By Alissa McDowell
This summer has been one for the ages, action-packed with the perfect balance of activities near and far!
Staycation:
We kicked off summer close to home with the First Annual Goodguys Mid-Atlantic Nationals car show at the Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, DE. This inaugural event drew over 2,000 custom, classic, hot rods, imports, and muscle cars & trucks to our town, and we loved every minute of the event. Watching the autocross and the burnout competitions inspired my husband, who attempted to coerce me into entering the minivan into the autocross. I politely declined.
The staycation continued as we enjoyed some water adventures during the 4th of July week with our visiting family members from VT & NJ. The festivities began with a good old-fashioned celebration jam-packed with food, fun, and many, many jokes! Next, the kids got a round of golf and some basketball under their belts before we hit the water park at Killen’s Pond State Park for some pool and waterslide fun. We rounded off their visit with the first of two dreams come true for me this summer: a trip to the beach with my children and my nephews! Cape Henlopen State Park is our go-to beach in Delaware and the kids spent the entire day in the water. We left the beach quite rosy, but not before having some delicious Italian Water Ice from the snack bar at the Senator David B. McBride Beach Bathhouse.
The following week, I returned to the Delaware Beach area to meet up with lifelong friends from Richmond, VA, who were vacationing in beautiful Lewes, DE. We tried our best to dodge the fat raindrops at the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, and ultimately did get soaking wet, but that did not dull our shine or our time at this charming oceanside area. The little ones rode the boardwalk rides while the teens hit the arcades and ate the ever-iconic Thrashers French Fries! We finished the evening with a huge group outing to the Dairy Queen on the Delaware Bay where we happily ate our ice cream under the awning in the rain!
Playcation:
We made multiple trips to our native State, New Jersey, which included a beautiful Sweet 16 party where we indulged in delicious food and danced the night away. We swam with friends at multiple houses, celebrated multiple birthdays, and even made a very special trip to New York City to see an incredible performance of Wicked on Broadway! We laughed, we cried, and we left the Gershwin Theater mesmerized by the infinite talent of the cast and crew! Wicked was fantastic and I highly recommend everyone see it! The Jersey trips also branched out into a two-night concert series in Philadelphia, PA, and Camden, NJ, where the 90s were alive and well and rockin’!! I even got to see my sister’s new apartment in North Jersey near the George Washington Bridge.
Vacation:
Another dream come true was realized when I hopped on a plane and flew out west to visit our lifelong friend who now lives in Flagstaff, AZ! I was picked up in balmy Phoenix where they suggest that the temperature is a “different kind of heat”. I can confirm that the kind of heat they are referring to is, in fact, sweltering and that 105 degrees at 8 pm takes some getting used to. After grabbing a late-night-to-me meal in Mountain Standard Time, we began the steep ascent to Flagstaff, which is 7,000 feet above sea level! Luckily, I slept most of the car ride up, which helped my altitude acclimation and prevented me from becoming car sick. After adjusting to the altitude by overhydrating and resting, we toured this endearing city filled with local artist shops, coffee and breakfast houses, and many tasty breweries! We even took pictures on the iconic Route 66 which runs right through Flagstaff.
We had an epic adventure at the Grand Canyon South Rim, where I took 537 pictures, none of which capture the true insanity of the beauty I was blessed to see with my own eyes. I was so fortunate to check off this bucket list item with native Arizonan friends who knew the ins and outs of the landscape and were able to point out which hop-on-hop-off bus stops would produce the most breathtaking views. By the time we left the Grand Canyon, my heart was overflowing with happiness and joy and I fully intend to return to this natural wonder of the world many times over in the future.
No trip up to “altitude” in Arizona would be complete without seeing the spectacular Red Rocks and extensive Native American artwork in Sedona, AZ. My friends tricked me and before I knew it, we were traveling down Arizona State Route 89A on the switchbacks of Oak Creek Canyon. If you click the previous link, which shows the route on Google Maps, you will understand why a flatlander like me would be hesitant! Once we arrived in Sedona, we had a late lunch at Oak Creek Brewery in Tlaquepaque Village, which is a unique and historic shopping area, lined with beautiful landscapes, rock formations, serene fountains, native foliage, and spectacular art installations everywhere. We completed our night by watching the brilliant sunset from the cliffside of the Sedona Airport, but not before helping a frightened baby tarantula make its way back into the cliffside brush!
My last day in Arizona was spent traveling back down from Flagstaff to Phoenix for my flight home. I watched the roadside landscapes definitively turn from towering pine trees to brush, to blooming Prickly Pear cacti, to mighty Saguaro cacti. Once we arrived in Phoenix, we visited the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), which has such an extensive collection and was so much fun, that the 2 ½ hours we spent there was not even remotely enough time to enjoy and soak in the entire experience. The two-floor state-of-the-art facility houses artifacts and collections of ancient and modern musical instruments from all areas of the world. There are installations with costumes, records, handwritten lyrics, and so much more, from many famous artists throughout time including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Prince, Taylor Swift, and so many more! There is even an interactive exhibit where you can play instruments similar to those on display at the museum. After my experience in the interactive exhibit, I have been inspired to learn how to play the harp! Without a doubt, I will 1,000% be returning for a second visit to the MIM on my next trip to Arizona!
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