45 minutes and we’re at the trailhead, we put on our layers and began to forge out of the parking lot into......children, children sleigh riding. There was snow EVERYWHERE. Naturally, I continued to walk but then my feet got cold and wet and I realized our imminent death had we choose to continue into the woods and up to the summit of Humphrey’s Peak. As we turned back to the parking lot I was bummed, I have been dying to do this hike and just haven’t had the time and now I would have to wait for the spring....(cue the dramatics......”I’ve been shot”).

But as I got in the car, I had an epiphany....”Let’s go to the Grand Canyon,” I said. And that we did.

It was a happy little accident that brought us to the Grand Canyon on this day but after a 60-minute drive north, we were there. It was Wednesday and it was free. Boo-Yah. So we blew right past that park ranger keeping our $30 in our pocket and we drove that 25-mile scenic drive,stopping off at many of the view- points. 

From there we parked the car and proceeded to walk the West rim and snapped some awesome shots amongst all our fellow tourists. 

As we were standing amongst the crowd, Devan put her ears to good use and was eavesdropping on a random passer buyers’ convo and overheard that there was a portion with no railing and some psychos were down on the rock. We walked over to check it out. We then looked at each other and proceeded downward to join our fellow psychos. 

We got some of the best, unobstructed views of the canyon, not to mention a little exercise after being in the car all day.

It was unreal, it was grand. After that, we ascended the side of the Grand Canyon and headed home. We figured we didn’t have to explore it all in that day since we are bound to be back every time we have a visitor (Paging family and friends...).

Since we have moved out to the West coast, almost all of our trips have been planned in advance to allocate ample time for us to visit our desired attractions, points of interest, restaurants, and places to stay if need be. However, this time was a little different. Las Vegas was a tough decision for us to make; Annie and I could not decide whether we wanted to take this trip to bring in the New Year, or if we should go for a long weekend in March to celebrate both of our birthdays. Reaching a decision became so much easier when we found out that Kiefer (our friend from home) would be in town for a wedding with his family. Earlier in the week, we arranged to meet up on Saturday but nothing was confirmed until late Friday evening. With such short notice, we had little to no time to figure out what we wanted to do; but that did not matter all too much because we were going to Vegas!

Annie and I woke up at some ungodly hour so that we could be up and on the road by 7:30am at the latest, but once we were up and moving, it wasn’t all that bad. (Plus, the earlier we get there would mean the more time we would have to explore.) On our way, we picked up our friend NyAsia and brought her along for the ride so that she could spend a day with her friends back at home. The 251 mile drive went by relatively quick despite the lack of scenery along the highway. We did, however, pass the exit from the Hoover Dam even though we were not able to see it from the road (that will be a trip for another time). In a little less than 4 hours, we arrived in Sin City.

We dropped off NyAsia at her friend’s house and headed to the downtown area where we would later be having brunch. Kiefer was out running last minute errands with his parents, so Annie and I decided to walk around to kill some time. Our first stop was Fremont East District a.k.a. Old Las Vegas. This area came with a bit of culture shock on account of its various entertainment outlets to include several restaurants with eccentric themes (Heart Attack Grill- where people upwards of 350lbs eat for free), vintage slots, and bars. All of these attractions were covered by the world’s largest video-screen canopy that illuminates at night to provide a crazy light show and beneath it was a series of zip-lines that stretched from one side of the street to the other. Insane. 

After awhile we started to get hungry so we headed over to have brunch at Park on Fremont. This place could not have been any cuter even if it tried. The decor was so eclectic and varied from the front patio, bar, dining room, and outdoor patio area. It was a beautiful day so we decided to sit out back (21+ only) and naturally ordered a patio pounder (bottle of champagne with a carafe of OJ) to start. For our entrees, I opted for the huevos rancheros while Annie ordered the gourmet french toast stuffed with bacon, eggs, and cheese. DELICIOUS.

