I am finishing up my posts from last year’s vacation as I relive it again. I did enjoy that trip to the NSA Conference 2013. Hopefully we will be attending the NSA Conference next year in Chicago, or the year after in California. I see another flight in my future! You can read about my trip to San Diego here: Bahia Resort-San Diego.
And the journey continued as we had a leisurely breakfast before leaving the hotel. We had already driven through two time zones and was due another time upgrade that day when we would enter PST. As we crossed the Arizona state line we started seeing signs for Winslow.
We have actually been there before but couldn’t resist the opportunity to experience it again and so we went. I am a bigger fan of the Eagles now than I was in the days they were so popular, but I got to tell you, I wouldn’t be able to stand listening to the Eagles, over and over, day after day, which is what the store owners and their employees do on that small square of town.
Winslow, Arizona
After that brief pit stop we resumed our trip to Scottsdale for the soon-to-take-place NSA Conference 2013 via Sedona, a beautiful, busy little tourists town with a whole lot of charm. It was the fourth of July week and the place was hopping so we just did a drive through.
We finally arrived at our hotel The Westin Kierland, in the early afternoon as planned. The place was awesome and a bit upscale so we felt a little out of our league. It didn’t take long to become acclimated.
That evening we went to the terrace in the back of the hotel which overlooks the golf course to listen to the nightly playing of the bagpipes.
The pipes were calling.
Day 4
The fourth day was more sightseeing for us before the official day of NSA Conference 2013 started. We went to Tucson: destination Saguaro National Park, the home of the giant cacti.
An interesting sight to me along the route heading south to Tucson was the farming going on as pictured above. We saw lush, green fields of corn and another crop we couldn’t identify as we drove past, in this sea of brown, hot and dry.
And the Saguaros were dotting hill after hill, something I had never seen before even though that was our third trip to Arizona.
It was a hot day with temps topping 110 but we couldn’t resist the 3/4 mile long “hike” along a paved trail; the only way to “experience the desert”. I rattled my keys as I left the beaten path to stand by the giant cactus, you know, to scare the snakes away! Do you remember the remake of The Parent Trap? I reminded me of Meredith as she banged the sticks to keep the creatures away. And I was yelling for my husband to “Hurry up and take the picture before the snakes get me”!
We ended the trip with a stop for a little libation. We were hungry, and thirsty and El Charro came highly recommended as the place to eat, however, I must admit, Mexican wasn’t really calling my name after being out in the heat. But eat we did. The Cheese Crisp was especially tasty.
We ended the day back at the Westin Kierland on the pati-o (little Irish humor to go with the bagpipes, though I do believe they are of Scottish decent).
A fine day it was.
Just like the last time I read this, I will now have the song in my head for the rest of the day!!!! It’s a good one!!!! Such a great experience you had Laurie!
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So sweet, Chris. Thanks.