Hi fellow travelers! I hope you all are exploring! I just got back from my family road trip to Phoenix, AZ. Since we live in Colorado, we are not too far away from this hot, sunny mecca, however, that is not what it felt like. I thought that driving with two kids under the age of 5 would be rough, but doable. It turns out it was just rough, my 4 year old was fine, but the two year old was not having it. She hated being stuck in her car seat for hours, (it was really only 6 hours at a time, not too bad), but to her it was an eternity. We broke it up by driving to Albuquerque, NM and staying the night there and then driving to Phoenix the next day. But that drive from Albuquerque to Phoenix is pretty barren, not too much to look at. After we reached our destination everyone finally relaxed, however there are a few highlights I need to mention, as we experienced some of the best food and fun on our trip.

First let me say that Albuquerque, NM is a fantastic city. I loved the Historic Downtown, which resembled Santa Fe a little and the Nob Hill area, it really is a unique, cultural masterpiece. The food in New Mexico is also unique and the El Pinto restaurant is a beautiful pueblo style spot that is enormous and interesting. You feel like you are eating at an old ranch in the 1800’s, they have large portions and do not use their red Chile sparingly, they also serve you sopapillas after dinner, which is typical in New Mexico. The University of New Mexico is also a stunning campus, which had me thinking, why didn’t I come down here and tour it when I was looking for colleges? It was so exciting to see the hot air balloons rising in the sky as we headed out of town in the morning, I really loved spending time in this city.

When we finally drove into Phoenix I could have kissed the scorching hot pavement. I was so happy to get everyone out of the car and grounded in our lodging. The weather had jumped 30 degrees and it was a toasty 90 degrees out. We were ready for the pool, which is mainly where we stayed the whole week, but we did eat and there are a few restaurants I just love in this city. Aunt Chilada’s is a wonderful Mexican restaurant that is actually all over Phoenix. The restaurant is brightly colored and makes you feel like you are entering a neighborhood Fiesta! The food is delicious and the margaritas are big and come in every variety you can imagine. I don’t leave Phoenix without eating here.

Arizona Mills Mall is actually a stunner of a mall. They have so many kid oriented activities that you can shop and entertain the whole family in one place. We discovered they have a Legoland Discovery Center, so a mini version of the ones in California and Florida, but even though small it was incredible. They actually have two rides that are like Disneyland legit rides, Merlin’s Apprentice Ride and Kingdom Quest are so fun for kids of all ages, plus they have a Lego play place and areas for kids to build anything they want. Kids under 2 are free and it’s only $24.95/person, which is not that expensive when you consider how many hours you can spend here.

Mills Mall also has a Sea Life Aquarium that you can visit along with Legoland, they are across from each other and they run deals so that you can visit both. The larger aquarium in Scottsdale, AZ is more expensive, so at 19.95/person, you can let the kids experience life under the sea without breaking the budget. If that wasn’t enough excitement, and trust me it wasn’t, they have a Rainforest Cafe in the mall too. You all know I love this place if you have been following my blog, my kids can’t get enough.

I love brunch and the best brunch in my opinion is at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, not only is the resort a Mediterranean paradise, but it hosts a delicious brunch. T Cook’s is the spot and they offer everything from seafood to bakery items and desserts plus it includes a mimosa. At $46/adults and $25/children it’s pretty affordable if you want to splurge.

Needless to say we had a great time on our vacation, but I will definitely rethink taking a road trip in the future. We had so much fun spending time in these beautiful Southwestern cities and will definitely be back, try out a few of these spots and leave me a comment and let me know what you love to do in Arizona and New Mexico.