Phoenix, AZ
The Casa Grande Convergence was over, and it was time to leave. I think a sizable chunk of our fellow attendees were just too hung over to go anywhere. Unfortunately for us, our gray tank was just a few cups shy of capacity, and we needed to skedaddle. So, we made the super grueling hour long trek to Phoenix.
Where we stayed: The MotorCoach Resort
How long we stayed: 2 weeks
Did you know Paige was born in Mesa, just outside of Phoenix? I did, and she'll never let you forget it, either.
Phoenix was an expensive trip, for two reasons:
- It was oil change time! For those who don't know, an oil change in a diesel pusher costs about $400! We spent Sunday still essentially completely packed up, since we needed to move on Monday to get the oil changed. We also had a few other minor mechanical items looked at. Tuesday was the Jeep's oil change. Fortunately this was covered by the Jeep Wave program.
- I (Jake) got LASIK! This particular surgeon was recommended to me by not one, but two of my coworkers in the local PHX area. LASIK surgery was on Thursday, and I also took Friday off to give my eyes a break from computer screens.
We also did a bunch of other cool stuff, though! The coolest was probably Paige's birthday experience. She asked for a hot air balloon ride! If you've ever met Paige, you might think "this is suspicious, I actually think that was Jake's idea." Nope. It was 100% Paige's.
In case you want to be completely surprised by your own hot air balloon experience, skip this paragraph. Paige was most anxious about take-off, but turns out take-off in a balloon is super easy! You just...float. Landing is a completely different story. I had expected that we would just simply plop gently down on the ground as the balloon released its heat. NO! Nothing could be further from the truth! It was still quite a fun experience, despite a bumpy landing.
We also checked out the Musical Instrument Museum, colloquially known as The MIM. We were very lucky to stumble into an awesome tour guide. Not only was she was incredibly knowledgable about the instruments in their collection, but her passion for music and instruments was contagious. I'm not sure if she was a paid tour guide or a volunteer, but she deserves tons of recognition.
We only had one weekend in Phoenix, and we spent Sunday with Jason. We hit up a few bars and had a great time! Paige's dad also lives in Phoenix, so we were able to see him several times throughout our 2-week stent in the area.
Unfortunately, just a couple days after we hung out with Jason, COVID-19 started shutting down bars and restaurants. The rest of our time in Phoenix was relatively uneventful as a result. Up next, Page, AZ!