Once we finished up with brunch, we headed over to the Aria Hotel where Kiefer and his family were staying. He met us in the front lobby and we walked down the strip to see what there was to do in the area. All in all, Las Vegas is a series of hotels with casinos inside and a bunch of restaurants equipped with full bar service. There are also a few replicas of major landmarks such as New York City and Paris, in addition to some nightclubs and venues for live shows; but that’s about it. However, if you’re going to Vegas, you are going for one thing and one thing only: to party (lets be real).  

We decided to go back to the Aria and have some drinks out by the pool at the Liquid Lounge. With such an opulent setting came crazy expensive cocktails that were almost too strong to enjoy, so after we finished we left. 

Next on our list was the MGM Grand to see the lion habitat, but we quickly found out that it permanently closed in January. Since that option was off the table, we set out to find a rooftop bar. Google was not much help and neither was the man behind the information desk. Security at Caesar’s Palace was much more informative and gave us a bunch of suggestions for things to do with the rest of our day. Come to find out, rooftop bars are apparently a “New York” thing and do not exist in Vegas. In spite of this, Andre (the security guard) recommended that we have drinks at Vista Cocktail Lounge and then go to Hakkasan Nightclub for the rest of the night. He escorted us to the club so we could put our names on the list and gave us 2 for 1 drink coupons to use at the lounge. Even though it wasn’t a rooftop, the lounge was a close second. The interior walls were covered with LED screens that showed skylines from around the world so it was almost like being on a rooftop. Simple compromise, right?

After a few rounds, Kiefer wanted to test his luck at the blackjack tables. We spent a few hours watching him play as Annie made friends with the manager (Yvonne) and I interacted with the dealer (Peter). He was doing relatively well until it got to be a little late. Annie and I decided that it was time for us to head out, but not before we stopped to have a slice of pizza. Kiefer treated us both to the best pizza we’ve had in the longest time. If you are ever in Las Vegas and in the mood for some amazing pizza, go to Pin-Up Pizza! While it may be a little on the pricey side, it is definitely worth every penny and the slice is at least double the size of your head. 

When you are in your mid-twenties and live in the middle of the desert, what do you do in your free time? Hike! Or as my boyfriend likes to say, go on “nature walks.” Today, Annie had a half day of work so we decided to go back to Flagstaff to hike Humphrey’s Trail which leads to the highest point in Arizona and the 26th tallest peak in North America. It’s rated as being a strenuous hike  (100% accurate- could even be an understatement at some points) that spans 5 miles one way from the base of the trail to the highest peak and could take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours just to make it to the top (so wear comfortable shoes and do not forget to bring plenty of food, water and a flashlight).  

We started our hike around 2pm and made it down by 6:30. I know what you’re thinking, “WOW, record timing. Damn those girls are fast.” Not so much. As per usual, Annie and I like to go against the grain and learn the hard way. 3 to 5 hours to hike 5 miles? No problem, we can make it there and back before the sun goes down. Challenge accepted.

The path leading from the parking lot to the trail was cookie cutter at first until we reached the tree line. There was no clear route or trail markers to follow once we entered the forest so we decided to put our faith in the couple ahead of us and followed them in; it worked! Since we were higher in elevation, the weather was perfect for being outdoors (maybe 65° or so), but our breathing was noticeably different which made for frequent pauses and water breaks. 

We hiked up the long, steep and extremely rocky trail for about 3.5 miles until we ran into two men who were on their way down from the summit. When we asked how far we were from the top and if they thought we could make it up and down the mountain before dark, they told us we had about two more miles and should consider turning around. Did we listen? Of course not. Instead, we decided to double-time it up the mountain. Another 15-20 minutes went by so we figured that we had to be close since we were basically running uphill at this point. Nope. We passed another couple and their dog who were on the descent who informed us that we have no chance of making it to the top since the sun was already starting to set. Annoyed and disappointed, we decided to head back down but not before we stopped to take some pictures.

We made it out of the woods just as the sun was setting, which was definitely to our advantage. Had we ignored the advice of the last couple, we probably would have snapped our ankles (or worse) trying to make our way down the mountain without a flashlight, slipping on loose rocks and/or tripping over the uprooted trees. We also would have missed the Instagram worthy sunset!

We have been in Arizona for nearly two months now and figured it would be nice to switch things up a bit. Instead of venturing off to go on excursions in our typical dynamic-duo fashion, we thought it would be nice to have some added company. Annie reached out to three of her girl friends who are also Prescott VISTA members and asked if they wanted to go hiking with us. Together, the five of us crammed into what should be a four person car and set off for Flagstaff. 

After driving 1 hour 45 minutes, we made it to Coconino National Forest. Within the forest, we decided to pass through the Lockett Meadow Campground and hike the 3.9 mile Inner Basin Trail. There is usually a small parking fee or cost per person upon entry at most national parks, but this one was free which made the experience even better. We parked the car and headed for the trail. 

The hike was moderate but steady. People of all ages and sizes were on this trail and nobody seemed to be having a problem aside from the occasional slip, fall and twisting of the ankles (but that is to be expected on any hike, right?) As we got deeper and deeper into the forest, the landscape went from being predominantly green to pure gold. The Inner Basin Trail was covered with white bark aspen trees and gold leaves that made for the most incredible pictures. 

Without a struggle, we made it to the lookout point where we stopped to set up Annie’s new hammock. Ironically enough, we probably spent more time trying to figure out how to set it up than we actually did hiking the trail. Like come on, how many girls (college graduates might I add) does it take to set up a hammock? Let me tell you: five. For some reason, we could not figure out how to loop the slack so it would hang on the trees the right way. After taking 5 minutes longer than it should have taken, the hammock was up and good to use. We kicked back, relaxed and took in the scenery before we made our way back to the car. 10/10 would go back again and highly recommend others to go during the fall season.

With Labor Day right around the corner, we planned to spend our three day weekend somewhere outside of Prescott. What state is relatively close and has a beach? CALIFORNIA! In addition to its warm and sunny weather, the city of San Diego is known for its various attractions, beautiful beaches and amazing food. And unlike Prescott, there is an ever-present youthful population!

For the next week or so, Annie and I tried to figure out how we could make the most of our stay without maxing out our credit cards or draining both of our bank accounts. With regard to our housing accommodations, we decided to stay at the Hostel on 3rd since it was significantly cheaper (and cleaner) than a lot of the hotels in the area. Its centralized location made it easy for us to bounce from one place to the next without us having to retrace our steps. By the time Annie got out of work on Friday, we had everything all set and ready to go.

The drive from Prescott to San Diego was 373 miles of poorly lit backroads and moderately low speed limits, which made for a long 6 hours and 49 minutes. However, we somehow managed to make it in before midnight. Our GPS brought us through downtown San Diego where the streets were crawling with people who were going to and from the bars (as if it wasn’t hard enough to drive there already). It quickly became apparently that parking does NOT exist (and if it does, its $$$$) so I circled the block for 15+ minutes, while Annie checked in at the hostel. Checking-in took much longer than it should have since the man behind the counter (James) LOVED my sister. I should have taken that as a sign from God that this trip would have its own way of messing with us. (You will see what I mean later on......)

We parked the car in an overnight garage up the street and headed up to our room to get settled. Upon entry, we immediately noticed the unique art display that was hanging by the door.

How comforting? Anyway... When we got to our room, we found out that we would be sharing with four other girls; one of which was already sleeping. Annie and I both wanted to go out for a bit since we spent a decent amount of time in the car and were nowhere close to being tired. As quietly as we could (with the lights off), we started to get changed.....until I slipped....and made a lot of noise.....and woke the girl up (she definitely hated me). After that debacle, we left the room to go outside and walk around for a bit. This was short-lived since we had plans to wake up early and go hiking. All in all, our first night in San Diego was a success.

