My Plan B Anniversary Vacation.....

It was to be a cruise to the tropics. Filled with the ocean, white sand beaches, and tropical breezes.My wife and I had never been on a cruise and decided our 40th anniversary might be the right time. But then came the reports of Hurricane Irma. It seemed to be headed for Miami, where we would be departing from. The week before I followed the Weather Channel like never before. It seemed like a death watch. Finally, the Wednesday before, the cruise was officially cancelled. We were disappointed, but I became determined.

I refused to let the hurricane wreck our plans. We both had vacation from work, so I was determined to come up with a Plan B. But where? We've had great times at Myrtle Beach and New Orleans. But I didn't want anywhere that could have a hurricane or hurricane remnants. How about beautiful Arizona? No hurricanes there. Hell, they barely have water. (It tastes terrible btw.)

Mist keeps the customers cool.

I had been to Arizona about 20 years ago and had a great time. Of course, that was in March. My wife had seen the Grand Canyon, but not much else. So, I went to work on Travelocity. I found a flight to Phoenix, with 2 stops. I also arranged for hotels in Phoenix and Sedona.

Last Saturday we were off as scheduled. Only instead of Miami and a cruise ship, it was Chicago, then Minneapolis, and eventually Phoenix ,Arizona. We got our car rental, and headed to our hotel. After unwinding a bit, we had to find a restaurant for dinner. We picked a popular Mexican restaurant not too far away. When we got there, it looked like the place was on fire. It seemed like smoke was billowing out from under the roof. It turned out to be a water mister to cool off the patrons. Not just by the door, but throughout the restaurant. Nevertheless, I had the finest Chimichanga I've ever had in my life there.

The temperatures in Phoenix during the day were around 110. (But it's a dry heat!) The key is to stay hydrated and don't do anything extra strenuous. We went on some trails and even climbed a mountain. I seemed OK, but was whipped afterwards. In addition to the natural beauty of the area. It was interesting to also see some affluent areas in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. If you ever want to build a mansion on a mountain, that's the place.

Climbed up to Hole in the Rock

We also stayed in Sedona, and it was jaw-dropping spectacular. The red rocks didn't disappoint. In some ways I liked Sedona better than the Grand Canyon. you can get up close and personal in the red rock area. The Grand Canyon is just too vast to understand.

We did drive to the Grand Canyon. It seemed much more crowded than when I was there before. I also got caught in a rain storm. We also visited a fascinating place called Meteor Crater. That place gives the word "remote" a whole new definition. But it was so cool, I might write a blog someday just about that.

Red Rock in Sedona

Overall, we had a great time. Yes, it was hot. But there's no place on Earth with scenery like Arizona. A small part of us is still disappointed we were unable to go on a cruise. Maybe we will someday. In addition to a full refund, the cruise company gave us a 25% discount coupon good on a future cruise.

There's an old song that goes, "You don't always get what you want. But sometimes, you get what you need."