Spring Break with Mom & Dad

Katelynn Adams
Jun 13, 2023
12 min read

Updated: Aug 7, 2024

Let me start this post by saying - if you are not best friends with your parents, you are doing it wrong! I will also admit that I am extremely biased because my parents are downright amazing - and so when they come and spend spring break with me; I relish in our time together! Last year they visited me in Colorado - this year Phoenix. They visit me wherever I am, and I absolutely love it! It helps that they love a good adventure as much as I do; we've done mountains, beaches, and now deserts together and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Day 1: Arrival

As per my usual fashion - I greet all my visitors with a Manic Day for myself. Team No Sleep for the Win! So fresh off a night shift, I picked up Mom and Dad from the airport and we walked around Gilbert for a bit and stopped for some coffee and lunch at Liberty Market (*Super cute - would recommend). We then got all their luggage and backpacks dropped off at my apartment and we headed to walk around Old Town Scottsdale!

Now my parents have been to AZ before, and Scottsdale was a previous stop for them then - so they were actually my tour guides for our wanderings on Day 1! With some minor souvenirs purchased and yet another coffee for me; we then grabbed Horchata and Tacos a La Santisma (*Strongly recommend! I loved both my tacos and they had a salsa bar to boot!) and called it an early night!

Day 2: The Road trip before THE Road trip

This day had a bit more planning to it than Day 1 did, as all parties were well slept this time - so after a good night's sleep we woke and started the morning at Cafe de Kate (AKA My Kitchen). We then headed towards Boyce Thompson Arboretum which is a Botanical Garden in Superior, AZ! With beautiful local fauna, hiking trails, and a suspension bridge across a stream through the gardens - it was a must see for all of us! Plus we wanted to start the trip light and easy and outdoor as much as we could!

After walking around all the different gardens - we stopped at The Silver King Smokehouse and Saloon in downtown Superior for lunch and had some drinks as we sat outside! Let me just say that the Pulled Pork was delicious - walking up to this place I was not sure what to expect! But this place was such a bop! They smoked all of their own meats on the property and the place was packed with people drinking, eating, listening to music and having a good time! There were not many other food options in Superior but if you are ever in need of food in the area! This place! This place is where you need to go!

As a lover of spontaneity - we decided to continue driving west into the mountains just to see what there was to offer! When contemplating turning back - I saw a sign for a nearby National Monument and decided to stop by! We arrived at Tonto National Monument with about 7 minutes to spare as they stopped letting people start on the trail at 5pm! So we quickly made the short trip up to the Cliff Dwellings and even the steep hike up was stunning and covered with wildflowers. I am actually incredibly glad we went as my parents had never seen dwellings like this before - let alone getting to walk through them! Oddly enough I did not get any good photos of the ruins themselves, but this was the view on the way up to them - I can see why they would have decided to settle there! Gorgeous, No?

When we finally got ourselves back into Phoenix after taking the long way home - we ordered ourselves some Veggie Pizza from Vitos (I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE ENOUGH) and had dinner and movie night like we used to back when I lived at home! A perfect ending to an all-around good day!

Day 3: Lake Havasu City

Getting up early is one of those things that I only manage to do with company or with impending plans promising adventure. An early start to the day was in order as we had a 3.5hr drive to Lake Havasu City on the docket - and the sooner we got there, the more time we had to explore! And by now we all know how I love to explore :)

The drive is not the most scenic of drives in Arizona; nor a very interesting one - it's pretty flat to be honest and then it switches over to a two lane - 55mph road! That slow two lane stretch is the worst of it though until you reach the California Border - then once you get along the mountains and near the water it gets more scenic again!

Upon arriving to Lake Havasu City (LHC) we were told our room at the resort was not ready yet (granted we were early), so we went and checked out some of the small shops and food stands, and restaurants down by the London Bridge. We walked along the water and grabbed lunch at my favorite restaurant: The Blue Chair! I went there on my own during my first visit and absolutely loved it; so of course, I brought my parents too! They loved it too! Sitting out on the patio, drinking cocktails with Blue Chair Bay Rum (a family favorite of ours), and some good beers for dad - with food and tons of people watching! It was how vacation is supposed to be!

When our room was finally ready, we checked in and then just sat our chairs outside our room on the bay (middle photo) and enjoyed the nice weather and people watching. Dad and I even ran into town to grab us some beverages to sip too. Later we went for dinner at Turtle Cove across the bay on the resort property and watched as the sun set over the water. Another perfect day to just sit and relax and be with my parents! Exactly what I wanted!

