Mike and I were able to sneak away for a few days while my parents watched the kids so that Mike could attend a Thyroid conference. We stayed at the Marriot Resort Tempe at the Buttes. It was a gorgeous little resort at the top of a majestic hillside with breathtaking views of the desert. The resort had amazing pools and waterfalls. During the day while Mike was at his conference I enjoyed sleeping in, running at sea level, ordering room service, sitting by the pool, getting a massage, and getting my nails done. We were able to meet for lunch every day, which was nice. On Friday night we met up with our good friends from BYU. Kelvin and Susie Ning took us to a fantastic Japanese restaurant in downtown Phoenix and then we came back to our hotel for desert. It was so fun to catch up with them. On Saturday night we headed into old town Phoenix and ate at Citizen Public House.The food was so ridiculously good. We enjoyed walking around Old Town before heading back to our hotel. On our last day in Phoenix, we were able to enjoy spending the entire day together since Mike’s conference was finished. We spent the morning hiking at Camelback Mountain. We started up the Cholla Trailhead to the summit and then went down the Echo Canyon side. This hike was relatively easy for us since we were used to hiking at elevation. The hike was rated Extremely Difficult for steep elevation gains, very uneven terrain, and unprotected from the elements. Lucky for us it was a nice day and not too hot. The views at the top were amazing. Later that night we got to spend some more time with Kelvin and Susie while eating dinner at her parents house. It was the perfect way to end our quick getaway to a warmer climate.
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