Mr. and I share the same birthday month and usually try to take some time off of work to celebrate. This year we could not make up our minds as to where we wanted to go.
We thought a trip through the wine country would be beautiful or perhaps a trip to the beach would be relaxing. We were hoping to find a location to where we could eat at the hotel restaurants, find relaxing activities and maybe even do spa day. The more we thought of what we really wanted to do the more we realized we can enjoy all those wonderful events here in the Valley. So we decided to make this a stay-cation instead and planned it out as-if we were going to a new city. And on the plus side -- I can sleep in my own bed, enjoy my perfectly brewed coffee in the mornings and I do not have to board Henry. SCORE!!!
We started our stay-cation by going to our first comedy club. We got tickets to go to The Comedy Spot on Saturday night so we made the choice spend the day in Old Town Scottsdale. The only thing to really do in Old Town is shop .. we thought we would find some sustenance before visiting the Mall and other small shops. So we drove around a bit when we spotted a sign that reads The Henry .. I looked at Mr. and said I guess we are eating here. Never seeing this place before we did not know what to expect and we are so glad we stopped. The atmosphere was wonderful, the service staff was so friendly and the food was amazing. The place was packed and filled with activity but it was not too loud .. so we thought we would belly up to the bar since we could eat there too. I even had my first Mimosa .. I know .. I am late to the party. LOL After .. we waddled through the narrow streets and enjoyed some of the artistic shops. Before our evening event we found The Pussycat Gelato and thought we would stop in for something sweet. This little gem was so fun and unique .. they even played Josie and The Pussycats on the TV . As a child I collected the comic books and I always wanted to be Melody. With wonderful memories swirling in my head and my sweet tooth filled we were off to visit the comedy house. The club itself is tiny, however, it is next to a restaurant which on that night happened to be hosting a high school prom. I hope their night was as magical as ours.
We reserved the next day to do one of our guilty pleasures .. gambling .. or making a donation as it is more commonly knows in our household since we have not struck it big .. yet. There are a few establishments in the Valley to choose from and the one we go to is the Talking Stick Resort. We have enjoyed not just their games but also several of their restaurants including Orange Sky on the top level. We have watched Tim Allen when he was in town and enjoyed the most wonderful massage at their beautiful Spa. After our time there we decided to leave to eat at a new location Frank and Lupes which we found the day before when we were walking through Old Town. Mr. and I spent our teen years in a small New Mexican town and it hard to find true New Mexican food. The place was a bit tight but it was filled with happily serviced patrons and I can see why .. the food was so wonderful. There were two large gatherings -- one seemed like family was in town and the other was a group who completed their training. I think it says a lot about a place when people go there to celebrate. It was not until we were done that we noticed their was a separate outside seating area around the corner. FYI … another fantastic New Mexican restaurant in Phoenix is Giles Taste of Taos which we found since they are a vendor at the local farmer's market.
We decided to make Monday our Downtown Phoenix day. There was an exhibition on Pompeii at the Arizona Science Center that we were wanting to see. But first .. you have guessed it .. food. Before we went, we decided to visit the Vegan House and man is this place a game changer. The food at this place was so amazing .. I can not begin to say how great it was. Most of the menu is Asian but they also had sandwiches, fries and deserts. If you are ever downtown stop in and have their fried banana and coconut ice cream. We will have to make it a point to come down here more often just to eat here. Seriously it was that good!! The Pompeii exhibit was interesting .. for one we were only taken in groups and two it was a one-way only exhibit .. there was no turning back after the doors shut behind you. You walked through some artifacts and displays of the houses to a room where they showed a video of the towns final 24 hours and the floors rumbled. Then silence. The door opened to where you were walking through a room with clay casts of men, women, children and even pets. It was quit a somber experience. After the exhibit we caught the last show at the planetarium experience .. which we were the only two people there. It was really great .. it was like having our own private viewing. The guide was very attentive and Mr. got to ask tons of nerdy questions. It was a truly a great day!
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