Phoenix is TOO HOT!

It is just so so hot in Phoenix that my time off from work is rarely spent outside beyond the short walk to my car. So I’ve compiled a list of great air conditioned spots to hang out in Phoenix. Drink lots of water and have fun!

• Metrocenter is a great mall in Phoenix. I usually head straight to Macy’s with my coupons or to Bath & Body Works where I always spend too much time and money. When I go with a girlfriend, Ruby Tuesdays and the movie theater are generally on the list.
• Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa – I’ve mentioned this one before and now I’ve finally gone and checked it out…WOW! I’ve become a spoiled spa goer!
• Phoenix Art Museum is another great indoor spot. This is a huge museum with a great collection, and a nice café.
• Arizone Science Center – I’m not such a science museum goer, but this does happen to be a very good one so I’m putting it on the list.
• Heard Museum – A unique collection of Native American art. This is a great place for visitors (but who would visit Phoenix in the summer??) because it truly epitomizes the southwester spirit. Definitely go to the café while you’re there.
• Paradise Valley Mall is another great mall (again with a Ruby T’s) and provides good solace from the heat. And I’ve been known to drop by their morning walking club…
• Cerreta Candy Company is a unique place to head when you need a change of scenery. A great place to bring kids, this candy factory offers free tours Sundays through Thursdays. Watching the chocolate flow is just mouth-watering.

Stay cool!
Martha

Affordable Theme Parks

When you’re on the road on a limited budget, the last thing you’re gonna do is drop $50-$70 for a few hours stop at an amusement park. And yet, stopping for the day (or for a few hours) at a theme park is sometimes exactly what you need to get that stiff sitting-in-the-car-for-too-long feeling out of you. A place where you can let loose and get all that pent up energy out.
Here are some reasonably priced theme parks in the country, $25 and less, where you and your kids, friends, parents, significant others, or whoever can go for a whirl without spending all your gas money. Prices are approximate for general admission and reflect the adult and children’s price, respectively. Some places charge more for special activities or rides.

• Gatorland – Orlando, Florida – $23/$15
• Marineland – Dolphin Conservation Center – St. Augustine, Florida – $6/$3
• Weeki Wachee Springs Waterpark – Brooksville, Florida – $25/$17
• Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park – Lancaster, Pennsylvania – $30
• Adventure City – Anaheim, California – $14
• Pacific Park – Santa Monica, California – $17/$9
• Raging Waters – San Dimas, California – $25/$20
• Raging Waters – San Jose, California – $30/$22
• Raging Waters – Sacramento, California – $25/$20
• Boomers! – Medford, New York – $20 or $12 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday through the summer.
• Rye Playland Amusement Park – Rye, New York – $30
• Martin’s Fantasy Island – Grand Island, New York – $24/$20

Here are a few I came across in my searches. If you know of more, help out us struggling roadtrippers and post more affordable options!

Top Luxury Resort Spas in the U.S.

I was afraid this might happen. Ever since my first massage at the Mirage Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, and then my subsequent spa treatments at the Avalon Hotel & Spa in Portland, I’ve been ACHING for more! I want another hot stone massage and I think I’d benefit from a facial a week. And my hands would look so much nicer if I just took care of them. I don’t want to indulge too much, but I think at my age, after spending and saving so conservatively for 60 years, I should not feel guilty at the occasional indulgence. Now I just need to figure out what “occasional” really means. Once a week? Month? Year? I’m thinking month.

Fodors lists these ten spas as the 10 Top Luxury Resort Spas:

• Amangani Health Center at the Amangani Resort – Jackson, Wyoming
• Spa Gaucin at the St. Regis Monarch – Monarch Beach, California
• Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa – Phoenix, Arizona
• Greenbriar Resort & Spa – While Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
• Hualalai Sports Club and Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – Kona, Hawaii
• Allegria Spa at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort – Avon, Colorado
• Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa – Asheville, North Carolina
• The Spa at the Post Ranch Inn – Big Sur, California
• The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne – Key Biscayne, Florida
• Bellagio Spa Resort (Hotel and Casino) – Las Vegas, Nevada

Well, I think it would be unreasonable to visit all of these spots, but at the very least…I’m calling the Arizona Biltmore right now to make this month’s appointment! Does anyone have any other recommendations in the greater Phoenix area?

