Fall break came with one request from Charlotte: a waterpark, and friends to go with. Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale covered both, and it turned out the whole place was mid-costume for Howl-O-Ween — a balloon spider the size of a car in the lobby, a scarecrow at the Adventure Park, pumpkins stacked on every shelf. Three days, three very different speeds. The official poster. Rated PG for pizza, goggles, and one balloon spider. ...
The fair opened Thursday, and we were there on day one. The plan was a two-act night: Charlotte and me early, everybody else after 5:30, and the SkyRide before anything else. What we actually did was whatever the kids wanted, in whatever order they wanted it, and the SkyRide ended up being the last thing instead of the first. Nobody minded. The whole night on one wheel. ...
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. 🍖 Eric’s Barbecue – West Side First stop, lunch. Eric’s Barbecue sits in an old Spanish-tile spot on the west side, and the second you walk in you know it’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. ...