Spring Break: My family's ready for some Arizona sun!

Posted on 9:33 AM by
Our main goal for spring break is to get some sun. Our family hasn't been anywhere warm and balmy in over a year, and most of our summer was spent freezing in foggy, cold San Francisco. Our skin seems to be turning the color of Elmer's Glue and we desperately need to soak up some rays!

But with me being five months pregnant and our budget being incredibly tight, far-flung tropical destinations like Tahiti, Barbados, and even Hawaii, are out of the question. 

Where can we go that's affordable, a quick plane trip from San Francisco, and guaranteed to be hot? Arizona!

A few months back we booked our flights on Southwest Airlines. Our plan is to fly into Phoenix, where we'll spend two days climbing Camelback Mountain, eating yummy tacos and catching a spring training game. We scored $35 grass seats to the Giants-As game. And then we'll head out of town because Phoenix prices are higher during spring training.

We'll be driving south, visiting Tuscon, Bisbee and Tombstone, and going for lots of desert hikes. Our goal is to stick to a budget of $250 a day.

Is this possible? Yes, of course!

We'll be driving a compact Hyndai Elantra that gets 38 miles to the gallon. We'll be having lots of picnics and tracking down cheap eats—but no fast-food chains. We like to hunt down those authentic spots where locals eat.

We'll be staying at Best Westerns because their hotels are always clean and affordable, Internet is always free, and breakfast is typically included.

What's more, I'm a member of the Best Western Rewards program and have accumulated enough points from past trips to get a free room at the end of our trip. And we'll be traveling during Best Western's spring promotion when members earn a free night after three separate stays. We can't use that free night on this trip as it takes a few weeks go get your coupon in the mail, but we'll definitely enjoy it another time.

So please follow along as our family goes on this journey—we leave next week! In my next post, I'll give you a rundown of our complete itinerary.

Photo: Jasmine Goldband | Tribune-Review

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