[{"content":"Some of the best days are the ones you barely plan. We met up with cousin Elana and Uncle Joby for a west-side outing — start with good barbecue, end with a science center, and let the afternoon fill in the rest.\n🍖 Eric\u0026rsquo;s Barbecue – West Side First stop, lunch. Eric\u0026rsquo;s Barbecue sits in an old Spanish-tile spot on the west side, and the second you walk in you know it\u0026rsquo;s a real one — graffiti-painted walls, hockey sticks and license plates, an Anthony Bourdain shrine, and the smell of smoke baked into the place.\nOut front at Eric\u0026rsquo;s Barbecue The brisket and the mac were the real deal. Thumbs up all around — well, from the ones who eat barbecue.\nCheers to a good plate Dad and daughter, dialed in Elana, loyal as ever, stuck to her one true love: the fries. Brisket, ribs, pulled pork — didn\u0026rsquo;t matter. Fries. Respect the commitment.\nWhile we waited on the table, the girls found the corner arcade and went straight for the light-gun cabinet, dead-eye focus and all. And keeping watch over the whole room: Bourdain himself, with the only wall quote that matters in a barbecue joint.\nArcade guns and the Bourdain shrine \u0026ldquo;Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it\u0026rsquo;s a start.\u0026rdquo; — Anthony Bourdain\n🔬 Arizona Science Center Bellies full, we pointed the car at downtown and spent the rest of the afternoon at the Arizona Science Center — three floors of \u0026ldquo;don\u0026rsquo;t just look, go touch it.\u0026rdquo;\nWe climbed into a mock cockpit and pretended to fly the whole family to who-knows-where\u0026hellip;\nIn the cockpit \u0026hellip;stopped to gawk at a giant amethyst geode, the kind of rock that makes you go quiet for a second.\nAmethyst geode There was a wall of vintage cast-iron skillets and a big map of where the Valley\u0026rsquo;s water actually comes from — snowmelt, dams, canals, all the way to the tap. The grown-up favorites, honestly.\nSkillets and where your water comes from Then it was all hands-on. Up the spinning ball-pit ramp\u0026hellip;\nUp the ball ramp \u0026hellip;hauling on the pulley to feel how the old canal crews moved the water\u0026hellip;\nPulling her weight \u0026hellip;and a brave turn on the bed of nails (the trick is to lie flat and trust the physics).\nBed of nails, mid-giggle The light-and-shadow rooms were the sleeper hit — freezing your silhouette on a glowing wall and chasing the colors.\nShadow on the glowing wall There was a giant bubble you stand inside of\u0026hellip;\nInside the bubble \u0026hellip;a big screen that put the girls right up on the wall\u0026hellip;\nMade the big screen \u0026hellip;and a wall of glowing X-rays and microscope shots that was made for striking a pose.\nPosing at the body wall 🍦 One for the Road We closed it out the right way — ice cream and cold water in the shade of the downtown courtyard, everybody worn out in the best way.\nCooling off after Good barbecue, good cousins, and a whole lot of buttons pushed. That\u0026rsquo;s a day.\n\u0026ldquo;Go touch everything.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://www.swansonstuff.com/trips/science-center-june-2026/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome of the best days are the ones you barely plan. We met up with cousin \u003cstrong\u003eElana\u003c/strong\u003e and\n\u003cstrong\u003eUncle Joby\u003c/strong\u003e for a west-side outing — start with good barbecue, end with a science center,\nand let the afternoon fill in the rest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"-erics-barbecue--west-side\"\u003e🍖 Eric\u0026rsquo;s Barbecue – West Side\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst stop, lunch. \u003cstrong\u003eEric\u0026rsquo;s Barbecue\u003c/strong\u003e sits in an old Spanish-tile spot on the west side,\nand the second you walk in you know it\u0026rsquo;s a real one — graffiti-painted walls, hockey sticks\nand license plates, an Anthony Bourdain shrine, and the smell of smoke baked into the place.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"BBQ \u0026 Big Ideas – Eric's Barbecue + Arizona Science Center"},{"content":"A quick first-class hop over the desert, two nights at the Grand Californian, and a 3-Day Park Hopper between Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Park. Just TJ and Charlotte, chasing rides and fireworks and one very good castle photo.\nThree days, three rides ✈️ Friday – Wheels Up \u0026amp; California Adventure We left Phoenix mid-morning on American flight 3171, lifting off at 11:04 AM and touching down in Orange County by 12:31 PM — a quick hour-and-a-half over the desert, and Charlotte got to ride up front in first class (unicorn water bottle riding shotgun).