So Phoenix wasn’t all gloom. I did have fun!
First, I packed WARM clothes, as I was going to Phoenix. Hello desert! Not so much. It got down into the 40s at night, with a high in the 60s during the day. I had to go buy a sweater! I had planned on wearing a black dress to the funeral, but it was too cold. I had to go get pants and a sweater! Crazy!
I flew into the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. Wonderful place! It was clean, open, and had all my favorite places, which ended my 9 year absence from Einstein bagels . . . oh yum! The car rental building is located apart from the actual airport terminal, and once again is a wonderful place! My rental was from Dollar rent a car, which was efficient and quick. The staff was great too . . . but I had issues with them later with billing.
Not knowing where to stay (Tracey had offered us a place, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that), I searched online and found Best Western Inn and Suites on 16th and Northern. It was quick and easy to get to from the airport. I have had good and bad experiences with Best Westerns in the past, but this place was wonderful! Check in was quick, the room was great! We had a junior suite, which gave Mom a private bedroom, and I slept on the fold out couch. It was roomy enough for the two of us. We were right outside the pool and hot-tub, which sadly we didn’t get to partake. I kinda wished I got a chance to look at the big suites! The continental breakfast was fantastic! Not only did they have the normal cereal, fruit, toast, etc. But they had a FRESH Belgium waffle maker! YUM! Biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage and bacon were also there. The hotel also offered a cocktail hour with drinks and hor d’oeuvres (again, we didn’t have a chance to participate in this). It was a great place today, for a cheap cheap price!
The evening of the funeral we went with some of Mom’s old friends to a Vietnamese restaurant, which I’ll have to get the name of later. But Beverly (who is my age, daughter of Mom’s friend Lou) was great in helping us decide what to get! Enjoy the pictures, because the food was as good as it looks!
We then did some shopping, at Nordstrom’s Last Chance. What an awesome store! You do have to dig, but I found a cute Coach bag, and two pairs of adorable UGG boots! Love that store!
And of course, being women, Filipino women at that, we had to eat again! We stopped for some dessert and coffee! :)
