I love this photo because it's a perfect representation of our awesome second day in Arizona.
We woke up to a gorgeous day in Phoenix. Mom and dad wanted to hike and the kids couldn't wait to dive into our hotel swimming pool. What to do? Compromise. We decided to hit the trail in the morning when the temperatures were cool and spend the afternoon by the pool. Everyone was happy!
Here's a rundown of our day...
Budget
- Breakfast: Free at the hotel
- Hiking at Piestewa Peak: Free
- Lunch at La Condessa Gourmet Tacos: $38.35
- Dinner at America's Taco Shop: $27.21
- Best Western Plus InnSuites Phoenix: $120
Days' total: $185.56
Trip total: $527.45 (With a budget of $250, we should be at $500 on day 2. We're almost on budget. Tomorrow needs to be another cheap day.)
Highlights:
1) Piestewa Peak
The best way to see the Valley of the Sun is from atop one of the many mountains that abruptly climb from the flat valley floor. We originally planned to hike to the top of Camelback Mountain, Phoenix's tallest peak, but learned the summit trail is closed for renovation until fall 2013.
Instead we opted for the city's second tallest mountain, Piestewa Peak, only a five minute drive from our hotel. The trail passed through a pretty dessert landscape dotted with saguaros, spindly ocotillos, and brittlebush blooming yellow flowers. And then we started heading straight up...
A series of tight switchbacks wind up to the top of the peak at a seep 19-percent grade. My legs were feeling it, and the extra pregnant weight wasn't making things easier. It's only 1.25 miles to the top but it takes about an hour and a half to get there. The trail was packed with people.
Halfway to the top my daughter climbed out to a point to take in the sweeping views of Phoenix
She was on top of the world!
I got a little nervous at this point. "Get down from there before you fall," I shouted!
A lizard friend along the route.
We made it to the top!
A few tips if you want to do this hike:
- Bring lots of water. We went through our two bottles about halfway up the mountain and were dry when we reached the top.
- Start early or late. You don't want to do this hike in the middle of the afternoon.
2) La Condesa Gourmet Tacos
La Condesa might sit on a nondescript block on 16th Street in Phoenix, but you can't miss it. A big sign with a striking mosaic of La Catrina, Lady of the Dead, wearing a wide-brimmed, flower-topped hat, hangs above the entrance.
The inside of the restaurant is cozy with about 10 heavy wooden tables gathered around a bar. Large colorful canvases by Mexican artists fill the walls. A salsa bar stretches against the back wall and features the best selection of salsa I've ever come across at a Mexican restaurant. The display is colorful and fragrant and I had a difficult time choosing between a cilantro cream, a limey tomato and onion salad, a fiery red chile salsa, an unusual pink-pickled radish salsa...or should I try that peanut sauce? Pecan salsa? Strawberry? I found myself carrying six containers back to my table and we finished them all off with a large basket of fresh chips, and then we went for another round.
I come from San Francisco, a city filled with restaurants that constantly make national magazine top-10 lists and win all sorts of awards—but we don't have any Mexican food that compares to what we ate at La Condesa.
My husband and I both decided on tacos—grilled shrimp and slow-roasted pork—served on homemade pillowy corn tortillas. They came with a thin layer of creamy refried beans topped with Oaxacan cheese and a pile of rice studded with vegetables.
Forget dessert. Instead go for a 32-ounce cup of horchata filled with cinnamon and chopped fruit and pecans.
3) Swimming at the Best Western Plus InnSuites Phoenix
After a hike and a good meal, all the kids wanted to do was swim. We spent the entire afternoon, over four hours, by the pool at the Best Western Plus InnSuites Phoenix.
Our kids quickly made friends and soon my son was engaged in a canon ball contest with a pack of boys and my daughter started a game of Marco Polo.
At 5:30 p.m. we took a break in the lobby for a Best Western happy hour with free chips, popcorn and beer for the adults.
4) America's Taco Shop
Tacos are the specialty at this casual, affordable eatery with counter service and outside seating—and it's known for having some of the best carne asada in the valley. The tacos are street style, tortillas filled only with a pile of well-spiced meat. Our family of four was well fed (we each ordered three tacos) for $30. Can't beat that!
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