Mesa, Arizona
On Thursday, February 10th, we made the relatively short drive from Joshua Tree, CA to Mesa, AZ, where Bernie and Ellen graciously hosted us for two weeks.
We were met with fantastic weather, 80s+, and not a cloud in the sky. In fact, we didn't see a single cloud in the sky for the first five days that we were there!
And unlike WA, OR and CA, very few people wear masks in AZ. It was quite refreshing and it felt like old times.
We made so many great memories in those two weeks, but the first three days were particularly remarkable.
On Friday, our first full day there, we attended the PGA's Phoenix Open. What a treat! The 16th hole was insane! We found a spot in the shade on the 15th hole and sat there for quite a while. When we decided to leave, we walked maybe 50 feet and an errant golf shot landed exactly where we were sitting just moments earlier. No doubt, one of us would have been hit had we stay a few more seconds. After being hit by a golf ball the last time I was in AZ, I was happy to avoid it this time!
On Saturday, our second full day, we attended Courtney and Leonard's Reveal Party. It's a Boy! It was a super fun event and we were happy to be a part of it.
Sunday was the Super Bowl. Always an event.
The remainder of our stay included:
- Amazing meals at fantastic restaurants
- Bike riding to Gilbert for the Saturday Market
- A trip to Dierks Bentley's bar called Whiskey Row. As we were listening to some great country music, we realized it was a live band at the other end of the bar
- Playing golf, not once, but twice, including a round at the beautiful Biltmore Golf and Country Club, normally $160 a round but Gavin got us in for free! Thank you Gavin!
- Visiting the Gila River Resort and Casino in Awatuki
- Meeting up with our good friends Chris and Lisa who we were surprised to find out they were vacationing 15 minutes from us
- Enjoying Casino night at Leonard and Courtney's apartment complex
- Dining at Kevin and Dana's, former next door neighbors of Ellen and Bernie who have a cabin on Deer Lake, north of Spokane
- Visiting one of Courtney's Raw Beauty lounge locations where Karen enjoyed some spa treatments
- Sipping exotic cocktails at the Century Grand, a bar that gives the illusion that you are riding a train through some snowy mountains
- Hiking on the Kiwanis Trail with Ellen, Bernie, Teddy and Lilo
- Seeing Jay Pharoah, former SNL member, at the Improv
