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. ...
The circus came to town. The actual, capital-C circus — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey rolled into downtown Phoenix, and Charlotte had never been to one. I remember my first. It was her turn, and she didn’t go alone: GiGi brought Sammy and Nathan along, so it turned into a six-person outing in Section 115. We’d booked the opening weeknight to dodge the weekend crowds, with the bonus of a day off right after for the cabin. Here’s how it actually went — the pick, the seats, the food, and what turned out to be the best act of the night. ...
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. ...