Category Archives: International Travel

Saturday Morning at Phoenix Public Market

Arizona, Blog, International Travel, Nature, Uncategorized, United States, , , , , , , , , ,

Downtown Phoenix is full of wonderful surprises: little indie coffee shops, trendy boutiques, unexpected museums, ethnic food unlike any other, colorful splashes of street art… you get the idea. It’s not all chrome and glass like you see on the postcards. One of my favorite local attractions is the Phoenix Public Market that runs in the parking lot of Phoenix Public Market Cafe each Saturday from 8:00 am to noon. I first discovered this urban gem about four years, ago, when one of my best friends started working for one of the vendors. Since then, it’s been on my agenda during each of my rare free Saturdays! Last Saturday was one of those delightful days. Here’s what you can expect at Phoenix Public Market!

How to get to Phoenix Public Market

If you’re like me, you generally avoid both driving and parking in downtown Phoenix at all costs. It’s not that it’s a poorly designed city; on the contrary! The problem is that there are a ton of one-way streets and a shortage of free parking. Thankfully, getting to Phoenix Public Market is pretty easy! Here’s the address:

14 E Pierce St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

To get there from the West Valley, you need to take the I-17 South to the I-10 East. From the East Valley, get to the I-10 West. No matter where you’re coming from, go south on 7th Ave, then go east on Roosevelt, then go south again on N. Central. There is plenty of parking, even on a busy Saturday morning–thank goodness!

What you can get at Phoenix Public Market

Look who I got to go to the farmer’s market with!

Yep, that’s right! Alyssa and I were both med school wives in Saint Martin. When I said goodbye to her six months ago, I had no idea that I’d get to hang out with her in Arizona! She and her husband are spending a few months here between classes and clinicals, just like us. You can read about our island adventures exploring downtown Philipsburg and downtown Marigot in some of my earlier posts. I guess we just like hanging out together downtown.

We had a great time wandering through the many vendors at Phoenix Public Market, trying samples of ice cream and peppermint essential oils. The farmer’s market has everything you can imagine, as far as produce goes. I picked up some fresh organic Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and tomatoes while we were there. Everything tastes better fresh!

It’s not all veggies at the Phoenix Public Market, through. There are also things like homemade cheese, fresh-baked goods, local honey, and ice cream. A chocolate chunk cookie was essential to our shopping day.

This weekend, the market with bursting with colorful blooms! Hit this corner of downtown in springtime, and you’re always bound to see plenty of flowers for sale.

We admired the handiwork from all the talented vendors. The farmer’s market is an awesome place to get turquoise jewelry, hand-carved wooden toys, and macrame. Both Alyssa and I loved these handmade macrame planters. Aren’t they awesome?

I loved listening to the live music in the market before we left. Outside the market, there are always plenty of food trucks. I’ve tried the acai bowls before, and they are delicious.

 

Phoenix Public Market Cafe

Of course, no trip to the Phoenix Public Market is complete without stopping at Phoenix Public Market Cafe. This is located right next door to the market, and it sources as much of its ingredients as possible from the market. Alyssa treated me to a cup of tea and we enjoyed chatting in the busy weekend atmosphere.

There’s a lot to do in downtown Phoenix, but if you’re in the area, why not make some time this weekend to enjoy a taste of the rural in this urban jungle? Actually, anywhere you are, it’s a great time to seek out some local produce! Go support your local growers and eat healthy. Love your community!

 

Kito’s First Dog Park: Foothills Dog Park

Arizona, Blog, International Travel, Uncategorized, United States, , , , , , , , , ,

The Valley of the Sun is a pretty dog-friendly place. In the West Valley alone, there are 17 dog parks that I know of. Today, I checked out the Foothills Dog Park (in Glendale, Arizona) with Kito and my sister, Kaylee.


Getting There

The Foothills Dog Park isn’t hard to find. It shares a parking lot with the Foothills branch of the Glendale Library. The library is near 59th and Union Hills, and its turn-in is just west of the Glendale Rec Center. The gate to the dog park is located on the south side of the library parking lot.


