Mountains and High Tea

Chuck and I went to Scottsdale, Arizona, for a week.  Chuck had a conference to attend and I tagged along because it happens to be Jordan's hometown.  Win, win...a visit with Jordan and a stay at a beautiful resort.  This is Jordan's busy season as an event planner with The Fiesta Bowl Organization, so we flew in the weekend before the conference so we could spend some time with her and her husband Chris. 

Friday and Saturday we stayed at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort...where we "won" a 2 night stay in The Fiesta Bowl Silent Auction last year.  By "won" I mean we got the 2 night stay for about half the price. 

Chuck always checks out the remote and tv within the first few minutes of arrival.

Because?  I can't for the life of me tell you.

He can't for the life of him help it.

Scottsdale is a suburb in the huge metropolis area of Phoenix.  You may already know that but before my daughter moved there, I would have been hard pressed to tell you where it was.  Desert surrounded by mountains.  Heat like you wouldn't believe.  NO humidity.  Just lots of heat.  As Jordan describes it..."like sticking your face in an oven" hot. Around late October it will cool down to a perfect 70' in the day and a chilly 55' at night and stay that way until late March.  Two seasons....hot and perfect. Unfortunately we were there last week.  It was hot.

So we put on our deodorant and dealt with it.

The pools seem never ending.  This is early Saturday morning and the place was still quiet. 

 While Chuck drank his coffee, I walked around and took pictures. 

Jordan and Chris picked us up around 10:30 to spend the day together. They recently moved to a house so we went by to see it before going to brunch. They moved out of their 2 bedroom/no yard townhouse into a 3 bedroom, 50's ranch with a yard. The yard is mostly "rock" but there is an area of grass in their backyard with a dog door for Mia, my granddog....the practice kid.

Brunch at Arcadia Farms...my favorite place to eat in Scottsdale...and the site of Jordan's bridal luncheon hosted by my sister, Catha, in March of 2010. 

My 26 year old child with the green eyes and chestnut colored hair.

Saturday was spent running to Lowes and Target to buy drop cloths and curtain rods...then heading back to their house to make draperies out of the dropcloths and hanging them in Jordan's living room and dining room.  Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the finished project, but trust me...the drop cloth draperies turned out great.  A 6 x 9 dropcloth for $9.99 x 4 = 4 thick linen looking drapery panels for Forty Bucks.  We washed them in hot water and Downey softener to make them softer and drape prettier.

On Sunday,  we checked out of the Fairmont then J and C picked us up and took us to their church. After that we were dropped off at The Phoenician where Chuck's conference was being held for the week.  He registered for the conference, we toured the place then met up later with J and C for a light supper at a sports bar....I say "light"  because we had a reception to attend in the evening.  It felt like we rolled away from one table of food to another.

 I kid you not. 

This is Chuck within minutes of entering our next hotel stay.

  He is so focused...he never knew I took this picture. 

The Phoenician sits at the foot of Camelback Mountain...

and literally looks like it is coming out of the mountain. 

No humidity?  No problem. 

 Misting machines everywhere.

  That fine misty spray with a poof of cold air is a welcomed relief.

More misting.....Coach House....

where Jordan and Chris met back in 2009.

We spotted a motorcyle with a dog riding in back....so Chris sped up and got beside him just as we caught the red light.  I rolled down the window and
asked if I could take his picture ....while already clicking away. 

When we got back to our room for the evening we had a welcome tray of cheese and fruit from one of Jordan's contacts at The Phoenician.  Being an event planner has its perks.  Thanks Jordan!

One of the many sculptures around the place.

hmmmmm.

What does it mean?

When I peak outside, I feel my insides turn to straw?

My backside feels like the outside?

You're so shallow, it's like your filled with straw?

Your turn.

View from our balcony.

Out on the balcony, looking back and up at the mountain.

 

Bidet.

TMI?

Looking down on The Phoenician from Camelback Mountain.

Guess who took this?

Chuck.

He climbed to the top of Camelback Mountain!

I slept in.

Check out the city below.  Chuck, are you high?

He did it!

Honestly, I'm very proud of Chuck for climbing that mountain. 

It could not have been easy.

 In top-siders. 

I attended High Tea at two in the lobby with another one of the wives who was there.

I sipped a little tea and then ordered the champagne.  

I tried my best to eat those tiny finger sandwiches slowly and act lady-like.

It was much like Chinese food, in that I was hungry an hour later.

Or maybe it was that I was used to eating ridiculous amounts of food by then.

The rest of the week flew by with a lunch date with Jordan, shopping with the other wife/new friend Nancy, borrowing Jordan's car one afternoon to drive to some other shops....and attending great business dinners with Chuck and his business associates. 

Thursday came way too quick and we packed up and left paradise.

We landed in Houston around 8:30.

Our luggage did not.

It was delivered in the wee hours of the night by FedEX.

I can't blame the luggage for trying to stay behind.

That place is beautiful and my daughter is there.