Thursday, July 3rd – the start of our long weekend up north.
The 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’s house and headed north on AZ-87.
Traffic through Payson was slower than expected, and the original lunch plan—Smashburger—wasn’t an option (it had closed: see post). 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.
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.