We spent two solid weeks in Arizona, establishing a home base in Scottsdale at the apartment of Chelsea Robinson. She fed us and gave us our own room in exchange for the standard manslave package of cooking, cleaning, and designated driving. We went on a few adventures around the Phoenix area, hiking Piestewa Peak at sunrise and visiting the Roosevelt Row district of Phoenix in between our weekend excursions to Lake Havasu and the Grand Canyon.

The trail up to the top of Piestewa was carved almost entirely out of rock, and it was packed with early rising fitness junkie go getters trying to get some cardio in before work. Roosevelt Row was a couple blocks outside of Downtown Phoenix where a dense cluster of art galleries were situated. It's a miracle that this neighborhood exists due to all the graffiti and condition of some of the buildings. Thankfully it is well populated,,as lots of friendly artists going about their business in a neat little community.

Arizona certainly has it's own style. There is so much space in the desert. Streets are wide. Highways are wider. Homes are built horizontally, not vertically, and have massive front yards and back yards full of rocks and succulents. Most of the taller buildings are recently built, as the skyline of Phoenix is littered with mountains instead of skyscrapers. Almost every business is located in a mini mall. Cacti of all shapes and sizes appear in droves as you drive through the hot, flat wasteland. Motorcyclists don't have to wear helmets and they certainly do not recycle. We really enjoyed our time here. It was a great first step of the journey, and it's close enough that we will have to come back.