Arizona {Days 4 & 5} - Scottsdale

Here I am finally getting back to my forever-ago trip to AZ...

Based on the fact that Day 4 in Arizona could be summed up pretty quickly, I combined this day with the next. 

Day 4

The previous busy travel days called for a lazy one around the pool and then dinner out in Old Town Scottsdale that evening. The weather was beautiful and it was the perfect type of vacation day.

And that pretty much covers it. A lot of sun and not a lot of activity!

Day 5

We took advantage of the time difference (that we still hadn't fully adjusted to) and walked around the hotel property this morning as the sun was coming up. 

And there's the moon, which kept popping up in my pics this day...

Based on a recommendation from a neighbor back home who is now living in Scottsdale, we decided to hike Piestewa (Squaw) Peak this morning before having to pack up and head to hotel #2 for my work meeting. There was some question on whether Camelback was open, which was our first hiking choice, so we went with Squaw. And we were glad we did. It was just right for what we wanted...good exercise, a couple hours long, great views of Scottsdale and Phoenix, and not too difficult for us at the higher elevation. 

This peak had many trails but we picked the Summit, grabbed our water (definitely need an ample supply for the dry climate!) and protein-packed snacks, and off we went.

The terrain of the trail

Our parking lot down below...

Taking a break. The heat and height starting to take its toll...

We made multiple stops along the way to take in the scenery and snap photos.

And there's the moon again...

And we finally made it to the top!

A little friend I found on my descent...

So much easier going down and we didn't have to take as many breaks :)

And we still managed to squeeze in some pool time after our hike before packing up that afternoon.

ICE!

We headed up to Northern VA a few days after Christmas to finally check out what Hayley and Jerry have been raving about for a few years. They have made it a regular part of their Christmas break to go to the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor to see the ICE! exhibit. The rest of the family finally took them up on the offer to join them. And we were really glad that we did. 

Each year it has a different theme and this year's was... 

Bundled up before we stepped into the tent and braved the 9 degree temperature. I was thinking at the time how rare it is to experience temps that low and how I couldn't handle life in the north. Who knew that we would have those temps (or close to it) for multiple days in Virginia this winter?!

Every bit of the displays are made of ice. An amazing art...

We couldn't finished the tour without a ride on the ice slide.

Mom got a head start

Dad's strategy to keep his boots from getting wet gave us some extra entertainment!

A wonderful ending to focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas.

I made the mistake of taking off my gloves at the end to more easily take pictures and my hands started throbbing. I finally had to run out because I couldn't bear the pain. After only 20 or so minutes of the sub 10 degree temperatures, I realized how much I am not cut out for cold places AND how careful you have to be when the temps are below freezing. Even though it seemed like a relatively short tour, I was thankful to have thrown on an extra layer under my jeans and multiple layers up top. They were definitely needed!

We topped off our Northern VA adventures with a trip to Ikea the following day. I have only been once or twice before so I was like a kid in a candy store that day. I walked away with my major objective accomplished of buying a bedroom dresser and I found a couple other great finds as well. This was just the jump start I needed to making a few minor, but very useful, changes to my place.