Day 4: Hoover Dam & Sky Walk

The next morning, we got up at a decent hour and grabbed breakfast at one of my favorite spots in Lake Havasu City: Wild Coffee Arizona! I discovered this place during my first visit to LHC and it was just what I needed then so I made sure to drag my parents there too. The photo below is of their outdoor seating and adorable mural! They are perfect for people on the go. A drive through and seating are both available - perfect for a solo traveler and those in groups! They also have phenomenal asiago bagel breakfast sandwiches! I got them both times I went!

Then we headed north towards Hoover Dam! The first stop of the day! I must say I did not expect much from the Hoover Dam and when Dad said that he wanted to go - I was not thrilled! But I aim to please - and frankly I am actually really glad we went! It was so much more impressive than I expected it to be! It was an amazing build in its time and to walk through the museum and see everything and everyone that participated in the build; well it truly made it all that much more impressive!

Just being able to walk across the dam and get a feel for how gigantic it truly is - it puts so much into perspective! If you are ever in the area - I do strongly recommend at least stopping in and walking through it! We did not have time to do the underground tour unfortunately; but the stop even without it was worth it!

The reason we did not have time to do the underground tour was because we had another stop planned for this day! We were headed to Grand Canyon West to do the glass walk out! I had seen photos online when it first opened and knew then that if I ever made it out this way that I NEEDED to go! And as it was my birthday week - this adventure was a gift from my parents! So off to Eagle Point we went!

You can see the eagle in the first photo on the left and it is behind me in the photo on the right! It has both of its wings stretched out as if it was soaring!

While the whole experience was nothing like I thought it would be - it was still amazing! My only qualm is that they do not let you take any photos while out on the glass! Which I begrudgingly understand but still did not care for! They do however provide photographers that will take photos of you and your group throughout the walk and have the shots available for purchase at the end! Which of course I did and then I even bought the T-shirt because that just how the saying goes: been there, done that, bought the Tshirt! :)

**Disclaimer: the photo on the right, on the glass catwalk were not taken by me but the others of the canyon were!

From Grand Canyon West we drove alllllllll the way back to Flagstaff where we stayed the night! It was on this drive back that we finally understood why the roads always stated to watch for cows! We had a happy little cow family cross the street in front of us! While mildly nerve-wracking - as it was starting to get dark out; they were super cute and the only wildlife I think my parents got to see while out here!

Day 5: Birthday & GCNP & Antelope

BIRTHDAY DAYYY!!! As this entire week was more or less a birthday celebration for me; I was more than happy to check off some of my parents' bucket list items! Mainly because they were things I LOVED doing the first time and had zero complaints about doing again!

Our day started with a trip to Grand Canyon National Park! My parents had only gotten to see a small portion of it at the walk out the day prior, so I brought them to the National Park! Mainly because I have loved this place since the first time I went, and I knew I would need to go back at least one more time! I think at the first stop we made my mother's direct quote was "Even if this was all I ever saw of it; I would be satisfied" and she did not mean it in a bad way - but simply that she did not know that it could get more impressive! That that view alone was worth all the driving we had put in to get there! However, that was not going to be enough for me and I had more planned for them! We went to multiple more outlooks, two gift shops, and of course the visitor center!

Honestly just seeing their faces when they took in everything that is THE GRAND CANYON for the first time truly might have been my favorite part! And while photos will never do it justice - I tried!

After a handful of hours spent outlook hopping; we then headed East towards Page! We had a slot canyon tour booked! This was one of the few things my mom had on her list that she wanted to do while visiting; and as I stated before, I was more than happy to do again! So we went and did an Upper Antelope Canyon tour and the cool thing about this tour was that it was the last one of the day so we actually got to be in the canyon while the sun went down. It was a little eerie but also incredibly cool to experience! It was said that when the government was initially trying to round up the Native Americans in that area; that some of them hid in those very slot canyons - so to even get the tiniest glimpse at what that might have been like; to experience the dark and the quiet...I do not really even have words for it. Surreal…

The cool thing about doing this tour again was that I get to see new things; each tour group points out different shapes and characteristics of the slot canyons. So, I got to not only show off some of what I had seen the first time but go in and see new things; it made the repeat visit even more worthwhile!