Hours and Rules

The rules of the dog park are pretty basic: pick up your dog poop, take home your toys, and be courteous.


The hours are from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.


Features

The Foothills Dog Park is pretty big! There is plenty of space to run off-leash and play fetch. There is a separate park for big dogs and little dogs, which is awesome. Kito is medium-sized, but she usually ends up knocking over little dogs when she gets too enthusiastic.


Between the two areas, there is a fenced-in location with a doggie drinking fountain. Kito was a snob and would only drink from my bottle, so guess who didn’t get water? Me. We’ll work on that.


There are also a bunch of playground-style toys. I suppose you could use these for training, but we just had fun on them. Kito liked the tunnel because it was shady.


Speaking of shade, there are plenty of shaded areas for both dogs and people to relax.

My Rating

I’ll give this dog park a 5/5! Maybe it’s just because I don’t have anything to compare it to yet, but I thought the Foothills Dog Park was pretty amazing. I’m excited to try the next dog park on our to-do list!

A Traditional American Easter 

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, Foster Parenting, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Apparently, American Easter is different than St. Maarten Easter. So, we had a lot of fun introducing R to American-style Easter celebrations!


I chattered all weekend about dying eggs. Anything artsy is fun for me, so I was excited to do some egg decorating with my family! R isn’t particularly talkative, so it wasn’t until Ben started mixing the vinegar and egg dye that R asked us what in the world we were doing! “Dying eggs,” I told him. His look of confusion prompted me to ask, “Have you ever dyed eggs?” “What’s that?” He asked. Ah ha! A new and fun thing to introduce my son to. Part of the joy of being a foster parent is learning about my kid’s traditions and sharing mine.


In St. Maarten, apparently, kids still hunt for eggs (which are not left by a bunny), but only plastic eggs. They get lots of chocolate, something I unfortunately forgot to buy! There’s also an underwater egg hunt, which I did last year.


As it turned out, R loved decorating the eggs. He didn’t really get the point, since they were just going to become deviled eggs in a few hours. But he had fun in the process!


Speaking of deviled eggs, those were totally new to R, as well. So was jello. I don’t know if jello is a part of your Easter celebration, but it’s always been a part of mine! R really thought it was strange– a little bit inedible, even– but despite his initial disgust at its look, he enjoyed it. He probably didn’t enjoy the rest of us staring at him while he tried it, but someone’s first taste of jello is an epic moment, people.


Also epic was the fact that my “bunny bread” didn’t look like a disoriented demon for the first time ever.

Aside from traditional Easter dinner, we also went to church in the morning. R usually goes to church on Easter, but our church is different from his other church. I’m guessing they don’t serve hot dogs for brunch at his other church!

That night, we watched “The Passion of Christ.” It was the first time for both R and I. Wow, is it good! It’s also really intense as tough to watch. It’s about as realistic as you can get as far as crucifixion goes. That movie made the whole Easter story come alive to me again! For R, it seemed to really cause him to think. He was on the edge of his seat the whole time, and had some deep comments during the film. During the whipping scene, he remarked, “Jesus could have stopped that any time he wanted. But he didn’t, because he wanted to die even for those people who were hurting him.” Wow, that is exactly what Easter is all about! No matter how rotten any of us has been, Jesus still made the choice to sacrifice himself instead of letting us be punished. He loves us that much.

A Walk Along the CAP Canal

Arizona, International Travel, Nature, Uncategorized, United States, , , , , , , , , ,

Just in case you were wondering, Phoenix has a grand total of zero natural waterways. We do, however, have a couple of canals. The Central Arizona Project Canal and the Salt River Project Canal. These take water from the Colorado River and the Salt River and bring it to the city because, well, there’s a city in the middle lf the desert with no water. Go figure. 


The CAP canal isn’t too far from our house; in fact, it runs through the middle of one of our favorite hiking ranges, Deem Hills. 


