Wednesday was Grand!

Wednesday was a very long day but I got to see the many landscapes of Arizona.

We got up at 5am and hit the roads at 6am heading north. It's a 332 mile or 445 km journey. Now I can say I seen the Grand Canyon. I would love to visit it again and actually stay there. Do a hike right to the bottom. There is lodging at the bottom called the Phantom Ranch. Sounds like a fun time to me!

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging/phantom-ranch/

Some pics of the Grand Canyon.

We left the Grand Canyon around 130ish to make our way back south to Tucson. Our trip back was going to be slower since we were taking the scenic route. Definitely lots of winding roads. I was so nauseous sitting the back seat. I drove the whole way up so Lynn said she would do most of the driving on the way back. First was Oak Creek which reminded me a lot of the west coast. Tall trees and mountainous terrain. Then Sedona. Time was getting tight so here are a few pics of Sedona.

After Sedona was an old mining town called Jerome. It's built on the side of the mountain. Very cool place, wish I got pictures but there wasn't a lot of places to pull over and I was extremely nauseous by then. So I took over to drive.

We made our way after a few wrong turns and a phone that wouldn't connect to any data to Prescott Valley. We were having dinner with Cliff (another cousin) and his wife Clare. More Mexican food! Omg I'm so sick of Mexican food. Lol

We got home by 1030pm and I was pooched. Currently chilling in my local Starbucks planning out today.

Desert Fun

Well today was a lot of fun. To start, I got to drive Lynn's Honda S2000 and the weather today was gorgeous!

So first I stopped at Starbucks. Free WiFi and research. I decided to head to Old Tucson and unfortunately it is closed in the day. They have something similar to Halloween Haunt in the evenings. Way too scared to go by myself. Luckily, the Desert Museum is just down the road. Plus the drive there was awesome on a great winding road.

Here are some great shots I took today.

 

Arizona is really nice

So let me recap Sundays events. I survived the plane ride, barely. My second cousin Lynn picked us up from the airport and we went to Robert's house. All this family is from my Grandmothers side of the family. Lots of familiar faces just can't remember theirs names. I'm sure they all made it up to Canada at some point.

We had tacos, guacamole and salsa. She toned down the heat cause she knew we aren't used to the spiciness of how they normally make it. It was good.

It's really nice to see my great aunt Ester, my grandmas sister. She reminds me of my grandma and that makes me smile.

By the time we got back to Lynn's in Oro Valley, (part of Tucson) it was late especially for my mom and I since they are 3 hours behind. 

After a good nights sleep, I was ready for Monday! We headed to the Tucson Mall. I found a pair of shoes and I watch I like. Definitely going to head back and probably just get the shoes. However, the cute guy in Fossil seemed nice and I may return just to say hi. Lol

I was looking really cute today, so he probably couldn't resist talking to me.

Lynn the treated us for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I don't think I've ever been and it really sucked cause of all the cheesecake choices that I couldn't have. Lol 

After that, Lynn and my Mom were pooched, so we headed home. I didn't want to sit around so I headed out for a walk to Starbucks. Beautiful day out. Got a huge Starbucks golden ginger ale. Lol chatted with the young girls about how we don't have them in Canada. 

The scenery is really nice too and another amazing thing about Arizona is that you can get avacados anywhere. I'm surprised Starbucks doesn't have an Avacados Latte. Lol

Stuff I forgot to mention :-*

So there was a few things I forgot to mention in my previous post.

1. I bought cookies from the Cake and Loaf Bakery for my flight crew.

2. I totally forgot about Arizona wildlife. Creatures such as large spiders, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and I think maybe the Jacklope.

3. My Mom is crazy. Oh wait, I probably didn't forgot that! That's where I get it from. She was up pacing around at 430am with every single light on in my house.

4. This is WestJet's inaugural flight from Toronto to Phoenix. So free coffee and treats.

One thing I ask before I go. Please just make a small prayer for my safety, sanity and overall well being. It is very much appreciated. Val, if I don't make it, the house is yours. :-/

And so it begins...

Hey Everyone,

Another Joey Cipolla adventure is about to begin.  Tomorrow, my Mother and I are hopping on a plane together heading towards Arizona.
I already know the first question, why are you calling this blog, Scare-izona?  Well for several reasons.

1. The trip takes place at the end of October and I will be there for Halloween, hence the "Scare" added before "izona".
2. Its really the best I could do with "Arizona". 
3. My Mother and I are getting on a plane together, at the same time, sitting beside each other.  Honestly, there is nothing scarier then that! 

The nice thing about this trip is that we have family down there that we have not seen in a while.  My Mom has been wanting to travel for a while now but we figured the last time she was on a plane was 1987 and it was to Arizona.  So she really needed a travel companion to help her, and she made a great choice.  LOL  I couldn't resist going, since I have never seen Arizona and I have a list of tasks I wish to accomplish while I am there.

Things I want to accomplish:

• I want to go for a hike.  Maybe part of the Grand Canyon, or Sedona?
  
• Shopping of course.  I think I am due for another pair of Chuck Taylors!  Blue this time.  I will eventually get all the colours of the rainbow.  LOL
  
• Another cool place would be Tombstone, AZ
  
• I want to find a locally own cafe in Tucson, AZ.  One with delicious homemade vegan treats.
• Ultimately, I want to relax and destress.

I will post daily my adventures, and the drama I will have to endure with my MOM!  LOL