Places to go when you just can’t pay for gas anymore!

I just read an article in USA Today that will definitely appeal to everybody: about great car-free places to visit. CAN YOU BELIEVE GAS PRICES?! It’s to the point of unbearable where I don’t even know if I’ll ever make it back to Massachusetts with any money left in my bank account! So the clincher, of course, is that you have to GET to these places; but at least once you’re there you can park your car and make good use of your feet for a couple of days. Here’s where they recommend going:

• Mackinac Island, Michigan
• Fire Island, New York
• Little St. Simons Island, Georgia
• Avalon, California (Santa Catalina Island)
• Aspen, Colorado
• St. Augustine, Florida
• Monhegan Island, Maine
• Nags Head, North Carolina (Outer Banks)
• Nantucket, Massachusetts
• South Padre Island, Texas

Enjoy!

Top Ten Summer Picnic Spots

I came across this article about Memorial Day picnic spots, and since I sort of missed Memorial Day this year (I was on the road), and since there’s no rule that you can’t picnic after Memorial Day (on the contrary), I figured I’d post the Top Ten Picnic Spots now, for the summer.

Just so happens that the first three (of ten!) spots are in my homestate, two of them just south of Phoenix, Arizona and therefore, quite easy for me to get to!

• Tempe Town Lake – Tempe, Arizona
• Tempe Beach Park – Tempe, Arizona

Next on the list is 90 miles north of Phoenix in Sedona, Arizona:

• Red Rock State Park – Sedona, Arizona

And here are the rest:

• Griffith Park – Los Angeles, California
• Kapiolani Park – Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
• Gas Works Park – Seattle, Washington
• Minnehaha Park – Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Tower Grove Park – St. Louis, Missouri
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park – Middlesboro, Kentucky
• Finlay Park – Columbia, South Carolina
• Delaware Park – Buffalo, New York

So pack and picnic and enjoy the sun! Maybe I’ll see you in Tempe!

Best Florida Beaches and State Parks

I don’t BELIEVE so much time has passed since I last wrote. I think I last left you on my way to Rainbow, which was so long ago, that I can’t even begin to write about it except to say that it was awesome—a truly beautiful experience in a beautiful place, with beautiful people. I’ll write more about it later. While I was there I wrote in my journal (like the old fashioned paper type) so I’ve got things to say, but not now. Quick update: Ryan and I finally made our way back east to good ol’ Massachusetts (my parents missed me…awwww), but just a week later we got back in the car and drove down to Florida, which maybe isn’t the smartest thing to do I the summer because it’s a freakin’ sauna down there (oh, and it rains quite a bit!) but we’ve been staying cool, camping out a lot where there are cool ocean/gulf breezes, drinking a ton, and crashing at the occasional cheap motel when it’s just too painful.

Meanwhile, I came across some great lists while I was researching where to go next and thought that since summer in Florida stretches on forever, these should be quite up to date even in a few months from now. So here ya go!

From Associatedcontent.com: The Best State Parks to Visit in Central Florida During the Summer:

• Blue Springs State Park
• Wekiwa Springs State Park
• De Leon Springs State Park

From Placesaroundflorida.com: Best Florida Beaches:

• Fort Lauderdale Beaches
• Pensacola Beach – Santa Rosa Island
• Stuart Beaches
• Sebastian Inlet State Park Beach – Melbourne Beach
• Palm Beach
• Lummus Beach – South Beach Miami
• St. Andrews State Park
• Smathers Beach – Key West
• Fort Walton Beach
• Daytona Beach & Ponce Inlet
• St. Augustine Beaches
• Destin Pass
• Cocoa Beach
• Jupiter Inlet – Dubois Park
• Panama City Beach