Day One

We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning so that we could hike up Mt. Woodson and still have enough time to do some of the other things we had planned for that day. My lovely co-pilot decided it would be a good idea to navigate us to the trail by using the Potato Chip Rock geotag from a random stranger’s Instagram account. Before we knew it, we arrived at a cul de sac in the middle of a residential neighborhood 30 minutes away from where we needed to be. After hysterically laughing due to frustration, we recalculated our route and pulled up to the Potato Chip Rock hiking trail. Looking back, this little mishap was a clear indication of how the rest of our day would go; foreshadowing if you will.

“High heat advisory. Be sure to bring enough water. Please bring at least 2 liters of water for every person and every dog.” These signs were posted all over the place as we were looking for a place to park- the park information booth, rest areas, and all along the base of the trail. Despite the frequent warning signs, Annie and I proceeded up the trail with our 1.5 liter water bottle that we planned to share. The hike was 8.2 miles roundtrip and was estimated to take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours to complete. Our start time was somewhere around 10am, a little later than we had originally anticipated, but we were determined to make it out of there by 2:30pm at the latest. 

The first mile or so was a loop around Lake Poway, which wasn’t all that bad considering there was a nice breeze for the time being. Once we made our way to the other side of the lake, it was all uphill from there; a straight ascent up with no shade or flat ground. It took us a little over two hours to get to the top since we stopped on more than one occasion to regain our breath and drink some water. By the time we made it to the top of the mountain, we had about two sips of water left and we were still a mile or so out from Potato Chip Rock. The last mile was the worst since it was an unmarked dirt trail that seemed to be never-ending with a lot of loose rocks and uprooted trees, but once we got past that point we reached the top at a little after noon. 

At the top, there was a long line of people waiting to get their picture taken on top of Potato Chip Rock. Annie and I got in line but we were not in any rush to move since we managed to find a spot that was out of the direct sunlight. Not only did we need to regain our strength to climb the rock, but we still had to make our way down the mountain. The way the rock sits makes it feel like you are hanging over the ledge of a cliff, which you basically are. From the top, you are literally able to get breathtaking panoramic views of the city and admire the beautiful scenery. Do not forget to bring your camera! 

Once we were done taking pictures, we overheard a few people say that it was so much faster to take the service road down instead of going back the way we came. Did we take the safe route and retrace our steps, or did we take the supposed shortcut? I’ll tell you. Annie and I made our way toward the service road around 1pm and ran down the mountain in less than 45 minutes. We tried the whole ‘slow and steady wins the race’ thing but the steep decline resulted in too much momentum, which made it hard to walk. 

RECORD TIMING - We reached the bottom of the mountain at 1:45pm! Laughing all the way to the end of the trail, we started to plan what we wanted to do next- should we go to the beach and relax, grab some coffee, go shopping, or all of the above? Little did we know, we were in for a big surprise. We followed the exit signs that brought us to another service road; it looked similar to the one that led us into the park, but it wasn’t. To our surprise, we were standing in the parking lot that was on the other side of the mountain. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? We headed towards the highway and started to walk in the direction of our car, but soon figured out (thanks to Google Maps) that we were 7 miles away from where we needed to be. Annie refused to hitchhike, so what did we do? We did what any normal person would do and called a cab. BUT, it was Labor Day weekend....... and no one was answering their phones..... and if we got in contact with a dispatcher, we were told that all of the cabs were full. Fantastic. 

As I dialed the number for the last taxi service on our list, I was told that it would be a 20 minute wait until a car would be available for pick-up. Who would have ever thought that time estimate would be so relieving? THANK GOD. We stopped walking and sat at a street corner waiting for our ride to come. 20 minutes later, our ride shows up.. except it is not a taxi, it’s a town car. What kind of sick joke is this? This is the kind of thing that would happen to us and it was all the more ridiculous since I was the one who called for rescue. (No, I did NOT request the town car so you can stop thinking I did..) Despite us both being short for cash, Annie and I got into the car. Our driver, the angel that he was, brought us to our car and charged us significantly less than he should have. All things considered, the alternative route down the mountain and the ride to our car ended up taking the full amount of time that it would have taken us to go down the original trail that we hiked up. So all in all, everything seemed to balance itself out. Right? After all, we did meet our goal of finishing at 2:30pm on the dot. 