Deem Hills is in the Northwestern corner of Phonix. If you start at the east entrance of the trails, you can take the Circumference Trail a short distance to the path that goes along the edge of the canal. Unlike the hilly trail over the mountains, this is a nice flat trail, good for long walks and jogging.


The trail goes through the range, and then runs behind a neighborhood. It offers access to parks and playgrounds, and has nice views of the canal. 


When a canal’s all you’ve got, it’s actually a pretty desirable view. We did find a rattlesnake back there once, so keep an eye out just in case! 


Kito loved the trails. She’s still discovering new and interesting things, like quail and rabbits. She didn’t even mind when we ran the last mile! This is the first of many family hikes in Deem Hills.

A Day at the Four Seasons, Anguilla

American University of the Caribbean, Anguilla, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When Ben’s cousins, Craig, Bonnie, and Wally, visited us a month ago, they spoiled me. And I mean really spoiled me! One of the fun excursions they treated me to during their trip to Sint Maarten was a day on Anguilla at the Four Seasons Resort.

I’d been to Anguilla several times before, but I’d certainly never been to the Four Seasons! Actually, I’d never been to a hotel nearly as ritzy as this place. I’ve always wondered why the rich and famous want to spend their entire vacations in the Caribbean at a resort. Now I get it.

Oh my word. That pool, that view! Anguilla is known for being beautiful, but the combination of wild natural beauty and manicured perfection was just gorgeous.

Wally and Craig went right to the ping-pong table. You know it’s a good place when there’s table tennis. I hadn’t seen such nice grass in months, and I almost felt like I needed to take my shoes off to walk on it.

Caribbean on Sale

Rooms at Four Seasons Anguilla run several thousand a night – a NIGHT! – so you can imagine how nice this place is. I felt privileged to get to spend the day there.

Bonnie and I enjoyed the infinity pool. It was a great view of the beautiful, powdery white beach below. All of Anguilla’s beaches are fantastic (or so I’ve heard; I’ve only been to three of them), but Mead’s Bay Beach is one of the best.

Talk about a lot of sand! This beach seemed endless, and it was not crowded at all. That’s the wonderful thing about Anguilla. It’s small, but it’s quiet and offers enough space for everyone.


Two Island Cruise of St Maarten and Anguilla
from: Viator

I saw a few people trying to surf along the edge of the beach, which was freaking me out a little. It was so shallow and close to the rocks! I’m not sure what the appeal was, because they were only getting very short rides. Maybe it’s better on other days.

While we were at the Four Seasons in Anguilla, we got to eat at the restaurant there. Did I mention that Craig and Bonnie also spoiled me with food? I don’t think I cooked a single time while they were staying with us!

The food at the Four Season was to die for. Ben often says that the only think I love more than hummus is him. It might possibly be true. I do judge a restaurant by it’s hummus. And this was some of the best hummus I’ve ever had. I may or may not have eaten it with a spoon once the pitas ran out.

They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and it certainly is true. I was surprised when our day was over and it was time to take the ferry back home.

If you want a luxe vacation in Anguilla, the Four Seasons is the place to go. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to stay there, and I’m OK with that, but it sure was a blast to experience the celebrity life for a day!

If you’ve been missing the Caribbean adventures posts, you’ll be glad to know I got access to my photos again! We have them all stored on an external drive that was making scary clicking sounds. Ben backed it up today, so we’re good to go once again! So stay tuned.

Read more about our cousin adventures:

Scuba Diving Creole Rock

Unicorns and Starbucks and Pop Stars

Arizona, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Spouses Organization, Uncategorized, United States, , , , , , ,

So… I ate my words this week. Or rather, drank my words. As many of my friends moved back to the States over the past several months, they looked forward to one thing above all else: Starbucks. Oh, they were obsessed! They talked about the pumpkin chai latte all fall (I totally didn’t miss fall because we don’t get it in Arizona anyway). They talked about pepperminty drinks all winter (another thing we don’t get). They talked about iced coffee all summer. A couple of them went to St. Barth’s for the purpose of Starbucks, because they had heard there was one there (there isn’t). Oh, and when it was time for them to move home, they talked about Starbucks all the time, posted Instagram photos, and drank it every day!

