Flagstaff

After working from "home" for the past couple of weeks I have arrived at my new assignment, 2 new start properties in Flagstaff, AZ! The first few days being here were absolutely crazy- we had to set up 2 offices and a model.

This morning I had a few hours to finally drive around and enjoy Flagstaff and the 70 degree sunny day and have not been to Flagstaff since I was about 7 or 8 after one of my family's houseboat trips on Lake Powell. I did not remember the small-town feel and charm that existed just 2 1/2 hours north of where I have lived for the past 5+ years. The weather this time of year is perfect, the people are friendly and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. It's an entirely different world up here.

After driving around for a while I stumbled upon this farmer's market. They offered everything fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, pies, jerkey and many other items to choose from. I asked one of the vendors how often they have the market and he responded, "Every Sunday until it gets too cold" if you make it up to Flagstaff before it's too cold, I suggest you stop by and enjoy this market.
The downtown area is quaint with a large variety of shops, bars and restaurants. I didn't spend too much time there but it seems like I am going to be for a while so I am sure there will be plently of opportunities for that. The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Snowbowl are also on the list of things to do while i'm in the area, if you have any other ideas be sure to send them my way!

Labor Day 2011

Last weekend I spent Labor Day weekend in San Francisco and I am happy to report it was one of the best weekends I have ever had. From shopping in Union Square, wine tasting in Sonoma, to all of the nightlife, I can't think of anything to make it a more complete vacation. I stayed with one of my best friends from college, Brett, who moved to the city (Nob Hill neighborhood) in July. Everything you would ever want to do in the city is a short (probably uphill) walk or ride on public transit away.  

When in San Francisco it's hard to resist the temptation to shop in Union Square, there are hundreds of shops in a few square blocks and only about a 10 minute walk from Brett's apartment. The week before my trip I kept hearing about a new restaurant opening call The Melt, a fast food restaurant specializing in grilled cheese and soups. It was AMAZING. The sandwhiches were perfect and they had a great selection of soups. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, delicious lunch in the city.

On Sunday, thanks to the Tigner Family, we had to opportunity to go wine tasting at the Kendall Jackson Wine Center. Having never wine tasted before I didn't know what to expect. We had a food and wine pairing set up for us and with the guidance of an awesome server and the chef we learned a lot about the wines we were drinking that day. It's amazing how a bite of food can change the entire taste of the wine. If you ever have a chance to go wine tasting, DO IT!

On Monday I got the chance to meet up with Lauren, a great friend from college who I had not seen in over a year. It was great having lunch and being able to catch up on our lives :)

 Enjoy a few pictures from the trip :)

Not a bad way to wake up.

Silly and Billy take SF

                                              

Caught eating the grapes off the vines

Great night drinking wine and enjoying the fire

That's not even all of it

Awesome group- new and old friends coming together

Jacey helping Uncle Matty pack his suitcase (not from SF but too cute to not add it)