Arizona 2012: A Thankful Trip

It is hard to believe two weeks have passed since Thanksgiving - one of my favorite holidays! I decked my halls (well my very small living room, at least) with Christmas before heading down to Arizona. I wanted to be sure to have the tree and lights waiting for me when I got home - Christmas being my most favorite holiday :) I am lucky to have extended family in Utah, so there was always a place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. But this year, I decided to fly home to Arizona for some mild November weather, turkey and to meet my new niece, Sawyer.

But first, my turkey hunt at the airport. Greek, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Fish Market and, of course, McDs. On any other day, I would be thrilled at the new food choices at the SLC Airport, but it was Thanksgiving and I wanted turkey! I made the rounds of Terminal 2 and finally found U Food Grill at the end of Gate C. The turkey may have been served on naan flatbread, but there was cranberry chutney included, so I am not complaining. I am an firm advocate of flying on actual holiday days. The airport is almost entirely devoid of people but there is free wi-fi, so life is good! Extra thankful for a beautiful view of the mountains and a short flight home.

An hour and 30 minutes after take-off, mom and dad picked me up at Sky Harbor Airport. It was a balmy 78 degrees and the sun was just about to set. For those who have not experienced an Arizona sunset, you are missing out. The sky goes on for miles. With all the dust in the air the red-orange sun sets the sky aglow as in dips behind jagged hills - after living in Utah, I can't really call them mountains. It can be a fleeting moment, easily missed if you are talking or otherwise distracted on the drive across the Santan Reservation. There is a hilly stretch of road just as you turn off the I-10 Freeway that is lined with saguaro cacti and chunky black rocks. If you are lucky enough to be passing by at sunset, it is a real sight to see. I wasn't, but I did get a photo in looking back at the hills before the sun set.

This year, my brother stopped over in Coolidge during a business trip to California. We met up with Larena, Erica and baby Sawyer for a morning hike up Squaw Peak, in northern Phoenix. I must admit, this was my first time actually hiking around this well-known spot. I guess, back when I actually lived in Arizona, I wasn't much of a hiker, that came later. Mom and dad stayed with Sawyer and the rest of us took to the trail. I say I am a hiker, but I use that term loosely. As I tell my hiking companions, I am like the "little engine that could", slow and sure. I have climbed up many a tower, cliff and mountain as I have traveled, but I am never the first one to the top.


The trail was full of after-Thanksgiving hikers, hard-core joggers and even a group of "techies" on their weekly exploration of Arizona trails. I often complain about the heat of Arizona. But between the months of November and March, it is actually quite nice. The landscape is unique, even exotic. On our hike we saw cactus with freakishly huge thorns and rocks jutting out of the side of the hill like white-crystal kryptonite. Amazing!



Luckily, I didn't miss out on Thanksgiving dinner altogether. My mom tried something new this year, pre-ordering a pre-cooked turkey dinner from Safeway. We picked up everything Sunday afternoon - turkey and all the fixings, as planned. However, that fine print will get you every time! Didn't realize the turkey would be cold and have to be re-heated for an hour and a half before we could actually eat. Bummer, but not the end of the world. We added the customary green bean and fried onion casserole and embellished the stuffing with walnuts, onions and celery. It was less than half the Barnett clan, but it was a nice, relaxed after-thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner. 

We took a walk in Coolidge's "sport park" after dinner - really just several ball fields joined together by sidewalks and some trees - but a nice place to walk in a town with no real "downtown". As we were leaving the park, I commented to my sister that it must look nice when all the grass is green and she said, "this is green!" But then again, the trees still have all their leaves, and green ones, at that. Ah, another Arizona-only moment.