Water was the next thing on our agenda along with blasting the air conditioner at its max potential, but before we could do anything else on our itinerary, we needed food. We headed to Old Town San Diego to check out El Agave and its infamous Mexican cuisine. Lunch hours just ended and the dinner menu was a little on the pricey side, so Annie and I decided to order an appetizer sampler. The food wasn’t too shabby but it photographed a lot better than it actually tasted. 

Our time in Old Town was short-lived since it was after hours on a holiday weekend, which left us with not much to do other than to walk around. Since the hike had us drained in more ways than one, the rest of our day was dedicated to resting and relaxation at the beach. 

On our way to La Jolla Cove, we passed a beautiful white church on the side of the highway and figured we would make a pitstop to check it out. We got out of the car to walk around and take a few pictures when we were greeted by an elderly man in a suit who identified himself as the Pastor of the San Diego California Temple. He told us everything there was to know about the architecture, history, and congregation after he questioned interrogated us to find out why we were there- “Do you belong to this church? Do you know about this temple? Are you familiar with our system of beliefs? Do you normally stop to take pictures of places that you don’t know anything about?” After we explained that we were just visiting, he insisted upon taking our picture and introducing us to his wife. 

Anyway, long story short, we ran to the car when he turned his back after saying our goodbyes. Needless to say, we did not meet his wife (still unclear as to why he was so incessant about that).

Finally, we made it to La Jolla and let me tell you, they do not call it San Diego’s “Jewel by the Sea” for nothing. The neighborhood was absolutely beautiful and the sights were even more so. Annie and I could not get over how perfect everything was- the laid-back atmosphere, the warm yet breezy weather, and the all around good vibes. Even though parking was an absolute nightmare, we could not have been more content. 

Aside from the views, the best part had to have been when Annie spotted the sea lions down by the water. Naturally, she pulled a typical Annie move and ran down to take an up close and personal selfie next to one of them before they swam back out into the ocean, but before she could... nature happened.

Out of nowhere, a huge wave crashed right on top of her and the timing could not have been more perfect. I am pretty sure that the bystanders got as good as a laugh as I did.. I’m still laughing about it as I write this post. Some things will never get old and some things you have to be there in order to appreciate, but hopefully the picture helps you get the gist of it. With only a few minutes left of daylight, Annie and I set off to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sun go down. As you could imagine, there is nothing quite like a California sunset.

Please forgive the subpar quality of this picture; it does not do the real deal any justice. Overall, our day was pretty eventful and it wasn’t even over yet.

We returned to the hostel after a long day with plans to shower and watch some Netflix in the lounge. Everything was going according to plan until we got back to our room and saw that someone was sleeping in Annie’s bed. Confused, Annie emailed her new friend/admirer James to figure out what to do. As we waited for a response, I decided to shower and managed to lock both myself and Annie out of our room in the process. Of course none of the girls in the room answered when we knocked on the door- they were either sleeping or really just hated us (me) that much. Whatever. After a few minutes, James let us in and showed Annie where she could sleep. Problem(s) solved. (I would have attached the emails to this post so you could have read the hysterical exchange yourself, but someone accidentally deleted them). Another day for the books. Goodnight, San Diego. Until tomorrow.

Day Two

Even though we were still exhausted from yesterday’s hike, we woke up relatively early to make the most of our second and final day in San Diego. Annie has been buzzing about this cute little coffee spot, Better Buzz Coffee, in Encinitas so we headed out that way to grab a quick cup and some breakfast before starting our day. 

After indulging in the most delicious açai bowl and avocado toast, we made our way to Balboa Park. There, we spent a few hours exploring the grounds of the Spanish Village Art Center and enjoying the scenery at the Botanical Building’s Lily Pond.

It was getting hot and we were getting hungry so it only seemed logical to treat ourselves to some ice cream. According to Pinterest bucket lists, google reviews and Instagram bloggers, Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream was the place to go if you were in the mood to chill out. The mini cones make it easy to sample the wide variety of flavors that are available and the flights make for easy handling. 

