July 2009
Places Visited
I ate a great Vietnamese restaurant with relatives near Philadelphia. It was the first time that I had been to a Vietnamese restaurant and I am ready to go again!
I went to the University of Phoenix graduation at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona. I flew into Sky Harbor International Airport. I rented a car from Alamo, which had to be returned for two others because of mechanical problems. The changes were made quickly, however. The first night in Phoenix, I ate at Los Taquitas Mexican Food Grill that was featured on Diners, Drive Inns, and Dives. The food was good and spicy! While in Phoenix, I visited the Desert Botanical Garden, which I really enjoyed, not having been to the desert before. I also visited the Pueblo Grande Museum, an archeological dig that tells about the Native Americans of the region. Between graduation exercises on Friday, I also walked through the Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix.
Then I went for a vacation with a relative to Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, and Sadona.
In Flagstaff, we went to the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park. We took the outside self-guided tour. We also went to the Snow Bowl and took the ride up the ski lift. After that we went to the Arboretum at Flagstaff, a very interesting walk through both gardens and natural wooded areas. At the end of the day, we took a tour of Lowell Observatory. There we learned about Flagstaff and the history of the Apollo Missions, something I had not known about. We drove on Old Route 66 most of the time in Flagstaff. At night, we ate at the Horsemen Lodge.
On the way from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon we stopped at the Montezuma Castle. After we left there, we stopped along the road to share a piece of fry bread.
At the Grand Canyon we first visited the Grand Canyon South Rim Visitor Center. We saw many exhibits and the IMAX of the Grand Canyon. We stayed at the El Tovar Hotel, in the park and 50 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon. From there we took the Rim Walk to the Yavapai Observation Station. There was a thunderstorm while we were there. The weather cooled down and there was beautiful lightning over the Grand Canyon. We took the shuttle bus back to the Grand Canyon Village and visited the Hopi House very near the hotel. We also visited the Verkamp's Visitor Center where two of the ranger walks began. We took a ranger walk on how human experiences affect the Grand Canyon, a ranger walk along the rim, and I heard a ranger talk on California raptors. We also walked the beginning of the Bright Angel Trail while eating a soft large pretzel. In the morning, we walked out of the hotel and saw about five elk grazing on the grass. We walked to the edge of the canyon for a walk, then went for an early morning helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon! It was wonderful and very exciting. When we got back to our hotel and at the Grand Canyon, we ate breakfast at the Bright Angel Dining Room and Lodge near the edge of the Grand Canyon. We then walked along the rim, stopping at the Kolb Studio. Between the Grand Canyon and Sadona we drove through Oak Creek Canyon in the Coconino National Forest. We stopped at an overlook. It was beautiful and very unexpected, at least to me.
Next we stayed for a couple of days in Sadona where we did some hiking in the Red Rock region near the town. We stayed at the Wyndham Vacation Resort while there. The first day there we ate at the Cowboy Club where the food was delicious and we had cactus fries with sauce, quite a treat. After a day of hiking, we ate at the Barking Frog Grille. I had the best grilled cheese sandwich there ever! It was filled with fresh vegetables and delicious!
While waiting at the Sky Harbor International Airport to come home, I got a vegetarian burrito at the Blue Burrito Grill.
Books Read
First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life By Eve Brown-Waite
Start Something: You Can Make a Difference by Earl Woods and the Tiger Woods Foundation with Sari Lesser Wenk
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller
I ate a great Vietnamese restaurant with relatives near Philadelphia. It was the first time that I had been to a Vietnamese restaurant and I am ready to go again!
I went to the University of Phoenix graduation at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona. I flew into Sky Harbor International Airport. I rented a car from Alamo, which had to be returned for two others because of mechanical problems. The changes were made quickly, however. The first night in Phoenix, I ate at Los Taquitas Mexican Food Grill that was featured on Diners, Drive Inns, and Dives. The food was good and spicy! While in Phoenix, I visited the Desert Botanical Garden, which I really enjoyed, not having been to the desert before. I also visited the Pueblo Grande Museum, an archeological dig that tells about the Native Americans of the region. Between graduation exercises on Friday, I also walked through the Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix.
Then I went for a vacation with a relative to Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, and Sadona.
In Flagstaff, we went to the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park. We took the outside self-guided tour. We also went to the Snow Bowl and took the ride up the ski lift. After that we went to the Arboretum at Flagstaff, a very interesting walk through both gardens and natural wooded areas. At the end of the day, we took a tour of Lowell Observatory. There we learned about Flagstaff and the history of the Apollo Missions, something I had not known about. We drove on Old Route 66 most of the time in Flagstaff. At night, we ate at the Horsemen Lodge.
On the way from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon we stopped at the Montezuma Castle. After we left there, we stopped along the road to share a piece of fry bread.
At the Grand Canyon we first visited the Grand Canyon South Rim Visitor Center. We saw many exhibits and the IMAX of the Grand Canyon. We stayed at the El Tovar Hotel, in the park and 50 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon. From there we took the Rim Walk to the Yavapai Observation Station. There was a thunderstorm while we were there. The weather cooled down and there was beautiful lightning over the Grand Canyon. We took the shuttle bus back to the Grand Canyon Village and visited the Hopi House very near the hotel. We also visited the Verkamp's Visitor Center where two of the ranger walks began. We took a ranger walk on how human experiences affect the Grand Canyon, a ranger walk along the rim, and I heard a ranger talk on California raptors. We also walked the beginning of the Bright Angel Trail while eating a soft large pretzel. In the morning, we walked out of the hotel and saw about five elk grazing on the grass. We walked to the edge of the canyon for a walk, then went for an early morning helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon! It was wonderful and very exciting. When we got back to our hotel and at the Grand Canyon, we ate breakfast at the Bright Angel Dining Room and Lodge near the edge of the Grand Canyon. We then walked along the rim, stopping at the Kolb Studio. Between the Grand Canyon and Sadona we drove through Oak Creek Canyon in the Coconino National Forest. We stopped at an overlook. It was beautiful and very unexpected, at least to me.
Next we stayed for a couple of days in Sadona where we did some hiking in the Red Rock region near the town. We stayed at the Wyndham Vacation Resort while there. The first day there we ate at the Cowboy Club where the food was delicious and we had cactus fries with sauce, quite a treat. After a day of hiking, we ate at the Barking Frog Grille. I had the best grilled cheese sandwich there ever! It was filled with fresh vegetables and delicious!
While waiting at the Sky Harbor International Airport to come home, I got a vegetarian burrito at the Blue Burrito Grill.
Books Read
First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life By Eve Brown-Waite
Start Something: You Can Make a Difference by Earl Woods and the Tiger Woods Foundation with Sari Lesser Wenk
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller
