Tor and I are considering heading back to Arizona for Christmas depending on our schedules, and I have to admit I am very curious to see Christmas lights strung up across all the cacti! No matter when we go back, I am anxious to try out some more of Scottsdale's treats as well as venture into downtown Phoenix (it's been years since I have last been downtown!).
Photos by Torrance Coombs.
Spell & Byron Bay dress (also available in blue here), Sigerson Morrison slides, Cult Gaia bag, Self-Portrait sunglasses, Byredo Bal D'Afrique perfume
As I mentioned earlier, my in-laws spend part of the year in Arizona, so Tor and I like to visit them before they head back up to Canada for the rest of the year. I’ve always loved Phoenix, but until I began dating Tor I had never ventured to Scottsdale.
The Phoenix area includes Scottsdale, and it’s massive. There is so much to do! Even though we were there for about a week, we still weren’t able to fit everything in that we wanted to do (well, at least what *I* wanted to do!). We did try new restaurants and sites this time than before, and there’s still more on our list for our next visit.
Since Tor and I were celebrating our first wedding anniversary and my in-laws were celebrating their 35th (#goals!), the four of us decided to celebrate somewhere fun. We dined at North Italia in Arcadia for dinner one night and we left rolling. The food was insanely good! We munched on truffle garlic bread (yum!), lentil and sausage soup, meatballs, and burrata tortelloni (INSANELY YUM!). The food was so good and we were so full that we couldn’t even look at the dessert menu. That’s RARE, so that’s how you know the place is good!
One morning, after Tor picked up some delicious donuts from BOSA (OH MY GOODNESS SUCH DIVINE DONUTS!) for breakfast, we decided to head out to explore Scottsdale. Our first stop was Papago State Park. We tend to visit Papago every time we return to Scottsdale. It was the first spot Tor and his parents took me on our first trip together to Arizona back when Tor and I were in our early years of dating (this was even before we adopted Renly and Daenerys!). It’s one of the most iconic spots of Scottsdale, famous for it’s “hole in the rock”. You can hike up to the hole, sit, and watch planes land and takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor not too far away. There’s also a pond with some very chatty ducks if you caught my Instastory!
I had been saving this dress for our desert adventure, and I am glad I did. It’s going to be one of my favorite dresses this summer!
After spending the afternoon at Papago, Tor and I took a drive further out to try some ice cream I had heard so much about. As soon as Tor and I stepped into Churn, we knew we were at the right place. I had been anxious to try their oatmeal cookie dough ice cream, but sadly they were out of it that day. Instead, I settled on a waffle cone with double chocolate chip and mint cookies and cream. Tor and I both were obsessing over how delicious the mint cookies and cream is! So if you ever find yourself at Churn, which you should, GET THE MINT COOKIES AND CREAM. It’s divine!
For our final day in Arizona, Tor and I were very excited to finally meet up with my friend Caitlin and her husband Ben from A Dash of Darling. If you aren’t following her blog and her Instagram yet, you should! She’s one of the sweetest bloggers I have met, as well as also being a royal history lover like me. All four of us grabbed lunch at The Henry, where we dined on burgers, sandwiches, potstickers, and a coffee that Tor still can’t stop raving about to this day. I have a feeling we will be back to The Henry on our next visit with Caitlin and Ben, although next time we will have to try their breakfast as Caitlin highly recommends it! Sadly, since we spent over 2 hours at lunch chatting away, we forgot to take pics! I couldn’t believe we didn’t take pics, so hopefully next time we will get the chance to.
Tor and I are considering heading back to Arizona for Christmas depending on our schedules, and I have to admit I am very curious to see Christmas lights strung up across all the cacti! No matter when we go back, I am anxious to try out some more of Scottsdale’s treats as well as venture into downtown Phoenix (it’s been years since I have last been downtown!).
Photos by Torrance Coombs.
Spell & Byron Bay dress (also available in blue here), Sigerson Morrison slides, Cult Gaia bag, Self-Portrait sunglasses, Byredo Bal D’Afrique perfume
It’s insanely cool to see that you have been somewhere I have been! I took my mother up to Hole in the Rock when she visited me. I love those ducks! Bosa doughnuts ARE so good (a friend brought me some after surgery last year)!
I’m glad to hear you love Scottsdale too! And yes Bosa is so good! I am so mad they don’t have one in Los Angeles. I didn’t think anything could top my beloved Dunkin Donuts but Bosa did!
If you come out at Christmas,come visit me in Fountain Hills!have you been out here yet?