Annie and I both ordered a flight of six, this way we could try almost all of the flavors that were being featured that day. When Annie ordered her flight, the man behind the counter must have thought that we were sharing because he neglected to ask me if I wanted anything. After trying to get his attention for nearly 10 minutes, the owner came out and started scooping some ice cream for herself. She had asked me if I was being served and told me she would be right with me, but I guess that would come after she finished taking photos of the ice cream that she just scooped? Just wait, It gets better.

In order to take these pictures, she had asked Annie to move a number of times so that she could get “the perfect shot for the website.” This all seemed a little weird but she ended up giving the flight to Annie once she was finished, so that was a plus. I finally got my ice cream and we headed outside to enjoy eat our snack. 

Aside from the neglect and awkwardly photobombing the owner’s photoshoot, this sounded like a nice outing, right? Well, it was anything but enjoyable; it was an absolute NIGHTMARE (for me at least). By the time I bought my ice cream, the majority of Annie’s was basically melted (see above) and mine was catching up due to the high temperature outside. After taking this picture, I helped Annie put her ice cream back in its holder. In the process, I somehow managed to miss the holes and knocked over the flight, which hit into the other set of cones and both flights (12 mini cones) smashed on the ground. Let me tell you, that moment gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!”- because that is exactly what I did. Not only did I have to wait for what seemed like forever to get this ice cream, but it was super expensive and the only flavors that were left completely unaffected were the ones that were given to Annie by the owner. Doesn’t it figure? For Annie, this situation made for a good laugh so I guess we are even considering the fact that I laughed at her sea lion + wave troubles yesterday.

What was once originally 18 mini cones dramatically wasted away to 6, none of which were flavors of any real enjoyment. Hungry and annoyed, we made our way to the last destination on our itinerary where we would spend the rest of our trip laying along the Pacific Coast at Mission Beach. 

Before we even left Prescott, Annie had been searching for the perfect place to get fish tacos. Come to find out, the best place to get them was not in a fancy restaurant downtown or from a hipster food truck. They were no where to be found except the Boardwalk. 

These tacos were to die for and their spicy orange Sriracha sauce was killer, unlike anything you could ever imagine (in a good way, of course). We would highly recommend going if you are ever in the area, but unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the place for the life of me. Oh well.

We spent the last few hours soaking up the sun and preparing to leave beautiful San Diego to head back to good ol’ Prescott. It was our first time to California, but it definitely will not be our last. Until next time!

Traveling out of state is not the only thing that we have planned to do during our one year stay on the West coast. As I have previously mentioned, our bucket list consists of five states with Arizona being one of them. Since Arizona is the sixth largest state in the country in terms of square milage, we have a long list of things to do and plenty of places to see that will keep us busy in the Grand Canyon State. After all, the northern part of the state is said to be home to one of the seven natural wonders of North America. Moving forward...

As we were searching for things to do in Arizona, we stumbled across an activity page that featured guided ATV tours in the greater Sedona, Phoenix and Tucson area. The latter was our preferred choice since we have recently visited Sedona and been to Phoenix a number of times already. Come to find out, this excursion was not located in the heart of Tucson as we originally thought it was. Instead, it was situated an hour away from both Phoenix and Tucson in the city of Florence (Or as the state of Arizona likes to call itself “The Italy of America” on account of their ‘beautiful and scenic mountain regions that are comparable to the mountains of Italy’.)

When we called to reserve our spot on the 10am tour, we were required to give our credit card information to lock down our spot. For a 3 hour tour, it cost $130 for a single or $142 for a double, which is a fair price to pay considering the fact that you get a helmet, gloves and goggles in addition to complimentary snacks and unlimited cold bottles of water. To save some money we opted for a double and took turns driving throughout the trip (It was a smart move on our part because the holding throttle really killed your thumb after awhile). We were instructed to wear comfortable long pants and closed-toe shoes, and advised to print out a set of directions that would navigate us to the site as well as a map since most GPS signals are often jammed or blocked due to the number of state and federal prisons in the area. Nevertheless, we managed to make it on time without getting lost and our GPS gave us no problems.

