Spring Break 2025 to Phoenix, AZ

DAY 1: Breakfast at our Airbnb in Gold Canyon, just 40min east of PHX.

Endless grapefruits!!

Enjoying the backyard oasis.

This was our 1st rental ever with it's very own pool. It was a splurge.

In the afternoon, we drove 2hrs to Prescott, AZ to see Lake Watson.

The reflections of the rocks on the still water was beautiful.

Hiking the Lake Watson and Flume Trail, a 4.8 mile loop around the lake.

Such a unique place. Cloud reflections.

Afterwards we had dinner at In-N-Out Burger.

DAY 2: Hike to Fremont Saddle via Peralta Canyon, 4.6 miles.

The Superstition Mountains were only 20 minutes from our rental.

Blooming desert cactus.

Addy and I made it to the saddle! The boys were much faster. They rested in the shade waiting for us.

Views of Weavers Needle, a unique rock formation.

Gorgeous views on the way back down.

Hike #2 to The Wave Cave, 3 miles, located just up the road from the previous trail.

I almost made it! They wouldn't let me try again.

The climb was tough but worth the effort!!

The steep, short climb back down.

Close contact with some Saguaros.

Sunset by the pool.

The view of our EPIC rental at sunset. Just WOW!

DAY 3: Bryce Thompson Arboretum

Evening hike to Tom's Thumb, 4 miles, in Scottsdale. See Addy!?

We had to hurry to beat the sunset.

The cholla cacti were glowing!!!

Made it to the rock formation called Tom's Thumb.

What a handsome guy! He's such a pleasure.

Rare family photo. There was one other family there who offered to swap pics.

The way back down.

Another handsome guy.

Rainbow trail. I LOVED this hike!

Blessed to see such a beauitful place. It was dark when we got back to the car. Sunsets are ALWAYS worth it.

DAY 4: Sunrise in the desert.

Rare cactus bloom in the front yard. Not there the previous day.

Morning walk success = Bunnies + Quails!

Hiking the iconic Camelback Mountain via Echo Canyon, the tallest mountain in Phoenix.

The trail is only 2.5m but it's steep and crowded on a Friday morning.

So many rocks and boulders.

One of the BEST parts of this hike were all the Chuckwallas!!

And the pretty views of Paradise Valley.

A cool cave just off the main trail.

There's another one!

Views on the way down. Luckily is was overcast, so the temperature was perfect.

Jackson, you just passed one in the rock crack.

Josh looks like he had fun.

Afterwards, we ate at Crust Brothers Pizza. This flower within a flower was on the patio.

DAY 5: Flatiron via Siphon Draw, a 5.5m hike in Lost Dutchman State Park

This section of the hike is called the Siphon Draw. It's a steep flat rockface.

The hike to the top was grueling. Mostly boulder climbing.

Addy pushed me and we somehow made it to the summit, an 1 hour after the boys.

The way back down was easier.

My favorite part. Addy and I sat down on several of the steepest sections.

Looking back at the summit, just above the striped rock. We ended up being able to see it from our rental. I can't believe we climbed all that way.

In April, this place blooms endless yellow flowers. What a sight!

We have become one with this desert mountain. I think we hiked 6 miles in 6 hours.

Afterwards, we ate at Fresh Press Burger.

Then went on a scenic drive to see Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flats Saloon for ice cream.

DAY 6: Strawberry, AZ high country - Water Wheel Falls 1.6 miles

Due to my kneee acting up, we decided not to hike our planned 8.5 mile to Fossil Creek.

Instead we visited this pretty waterfall.

We ran into a few cows at the trailhead.

Lunch at Fossil Creek Farm. The street tacos were amazing. And they had baby goats.

Dessert at this famous empanada place.

We got different flavors and shared. So YUMMY!!

Next we headed to Tonto Bridge State Park. Javalinas!!!!

We took the Pine Creek trail to the back side of the bridge.

I was blown away by this place! It reminded me of The Goonies movie.

The closer we got to the front of the opening, the more beauitful it became.

Couples pic.

This bridge is made of travertine, some special kind of rock.

There were even several small waterfalls in the clear emerald water.

Pretty view from the main entrance. You can barely see water droplets falling down from above as a thin waterfall.

Heading back up to the top to see the view from above.

View from the ground. That's Aaron on the bridge.

We drove back to PHX and stayed by the airport. Thank you AZ for another fun adventure!!