I apologize for not posting sooner…we finally made it to Glendale, AZ (a suburb just North of Phoenix). Quentin (my oldest nephew, now 6 years old) greeted us outside their house wearing a cute little safari vest packed with marbles…the vest must have weighed about 10 lbs, at least! I picked him up and he gave me the biggest hug…it was so good to see him again! Rhetta and Jaxson soon followed and we checked out their abode. We were also greeted by the ever-so dainty and adorable, Zoe…a minpin crossed with Italian Greyhound. A tiny dog with the sweetest disposition. Their cat, Ionee (a bit larger than Zoe) came in to greet us as well….the two of them together make quite the duo. Oliver soon came home and we decided to go check out the Salty Dog…a huge outdoor style restaurant positioned right next to the Padres’ practice field. We sipped Coronitos with limes and chowed on mini tacos and fresh guacamole. It was great to catch up with them.

Today, Oliver, Jon and I went up to Camelback….a fantastic hiking spot well-known by the locals. I was ecstatic to get some exercise after being cooped up in the car for the last several days. We hiked up for quite awhile…it was a fairly aggressive hike with sections where you had to hold onto rails to hoist your way up….not for the faint of heart. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and the views alone were worth the hike! Jon got his share of cacti sightings which was very important to him….Jon is almost as obsessed with cacti as he is with moose! After our hike, Oliver took us to Scottsdale to check out some shops and do a little skateboarding in a local skate park. If any of you don’t know my brother, Oliver is a phenomenal skater…and has been doing it for years. He had enough skate boards for all of us. I had been dying to try his Ripstik board. I struggled for a few tries and then finally got the hang of it. I love the Ripstik….it gives me the feeling of carving on a snowboard and provides a great deal of exercise too. I may have to invest in one of those bad boys! We had lunch at a sports bar called Duke’s immediately following our skate session. Duke’s was right next to the skate park. Rhetta and Jaxson met us their for lunch. We also checked out their new house which had an MTV Cribs style back yard and pool…it was very cool! They will be in their new home by Nov. 15th. We tried to venture out for some sushi this evening, but the restaurant was closed so we ended up at a Macaroni Grill which was just what we needed anyways after a long day of exercise. So, we have enjoyed seeing my bro and his family….it sucks that we don’t live closer to them. I’m glad Phish decided to do their festival in So. Cal because it gave Jon and I the perfect opportunity to see my family, as well! Tomorrow, we head into uncharted waters as we won’t know how easy or difficult our trip into the festival will be. Hopefully, we will get right in, but you never know with a Phish festival…traffic could be a nightmare. Ugghhhh….I guess I will keep my fingers crossed.