Upon our arrival, we were joined by two other girls and greeted by our tour guide who gave us liability forms to fill out as he went over the “rules of the road.” Shortly after, we all received a quick training on how to operate the ATV, the usage of hand signals, and what to do if there is an emergency. Once that was over, we set off to go off roading through the Sonoran Desert.

In total, the tour covered all types of terrain for about 35 miles. Our tour guide, whose name I cannot remember for the life of me, took us all over the place to show us the different scenery and sights to see throughout Box Canyon. He pointed out Indian petroglyphs that were said to be left over from the ancient Native Americans and an old adobe building that was believed to serve as a way station for the Butterfield Overland Stage Coach Company during the 1860’s. (For a short time, he said this also serviced the Pony Express on what was know as the “Butterfield Route.”) 

In addition to stoping at these sights, we made use of ‘slot canyon’ where the trail cut through a series of tall rocks, which not only provided a source of shade in the unforgiving 100° dry heat but also gave us a chance to take some pictures. 

After settling into what would be our ‘humble abode’ for the next month or so, my sister and I began to draft a list of all the things we wanted to do during our time on the West coast. I could spell out the details of our future adventures in this post to include the states we plan on visiting as well as their attractions, best places to eat, points of interest, and so on, but nobody likes a spoiler, right? I will tell you though that our bucket list is organized by five states; one of them being Utah.

Before I get into the specifics, it’s important to keep in mind that the states out West are a lot bigger than those on the East coast so it takes some time (and money) to get where you want to go, which brings me to my next point. While it may be considerably faster to fly to our destinations, the cost of an airline ticket is almost double or even triple the amount of what it would cost to drive. Needless to say, every trip that we take is within a moderate driving distance and can be done over the course of a regular or long weekend. Anyway..

As we were mapping out our itinerary, we quickly realized that it would be way too much to fit everything we wanted to do into one trip so we did what we could with the time we had. Since this was our first trip, we were a little overzealous and allotted ourselves one day to cover 752 miles (or 12+ hours worth of driving). In hindsight we were crazy, but it was definitely a trip to remember.

5 hours and 49 minutes away, Monument Valley was our first stop. In order to get there, we had to pass through the Northeastern part of Arizona and cross over the state line into Utah. Since Annie flew from her AmeriCorps training in Colorado to Arizona, this was her first time driving through the state. I, on the other hand, had the pleasure of making a 4 day 37+ hour cross country drive with my mother (believe it or not, it wasn’t all that bad), so this was not my first time admiring the natural landscape. We did the typical tourist thing and pulled over at the border to take pictures of the state sign, capturing the red buttes in the background and then proceeded to Navajo Tribal Park. Since it was upwards of 90°, Annie and I opted to take a 17 mile scenic drive to explore the grounds instead of going on a self-guided 3.2 mile hike around the West Mitten Butte. Regardless, both options offered panoramic views of the red rock formations.. even though ours required a little less effort. After we concluded our two hour scenic drive, we set out for our next stop.

Two hours East of Monument Valley is the only place in the United States where you can be in four states at one time. The Four Corners Monument is the Southwestern quadripoint where the corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. For $5 a person, Annie and I were admitted entry to a very underwhelming national landmark that consisted of not much more than a cement pad and a few state flags. Since we were somewhat in the area, we figured that we should check it out, but we would not mark this as a ‘must see priority’ if you are planning a quick trip to Utah. After a stranger took a picture of us in the most awkward pose imaginable, we headed back home.

After hiking Thumb Butte, Annie and I both agreed that we deserved a day of leisure to rest and recuperate. With Watson Lake Park only minutes down the road, what would be better than kayaking through the boulders of the Granite Dells? For just a few dollars, we were able to rent out two single kayaks and navigate through the waters of Prescott. Since we only arrived about an hour or so before closing, our time was limited to one hour. Regardless, we still had a good time and look forward to doing it again in the future.

As we wait for our apartment to be move-in ready, we have focused our efforts on becoming familiar with the town of Prescott and taking advantage of all it has to offer. Prescott is a lot like Wallkill in the sense that there is not much to do besides Netflix and chill, or stuff our faces. Since we have nearly watched everything that is worth watching in our queue and eat more often than we should, Annie and I have made it our mission to be as active as possible both indoors and out. Hiking Thumb Butte comes highly recommended by all of the locals on account of its low level of difficulty and great views so we figured it would be worth checking out, especially since it is right down the road from where we are living.

In order to access the trail, there is a fee of $5 per vehicle (but like all national parks Wednesdays are free). The trail is 2.1 miles roundtrip and takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to complete depending on your pace. However, I would not rate this hike as being one that is particularly easy. I don’t know if it was the change in elevation that had our hearts beating and short of breath, or if we are just that out of shape, but the steep hills and zig-zagging paths made for a very long and nauseating hike up the mountain. Annie and I both are in no rush to hike this trail again and I don’t know if we would necessarily recommend this trail either, but it gave us something to do and the views were not too shabby either. 

Aside from the Grand Canyon, rumor has it that Sedona is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the whole state of Arizona. Annie and I decided to see for ourselves by taking an impromptu afternoon trip to walk around the town. An hour and fifteen minute drive brought us into the heart of Sedona where the streets were lined with places to shop, eat, and sit to admire the red rocks. 

As you can imagine, summers in Arizona are relatively warm with a dry heat that can sometimes take your breath away (after all, large parts of the state are located in the desert). While temperatures vary according to location, a typical day can often range anywhere from 80° to upwards of 125°. We are quickly realizing that the heat here is no joke, which explains the abundant presence of sprinklers. 

Since we are new to Arizona, Annie and I are both eager to explore. So eager that we failed to note that most places are closed on the weekends and if anything is open, the hours of operation typically run until 5pm (duh). We arrived in Sedona after normal business hours so needless to say not much was open. However, the Black Cow Cafe Ice Cream Parlor was so we took that as a sign to treat ourselves. (Side note: this place has the BEST ice cream and it is homemade! Their malted vanilla ice cream is amazing and we will definitely be going back if we are ever in the area. Worth every penny.) 

After eating our allotted daily calories in a matter of fifteen minutes, we turned to google for things to do. Since we were not dressed to go hiking and most of the attractions were closed, we decided to drive by the Chapel of the Holy Cross. 

The road leading up to the chapel was closed off so we obviously could not go inside or see the view from the parking lot. After we snapped our pictures, we headed over to the Sedona Airport Overlook to watch the sunset. 

This spot was said to be the best place for viewing the night sky in all of Sedona, which helps to explain why it was so packed (not to mention it’s also free). The hilltop lookout point offered great views of Sedona to include Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and more. While there were’t any benches or bathrooms, the guardrails and large rocks served as a means of seating and there was plenty of parking available. 

One of the things on our Arizona to-do list was to visit Montezuma Castle National Monument and go hiking. After driving an hour to the park, we were greeted by a ranger who informed us that this was not the place for such an activity unless you considered walking a paved 1/3 mile loop to be hiking. Despite our disappointment, we paid the fee to enter and took a self-guided tour to check out the 5-story cliff dwelling that was used by the Sinagua people over 600 years ago. Once we read the plaque and took a few pictures, we headed back to the car. All in all, the trip was short-lived and not worth the cost of entry (or the gas money). On the way out, we were told that our ticket was good for a week and also valid for Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, so we headed out that way.

Tuzigoot National Monument was already better (in our opinion) than Montezuma Castle because there was more to do and see. From the parking lot, another 1/3 mile paved trail led us to a 110 room ancient pueblo that was also built by the Sinagua people. From the hilltop, there are decent views of the Verde River and Tavasci Marsh.