We ended the night with my birthday dinner at the Grand Canyon Brewing Co. and if any of you get to visit Page, AZ I suggest checking this place out! I have been both times I have gone to Page and loved both of my visits! They make good beer, good vodka, and great food! We had pizza and wings; both of which were amazing! And if you know my parents and I at all, we of course had some beer and cocktails too before heading back down to Flagstaff for the night! We were all good to drive by the time we left though - I promise! :)

Day 6: Wineries

To continue on our drinking trend we started the night before - we decided to explore some of Arizona's wineries on our way back to Phoenix! We started in Sedona with Javalinas Leap (left and middle photos); I loved the space as it had tons of outdoor space and had the weather been a little warmer, we'd have likely stayed and enjoyed more of it. The best part of that place was its Sangria though! It had more of a basil flavor which was different than I am used to but still delicious! Would recommend! There was another winery across the street we had planned to stop at but decided against staying because they had live music starting up and the singers voice left a lot to be desired. So, we moved on towards Cottonwood where we hit up Tantrum (photo on the right)!

Ladies, ladies, ladies - this is definitely not a spot for men, but my dad was a good sport and enjoyed himself, nonetheless. It's essentially a winery by women, for women! Its pink, frilly, and has tons of cute photo spots set up inside for all the "gram-shots" you could want! The woman who owns Tantrum's husband actually owns the winery across the street (whose name I cannot recall)! At this point though we opted to slow our drinking so we could get ourselves back to Phoenix in one piece.

It was this night that it truly hit me just how early everything here in Phoenix closes. We got back into town later than normal (maybe 9pm) and for the life of us could not find anywhere still open to eat! We ended up at Lucky Lus by my place and it ended up working out nicely as they had a ginormous menu so plenty of options for all of us - and they food was good too!

Day 7: Dobbins Lookout + Frank Lloyd Wright & Casual Pint + Boozy Pineapple

Our last day together was a bit slower moving. We finally did not have an agenda to maintain or any concrete plans! We got to sleep and actually enjoy the "spring break" vibe a bit today! Breakfast was again at Casa de Kate - and it was not anything fancy: eggs, sausage, and bagels but the slow morning gave us time to figure out what else they wanted to do while in Phoenix.

First stop was Dobbins Lookout in the South Mountains area of Phoenix. It overlooks the entire city area and has some mild hiking trails and nature center to check out. My parents loved it. We went to the look out and drove the hills a bit before walking through the nature center, they had there too!

The big agenda suggestion for the day however came from my dad - as he suggested touring the Frank Lloyd Wright Studio that is homed here in Phoenix. It was his studio and workshop where most of his other designs were created - and my father is a big fan of his. Him and my mother have visited multiple of his works all over the country! So, we booked an audio tour as the guided ones were booked up (if you want to check this place out - I suggest booking in advance). The audio tour was actually super cool though because for a few bits of it you heard from Mr. Wright himself!

I have only ever been to one other FLW home and was much too young to remember much of it - so when it came to this tour; I again had no idea what to expect. To say the least I was impressed; the man had vision, and nothing like I had ever seen before! Seeing everything that he managed to create; all of it using stone he found in the surrounding desert too, was something else! He had garden rooms, triangle pools, verandas, living rooms, meeting rooms, classrooms, and even a theater like area! In the end I could see why my dad is such a fan of this mans work! *Be careful where you step though - some of the small water features are not well marked and one of us walked the property with a squeaky shoe :)

After our tour we headed downtown to the Casual Pint. It was a place I learned about from some friends of mine here that is basically the Baskin Robins of craft beer! They had about 50 different craft beer on taps and then a wall of refrigerated beverages you could drink there or take to go! All craft beer and from all over the country! Now my dad is one of the only people I know who loves drinking strange and different flavored beers like me - and currently we are both on a sour beer kick! And when I learned about this place, I knew the one person I wanted to bring with me was my dad! While mom is not a big craft beer drinker, we did happen to find one she liked too! They also make a phenomenal large Beglin pretzel; 10/10 recommend!

For dinner our last night we stopped somewhere nicer and even had reservations; Bobby-Qs BBQ! This place was absolutely amazing! Everyone's dinners were fantastic, the portions where huge, and they had wonderfully fun cocktails! For dessert they even offered complimentary baby homemade cinnamon sugared donuts - folks, I truly do not even have words for how good they were too! And still warm! It was such a perfect way to end my week with my parents!

Day 8: Flying Out

Departures are truly my least favorite part about having visitors - and when its family it's even harder. As I mentioned above, my parents are honestly two of my best friends and to have had a whole week of adventures with them was perfect! I love that they not only love to explore but they encourage me to do it too! They have supported me through and through and I am so incredibly blessed to have them. They are great travel buddies and even better parents!

Love when you both visit - hate when you both leave!

Until next time Mom and Dad! <3