My company has its headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ, and I went to my first meeting there. We stayed at the Hyatt Place North, and it was so funny. It was in a developed part of town, busy streets, a Starbucks, and at the end of the street there was...the desert! In twenty steps, you were right in the desert! I ran there twice, just running across the dry dirt, looking at all the cactus and flowers. Just beautiful.
We went to Topgolf for our company outing, and as always, it was fun. Plus, not a lot of my other coworkers had golfed, so I was one of the most experienced - that has never been true in my family! If you haven't been to Topgolf, please note - you do not have to be a good golfer to have fun there. It does help though.
After the meeting, I went to the Scottsdale Quarter to meet a friend. She described it as a mall, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got there and it was all outdoor. Of course, Arizona! There were tons of high end stores and lots of expensive people walking around. In the middle of it was the most wonderful spray park. It was surrounded by tall palm trees, and there were lots of toddlers and parents playing in the park. They had cement benches around them, and I sat in the shade enjoying it for a long time. Just perfect!
My friend Shawna and I ate at SOL Mexican Cochina, where we could sit outside. Delicious. She then got boba tea at Bubble Bee, and I got ice cream at Creamisty. Creamistry was fancy, because they use liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze each ice cream order. It didn't make it better, but it made it more expensive! Lovely place, lovely time! Who knew a mall would be so nice?
I have been to Scottsdale in the past - apparently the first year I started this blog!
Roanoke, VA
I've also been to Roanoke before, since Alicia and I visited Aimee and Will last year. But now I wanted to show it to my family!
The star
Aimee and I walked up a twisty, pretty trail to the star. I know thanks to Aimee's Strava that it was 2.71 miles with a 495 foot elevation gain, and we sauntered it for one hour and five minutes. Isn't it helpful to have friends who keep track?!
We walked to Fork in the Alley, we sat outside, and I had a burrito. I had Mexican food for lunch and dinner Tues-Thurs. It was wonderful. I love combining five ingredients in different ways.
Kris and the boys drove from Michigan to Virginia, golfed in the morning at Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech in Radford, and picked us up from lunch!
We went back to the house to collect Will. We walked from their house to downtown Roanoke. We went up on the rooftop of 1 Market Square SE. We visited Golden Cactus, where the boys played pinball and video games, and we sat outside. We ordered takeout at Big Lick, where they had a band playing, and we all played foosball! Super fun places.
We walked back after dark, and the star was lit up...last time I went to Roanoke, it wasn't lit, and Aimee couldn't believe it. But I'm back, and it was beautiful!
Day two
McAfee Knob
I really, really wanted to show Kris and the boys McAfee Knob, which is an 8-mile hike to a super cool point. It goes along part of the Appalachian Trail, too. I wasn't at all nervous last time, but this time when we were at the top, I couldn't watch my kids jumping around like goats near the edge. Also, there were black flies all around our faces. They didn't bite at all, but they really wanted to be in your eyeballs. They were only at the very top and nowhere else! The walk was very different, because last time all the trees were leaved out, and this time, you could see such great views the entire way.
Before we left, we got takeout from Scratch Biscuit Company. My kids had never had biscuits like that. I'm sure it's the lard that makes it good. It works!
I also can't say enough about the redbuds all over Roanoke! They were so beautiful. They had WAY more than Michigan.
We ate at Mac & Bob's in Salem, which had a lacrosse and sports vibe. I ordered a calzone and both Aimee and Will commented that they were big. This was an understatement. It was GIANT. It was served on a platter.
We went back to Roanoke and went to Starcade, which is an arcade where you pay $12 and can play everything forever. Skeeball, basketball, air hockey, and all the games people love. There was a pinball section too that was for a different fee. Aimee and I left the boys there and visited Three Notch'd Craft Kitchen and Brewery right across the street.
While we were there, our BeReal went off. (If you're unfamiliar with BeReal, it's a social media app that goes off once a day at a random time, but the same time for everyone. You have two minutes to take a picture of yourself (inward) and where you are (outward.) Then you see what everyone else is doing that second. I love it, because it really makes me feel closer to people when I see them every day!)
Alicia had thought she and her family were going to come and visit from Annapolis, but she ultimately said that they wouldn't be able to come. So when her BeReal went off, it showed her, her husband Bobby, and her son Billy in her car. I asked where they were going, and she said, hypothetically, where would we be in an hour? Oh, we were so happy to have them joining us! It really was the best surprise!
We all met back at the house, watched NCAA bball, and had a blast.
Day three
Sharp Top Mountain
Aimee and Will ran a race on the trails we'd walked earlier. Will got third and Aimee got first! What runners. We didn't go...it was super windy and rainy. As soon as they left, it cleared and warmed up! We walked around the neighborhood.
We drove to the Sharp Top Mountain trailhead. The drive was on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and every turn was beautiful! All mountains and trees and places to stop so you could stare at it.
This hike was steep, rocky, and fun! The (now four) boys sprinted up it. It got so windy at the top you had to stop and register if any trees were going to fall on you! Alicia lost her hat, even.
The top was a great payoff. You had a 360 view. Lovely hike!
On the way down, some people even slipped and fell. You KNOW it's a good hike if people fall.
We went to Beale's in Bedford, Virginia. It was still windy, but not so windy we couldn't sit outside in the sun. Another great meal.
We went back to their house and watched more NCAA basketball. We couldn't miss it, of course! The next day we drove back home...a mere 10.5 hours with stops.
I would recommend everything we did - the hikes, all the restaurants, and especially...staying with our knowledgeable hosts!
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