A Grand Anniversary Done Right

Several weeks ago, I asked for this week off from work. I only got confirmation late last week that I could indeed take the time off. They even tell me when my vacations can be! So once we knew for sure that I was going to be home, we got to planning our anniversary weekend. Hubby had Thursday through Tuesday off to celebrate, and I was tickled to get to spend so much quality time with the man I married three years ago.

We began our awesome weekend on Friday Date Night at The Cheesecake Factory, of course. We had a gift card from birthday presents from my parents. It's really the perfect present for us. Where else can a man eat a burrito the size of his arm? He downed it all and loved every moment. And I enjoyed something new from their Skinnylicious Menu...a turkey bacon club sandwich with avocado. I probably erased some of the healthy aspects of selecting such a sandwich when I exchanged the salad for sweet potato fries. Luckily, they were a little too salty for my taste, and I only ate a few! We brought the rest home for Hubby to polish off for breakfast the next morning. We didn't get a slice of cheesecake this time around, which is admirable considering it is Pumpkin Cheesecake Season.

Saturday was spent doing a service project with our church. We cleaned all the alleys in our neighborhood, since they can get rather nasty when random people dump random things and then run. We worked from early that morning until 12:30 and got home just in time for Hubby to play his Saturday basketball at one. Then we cleaned up and relaxed for the rest of the day. Manual labor is hard work!

Sunday meant the big travel day! We first went to church, and it seemed to last forever since I was so excited for our drive immediately following. We were packed up and in the car by 3:30 and headed north to Flagstaff. I've driven through here several times, but this was my first chance to stop and really enjoy the town. We had a blast here all weekend. Thanks to my hotel points, we had a free night first in the Drury Inn and Suites, and free second night in the Springhill Suites by Marriott. I love not paying for a place to sleep!

Monday morning, we ate a yummy breakfast at the hotel before loading up for our 78-mile drive to the Grand Canyon. Did you know this was my first time ever seeing it?! I can't leave town since I'm constantly on-call for my job, so this was a real treat to visit one of the wonders of the world at last. It certainly didn't disappoint. Hubby came here for a field trip in elementary school, but a lot of the tourist things were new to him. So we both enjoyed our time hiking, people-watching, shuttle bus-riding, and eating. The canyon is spectacular! We think we hiked a total of about five miles, counting all the trails we took. We hiked the Rim Trail and then finished with the Trail of Time, which counts out the dates of rocks found in the canyon. Time starts 1960 million years ago! Sheesh! It was neat to see that incredible beauty in person. And fun to watch all of the international tourists as well. We grabbed lunch around 3:00 PM at the Bright Angel Lodge Restaurant. It wasn't very good, but we were so hungry that it didn't even matter!

We left the Grand Canyon at 4:15 PM. I drove us back to Flagstaff since Hubby was so tired, but he helped me look for deer along the way. We GPSed it to our next hotel, the Springhill Suites by Marriott. I've always wanted to stay here, and it might have something to do with the cool, retro interior and the utilization of my favorite two colors! The room was neat, too, with a giant sectional couch and a modern feel. Thanks to a late lunch, we weren't hungry enough to head out for dinner. We walked next door to Wal-Mart and grabbed some things for the microwave instead. We were both tuckered out from an awesome day at the canyon, so we went to sleep pretty early.

Tuesday morning came bright and early. We were planning to head to Snowbowl for some frisbee golf, but I was reluctant to drive the eight miles to get to the ski resort. They weren't answering their phone, either, so we weren't even sure we would be able to play once we arrived. Luckily, the gal at the hotel desk told us about a course right in Flagstaff, and we were there just a few minutes later. I've played before when I lived in Grand Forks, but this was Hubby's first time experiencing disc golf. We had so much fun attempting to avoid trees. The course was incredible...on a mountain and tucked away in the forest. It seemed we were the only ones there enjoying the crisp Autumn air. We played all eighteen holes with Hubby winning me by one point. I'm glad we bought frisbees for our trip...there are several courses at home that we can now enjoy together!

After we worked up an appetite playing golf, we headed to Salsa Brava on the eastern side of Flagstaff. This place was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and I've wanted to visit it ever since. Let me just tell you that it was the best chimichanga I've ever eaten! Hubby got the same thing and finished mine for me after he polished off his. What a nice husband I have!

After lunch, we grabbed gas and headed home. Traffic wasn't bad, and we accidentally stopped at the Anthem Outlet Mall so I could get a few new things to wear with some birthday money. I love paying $15 for $70 jeans at Banana Republic! My patient Hubby helped me find two new shirts as well. I'm glad we stopped!

It was such a fun weekend together. I really love my husband, and it was a treat to spend so much time with him. I'm glad we got to see the Grand Canyon together. And the food was delicious! Thanks for a great three years, Hubby!