I Attempted a Staycation...

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Last weekend, my husband and I decided to try a "staycation," partially to celebrate Valentine's Day (early) and partially because it's been awhile since we took a vacation and partially we thought we needed a break from the daily grind.

Staycation- noun -
a. (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions;
b. a vacation taken within a short distance of one's home.

I took off on Friday and we stayed at a hotel about 30 minutes away from our house for two nights and basically did those touristy things in Phoenix that we'd never done before...focusing on independently-owned restaurants and locales (or basically finding an excuse to pig out... :). I thought it turned out really well.

Here are the highlights:
ON FRIDAY...
We had breakfast at The Coffee Shop in Gilbert, AZ, which borders the farming neighborhood of Agritopia. The Coffee Shop is reknown for their cupcakes. yum yum! But we sampled more breakfast-y foods: yogurt parfait and chorizo omelette. It was a relaxing morning as we sat outside under the sunny day and read our books and watched the birds.

We had lunch at The Herb Box in Scottsdale, AZ, which uses local ingredients in all of their meals. We had their coconut shrimp salad and grilled turkey ciabatta. Double yum. Another calm, relaxing meal on the patio. People watching is fun.

Then, we went to tour Taliesin West, home/workspace/school of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I'd never studied FLW before...he was quite an interesting man!

We had dinner with my in-laws (Happy 36th Anniversary to them!) at The Artichoke Grill, which is located on the Scottsdale Community College campus because the restaurant is run by the culinary students of SCC. This is the deal of all deals! You pay a flat fee ($21) for a 5-course gourmet meal. All of the cooking is done by the students. It is awesome.

ON SATURDAY...
We slept in and met up with my friend Christy and her family at the Chinese Cultural Center in downtown Phoenix for the Chinese New Year celebration. We watched a dragon dance and ate Chinese food from the vendor booths. Though I've been to other Chinese New Year celebrations, it was a good reminder to celebrate my culture. :)

Afterward, my husband and I pampered ourselves with a massage at Dolce Salon & Spa in Scottsdale. Seriously, the best massage I have ever had came from a Dolce. They have 3 locations: Chandler, Scottsdale, and Peoria.

Then, we finished off the night at Switch Restaurant in downtown Phoenix. Switch is also independently owned. And holy crap, their food is GOOOOOOD! :)

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So, most of this post is about food in town, but what's better than an excellent meal with your loved ones? I hope you're able to try some of these new places.