\nRiding up front to California Bags grabbed and straight into the car, sunroof open, both of us grinning — that we\u0026rsquo;re-actually-doing-this feeling kicking in on the ride from the airport.\nOn our way in We checked into Disney\u0026rsquo;s Grand Californian Hotel \u0026amp; Spa, our home for the next two nights. The craftsman lobby with its giant stone fireplace is a little bit of magic on its own — and the hotel has its own gateway straight into Disney California Adventure. No tram, no fuss, just walk right in.\nWith our 3-Day Park Hoppers in hand, we spent the afternoon at California Adventure — a spin on the swings with the whole park wheeling by underneath us\u0026hellip;\nUp on the swings \u0026hellip;and then got good and soaked on Grizzly River Run. Worth every drop.\nDown Grizzly River Striking a pose at Grizzly Peak As the light went soft and the string lights flickered on, we slowed down for a bit, then caught one more ride as the park lit up for the night.\nUnder the lights A night ride on the pier 🏰 Saturday – Disneyland Park, Top to Bottom We fueled up first — a quiet Starbucks run before the gates opened.\nMorning coffee before rope drop Then straight for the mountain: the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Charlotte\u0026rsquo;s pick, rattling down before the crowds rolled in.\nDown the Matterhorn A spin through Fantasyland took us down the rabbit hole on Alice in Wonderland, all glowing color and oversized leaves.\nDown the rabbit hole By midday the sky opened up to blue, and we made the walk toward Sleeping Beauty Castle. Charlotte stopped, threw up a pair of heart hands, and that was the photo of the trip.\nHeart hands at the castle 🎆 Sunday – One More Day \u0026amp; The Flight Home Last day, and we squeezed everything we could out of it. At the gates early and straight for the dark — Space Mountain at rope drop, hands up the whole way.\nHands up on Space Mountain After the morning rush we found a shady bench back in Frontierland, caught our breath, and just watched the park go by for a while. Some of the best moments are the still ones.\nA breather in Frontierland Lunchtime brought one of the trip\u0026rsquo;s best surprises — a face-to-face with Chip over at Storytellers Cafe back at the Grand Californian. He was very interested in the camera.\nHanging out with Chip Late afternoon we said goodbye to the parks, grabbed the bags, and made our way to John Wayne Airport. American flight 2685 lifted off at 7:43 PM and had us back on the ground in Phoenix by 9:08 PM.\n📌 One Last Souvenir A week later, the trip\u0026rsquo;s last little treasure found its home: the new pins went up on the 3D-printed Stitch board back at the house — Stitch, Angel, Duffy, and a tiny Tigger, all earned the hard way (lots of trading).\nNew pins on the Stitch board Two parks, two nights, a hundred little moments — and one very happy (and very tired) seven-year-old. Already counting down to the next one.\n\u0026ldquo;See ya real soon.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://www.swansonstuff.com/trips/disneyland-june-2026/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA quick first-class hop over the desert, two nights at the Grand Californian, and a 3-Day\nPark Hopper between Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Park. Just TJ and Charlotte,\nchasing rides and fireworks and one very good castle photo.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ss-post-image\"\u003e\n  \u003ca class=\"ss-lightbox-link\" href=\"/img/2026-disneyland-rides-collage.jpg\" aria-label=\"Open image: Three days, three rides\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg alt=\"Three days, three rides\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/img/2026-disneyland-rides-collage.jpg\"\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"ss-img-caption\"\u003eThree days, three rides\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"-friday--wheels-up--california-adventure\"\u003e✈️ Friday – Wheels Up \u0026amp; California Adventure\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe left Phoenix mid-morning on \u003cstrong\u003eAmerican flight 3171\u003c/strong\u003e, lifting off at 11:04 AM and\ntouching down in Orange County by 12:31 PM — a quick hour-and-a-half over the desert, and\nCharlotte got to ride up front in first class (unicorn water bottle riding shotgun).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Disneyland Weekend – June 2026"},{"content":"We headed up north to the pines for the 4th of July weekend — a chance to cool down, unplug, and let the days shape themselves. With a rough idea of events and a few favorite stops in mind, we left room for discovery, because the best memories don\u0026rsquo;t always come from a schedule.