I woke to the sound of raindrops on our window. Grey, cloudy skies that make most people want to curl up in a cozy blanket and binge watch their favorite shows. For me, it had been a while since we had a heavy rain and I wanted to enjoy it.
It's hard not to take full advantage of the great weather in Phoenix during the winter months. It's the perfect time to get outside and conquer the many hiking trails in the area.
This past weekend we made our way to the second highest peak in Phoenix, Piestewa Peak. Our My plan was to hike the Summit Trail (#300). We made our way to the start of the trail and ignored the signs that stated it was extremely difficult and forged ahead.
One thing to keep in mind...it does get crowded. It gave me a bit more motivation because there were all ages and all physical types on the trail. Giving me that extra boost of energy to keep pushing to the top. I mean, you feel kind of bad when your gasping for breath and an eighty year old passes you like it's just another walk around the old block.
After a full week of non stop rain, clouds, and being cooped up in the house I was eager to get outside. Thankfully, Arizona has unlimited options for outdoor adventures/hiking trails.
We drove a little over an hour north to Watson Lake near Prescott. The temperature dropped about 30 degrees in that short amount of time. So, although, I received a few strange looks at our local gas station the parka and snow boots came in quite handy.
Shhh...do you hear that? It's so quiet. It has been a few days since Jer's family left and I flipping miss the chaos of having nine people under one roof. The chit chat, the laughter, the skateboarding in the house, the trying to control our dog so she didn't eat the little one, the constant nagging for the girls to hurry up and get ready...I miss it all.
It was everyone's first time to Arizona so we played tour guide for the week. Their main request was to visit the Grand Canyon. I mean, who wouldn't want to see one of the seven wonders of the world, right?!? This would be a first for everyone since we had yet to visit.
Jer took it upon himself to watch a very informative YouTube video and he advised he had our whole day planned out. We packed up the van and headed north to the South Rim of the canyon.