I rolled my eyes.

I don’t really like coffee, and I’ve probably had about five coffees in my entire life. So I didn’t really get the whole thing.

So, then I moved back to the States. Guess what was the first thing I bought on U.S. soil? Yup, Starbucks. Hypocrite that I am. And it was GOOD. But I did some pretty stupid things in the process, which I am blaming on the ridiculously long trip we were in the middle of. It addled my brain, guys.

The only reason I even went to Starbucks was for this sweet thing: the UNICORN FRAPPE.

This is a photo of my friend Jordon’s Unicorn. (Hey Jordon.) I am posting this because I did not get my Unicorn, friends. So I have to use someone else’s photo.  I am also posting it because, apparently, Jordon’s alter-ego is Lord Voldemort. But back to the Unicorn.

I’ve been in the Caribbean for a long time, so going up to Starbucks in the Miami airport was pretty exciting, not going to lie. Equally wonderful was the smile and greeting that I got from the barista, because I have gotten used to the customer service culture on Saint Martin. That’s a nice way of saying that there is an island-wide epidemic of poor customer service in Saint Martin. However, on Saint Martin, you don’t usually pay a whopping six bucks for, like, two ounces of coffee. The Unicorn Frappuccino was $6.50 for a tall (by the way, non-U.S. friends, a “tall” is the smallest microscopic cup of coffee you’ve ever seen). Six dollars and fifty cents! No way.

In Saint Martin, there are usually two columns for prices at restaurants and store. The left column is the price in guilders, which is roughly twice as much as dollars, and the right column is the price in U.S. dollars. At Starbucks, there are also two columns. The left column has the price, while the right column has the calories.

I looked at the menu to find something cheaper than the are-you-freaking-kidding-me-six-and-a-half-dollars cup of pink unicorn magic, and I decided on the caramel frappe. Why? because while the left column said “5.00,” the right column said “300.” Oh, $3.00 in U.S. money, right? I ordered it.

I was a little surprised when my total was $5.50-ish. I paid it, while trying to figure out the math. Oh tax. That’s right. We don’t have sales tax in St. Marten. Still, that seemed a little expensive. Who raised those sales taxes while I was gone? Politics really have gone down the toilet in this country. It wasn’t until I walked away– sleep-deprived, dragging a hyper dog, and probably looking like a crazy person– that I remembered that there’s only one currency in the United States, and that Starbucks is just really expensive. I was ordering something worth 300 calories, not $3.00. Oops.

I have another funny Starbucks moment (I actually went twice in the first week I came back– sorry to everyone I judged, either mentally or verbally, for doing this very thing). I’ll make you wait for that one, though, because my Sint Maarten friends need to know about a wonderful thing called Dutch Bros. Guys, you’re Dutch, and you have no idea what Dutch Bros is! I know, because I asked some of you. Well, as you can see, the cups have windmills and tulips on it, which, according to Stuff Dutch People Like, totally makes it Dutch. It’s also home to the one and only coffee I will ever drink, the Carmelizer. So get some Dutch Bros, Dutch people! You need this in your country.

Back to the Starbucks. I actually went back to a Starbucks in order to get that Unicorn Frappe. And much to my sadness, the barista told me that they are literally sold out all over the Valley! I somewhat suspect they’re actually just sick of making them, based on this video, but either way, I had to settle for a cotton candy frappe. Which, by the way, is really good. It isn’t as colorful as the Unicorn Frappe, though, so it didn’t look as good as my Instagram Feed. Here is a shameless plug: follow me on Instagram!

While the color didn’t make it Insta-worthy, the name on it did. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t even get a clear photo.

This is just about as good as my friend Lord Voldemort’s cup, and it wasn’t even intentional. I’ve had all sorts of interesting spellings of “Breana” on my Starbucks cups, but this is a first.

That’s all for today, guys. I have to go work work work work work now. Let me know your funniest Starbucks moment in the comments!