Vacations Blog

Tenure is a great thing, especially when it equates to four paid weeks of vacation per year. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t have as much vacation time as I do. Since mine is a “use it or lose it” kind of situation, there are a couple of weeks out of the year that I find myself on vacation while my husband still works.

One such vacation week is coming up in October. I’ve started making tentative plans for how to occupy my time – you know, OTHER than the cleaning and “honey-do” list the vacationing spouse is required to take care of. My ambition is to make myself feel like I’ve been fully entertained for the week for as little money as possible. I want to feel like I’ve actually taken a vacation, not just sit on the couch at home all week trying to avoid spending money.

DAY ONE:

I will dedicate a leisurely hour lounging in the tub, followed by a trip to my local library. I will then take any books I procure to nearby Desert Breeze Park, lay down a blanket (because by that time it’ll be cool enough to stand the sunshine), and read for as long as I want. I might even take a ride on Desert Breeze’s miniature train, if I’m feeling adventurous.

Total Cost of Day One: $2.00 for the mini train ride.

Read More »

It’s May. High school seniors are graduating and looking forward (or maybe not) to college. Parents are looking forward (or maybe not) to their children leaving the nest, and tuition costs. It’s the time of year when parents and prospective students tour the colleges of their choice before making a final decision.

ASU Campus - Normal School building, built in 1884.

Arizona State University’s main campus is in Tempe Arizona, and has one of the largest annual enrollments for a single campus in the nation. ASU also has several satellite campuses in the Phoenix Metro area. It is a member of the PAC-10 conference, and offers a dizzying array of technical and business programs, at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate levels.

There’s lots more information and pictures! Click here to Read More »

ONE:

The newly renovated Camelback Inn in Scottsdale is holding a Mother’s Day champagne brunch. The Inn’s incredible food is surpassed only by their phenomenal service. Take Mom here for Mother’s Day, and you’ll be raking in the brownie points for YEARS. ($69 per adult, $20 per child)

TWO:

Schedule your mother for a spa weekend at Canyon Ranch in Tucson. Canyon Ranch’s all-inclusive programs are famous for their nourishment of the body, soul, and spirit. Very high end, VERY pricey, but a gift that your mother or wife will never, ever forget. (Rates can be found here.)

THREE:

Take Mom on a day trip to Sedona. It’s just a ninety-minute drive from the Phoenix area, the views are breathtaking, and there are excellent dining and shopping opportunities (I highly recommend a stroll through Tlaquepaque - pronounced Tel-AH-ko-PAH-kee).

FOUR:

Get Mom tickets to a cultural event. The Phoenix Symphony’s spring calendar includes “A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein”, “Legends and Heroes”, and “007: Bond and Beyond”. The ASU Gammage Auditorium is featuring numerous performances over the next several months, including “Stomp!”, “Rent”, and “A Chorus Line”.

FIVE:

For the Rockin’ Mom, Cricket Pavilion is gearing up its summer concert series. Among many other performers and bands, Jimmy Buffet will be performing on 5/14, No Doubt is holding a show on 5/23, Aerosmith is landing on 7/27, and Def Leppard (with Poison! and Cheap Trick!) is performing on 8/29. I recommend the lawn tickets, which are generally only around $20, and you can kick back on a blanket and gaze at the stars overhead.

What I’m getting at is, don’t just get Mom the same old flowers, candies, and dinner. Kick it up a little and truly surprise her! Trust me, you’ll get all the value in the world out of your thoughtfulness.