\n🌤️ Weather Outlook (July 3–6) Trading desert heat for mountain air:\nThursday (Phoenix → Heber): ~104°F in the Valley, but just ~77°F up in Heber. Friday (Heber \u0026amp; Show Low): Sunny, ~85°F, light breeze Saturday (Heber): Warm mid-80s, some late-day clouds Sunday (Heber → Phoenix): Mostly sunny, high ~86°F on return 🍔 Day One – The Drive Up \u0026amp; a Crown Stop Thursday, July 3rd – the start of our long weekend up north.\nThe day began with a half workday at home while Grandma helped get everything and everyone packed. Around noon, we left to pick up Sammy and Payton at GiGi\u0026rsquo;s house and headed north on AZ-87.\nTraffic through Payson was slower than expected, and the original lunch plan—Smashburger—wasn\u0026rsquo;t an option (it had closed). So we pulled into Burger King instead, which worked out just great. Charlotte claimed her crown, grabbed her usual plain double cheeseburger and fries, and took a break with a bright blue slushie. The unexpected lunch stop made for a solid reset before continuing the climb into the pines.\nBurger King Pit Stop We reached the cabin in Heber just before 4:00 PM. The kids unpacked, settled in, and got to work on snacks and screens. The weekend was underway — and so far, letting the route shape the journey worked out just fine.\n🎇 Plans in Motion Here\u0026rsquo;s what was likely — though we kept it all pretty open:\nFriday, July 4: Stretch legs at Tall Timbers Park Maybe swing by Wild Woods Carvings or a lake overlook Drop by FreedomFest in Show Low (food, bounce houses, fireworks at 9 PM) Saturday, July 5: Watch the Heber parade at 9 AM Spend the day at the big festival at Mogollon High School (music, vendors, food) More fireworks in the evening 🎆 🧭 Scenic Stops \u0026amp; Side Quests Rim Lakes Vista or Woods Canyon Lake for a quick detour Uno, s\u0026rsquo;mores, snacks, and a few 3D-printed Tetris rounds back at the cabin Local burrito spots and forest turnouts if the mood strikes \u0026ldquo;Let the journey be part of the vacation.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"https://www.swansonstuff.com/trips/july-4-cabin/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe headed up north to the pines for the 4th of July weekend — a chance to cool down,\nunplug, and let the days shape themselves. With a rough idea of events and a few favorite\nstops in mind, we left room for discovery, because the best memories don\u0026rsquo;t always come from\na schedule.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"-weather-outlook-july-36\"\u003e🌤️ Weather Outlook (July 3–6)\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrading desert heat for mountain air:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThursday (Phoenix → Heber)\u003c/strong\u003e: ~104°F in the Valley, but just ~77°F up in Heber.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFriday (Heber \u0026amp; Show Low)\u003c/strong\u003e: Sunny, ~85°F, light breeze\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaturday (Heber)\u003c/strong\u003e: Warm mid-80s, some late-day clouds\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunday (Heber → Phoenix)\u003c/strong\u003e: Mostly sunny, high ~86°F on return\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"-day-one--the-drive-up--a-crown-stop\"\u003e🍔 Day One – The Drive Up \u0026amp; a Crown Stop\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThursday, July 3rd\u003c/strong\u003e – the start of our long weekend up north.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"4th of July at the Cabin – Heber \u0026 Show Low"},{"content":"A small family event dashboard for school notes, cabin weekends, community calendars, and anything worth putting on the family radar.\n","permalink":"https://www.swansonstuff.com/checkday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA small family event dashboard for school notes, cabin weekends, community calendars, and anything worth putting on the family radar.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Checkday"},{"content":"A little text adventure through the family archive. Type help and explore.\n","permalink":"https://www.swansonstuff.com/console/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA little text adventure through the family archive. Type \u003cstrong\u003ehelp\u003c/strong\u003e and explore.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Console"},{"content":"Everywhere the Swansons have wandered. Tap a pin to revisit the trip.\n","permalink":"https://www.swansonstuff.com/map/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEverywhere the Swansons have wandered. Tap a pin to revisit the trip.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Trip Map"}]