Scenes From Scottsdale, Arizona

Hi friends! I apologize for a disappearance from the blog yesterday.

After a long red eye flight, a short nap, and a full work day shortly after I returned, I took Wednesday to unpack, rest, and catch up on life at home when I wasn’t working at the gym. I’m not going to lie… it felt amazing.

I was able to spend five full days with two of my life-long friends last week, and I’m coming to you with an extremely full heart today. Believe it or not, Brittany, Missy and I have known each other since the age of three!

Even though we have moved to different cities and states (we all currently live in different parts of the country!), our relationships have remained strong. You’d never know that any time has passed at all on the rare occasion we are all three able to meet in the same place.

It had been years since our little group spent quality time together, so we planned a “3 Musketeers” reunion at the beginning of the summer. Due to some of our current circumstances, I wasn’t sure I would be able to make the trip, but I’m so, so glad we all pitched in to make it happen at the last minute!

Scott covered my flight with his frequent flyer miles, and the girls really stepped up and spoiled me once I arrived. I am very thankful for their unwavering love and friendship for almost three decades!

This was my first time visiting Brittany in her new home in Scottsdale, Arizona, and she did a wonderful job planning the perfect mix of fun and relaxation. We spent most of our time in a cabin Up North for the weekend, and had the best day together before we left.

Below are some of the highlights from our first day together in Scottsdale. After visiting the area, I’m a fan of Arizona and can see why she loves it out there. There are still some exciting happenings that I didn’t get around to covering (*cough* In-N-Out Burger…), but you’ll see more pictures from our vacation and hiking adventures next week!

 

terés | A NAIL BAR

Our Friday morning started off on an extremely relaxing note. Brittany had very generously scheduled and taken care of appointments for the three of us to get manicures and pedicures at her favorite salon!

I felt a cool, comfortable, and clean vibe the right when I walked into terés | A NAIL BAR. There was a cozy waiting in the front with large windows, and the decor has a modern Anthropologie-like feel.

The entire salon is filled with soothing aromas and it was neat to see an entire wall of scrubs, lotions, and potions all made with local ingredients displayed behind the bar. The place smelled heavenly!

If you ever get a chance to visit terés and you are interested in upgrading your scrubs or nail designs, make sure you book extra time (in advance). We upgraded to include a ten-minute foot massage with our pedicures (amazing), and I checked in on social media to receive an extra complimentary moisturizing treatment during my manicure.

It had been ages since I got either a manicure or pedicure (like, six months?), so I was very grateful for our morning at the salon.

Thank you so much for treating us like superstars, Brittany!

 

Scottsdale Quarter & True Food Kitchen

After we left the salon, we drove over to Scottsdale Quarter for lunch. There were plenty of great choices around the main shopping streets that offered everything from Mexican and Italian restaurants to sushi and frozen yogurt.

We would have been happy anywhere, and we finally decided on True Food Kitchen for the pure and healthy menu. I had heard fantastic things about this restaurant from my friend Alex back home when she previously visited Scottsdale, so I was excited to dine there and check it out for myself.

True Food offers a seasonal menu that would appeal to anyone craving a healthy, balanced meal. I loved the earthy atmosphere and open kitchen you can see from anywhere while sitting inside.

There was water infused with citrus sage and thyme offered to anyone waiting for a table, so we each grabbed a glass and took a look around.

Since the warm temperatures felt amazing, we asked to sit outside and we were greeted by a couple of different servers. We started with a hummus plate while we looked over the menu, and I could have eaten it all by myself. It was so good!

There were several gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options, and everything on the menu sounded right up my alley. I wanted to try so much! I took the suggestion of the server and my friend and ordered a natural refresher right away. Again, I could have tried any of them, but I settled on the Hangover Rx made with coconut water, pineapple, vanilla & orange.

Our entrées came out rather quickly after we ordered them. I picked the Mediterranean Chopped Salad, and my friends ordered the Harvest Chopped Salad and Teriyaki Brown Rice Bowl. Everything tasted incredibly fresh and delicious!

I had no problem finishing every bite of my salad, and I felt satisfied even without an addition of meat like shrimp or chicken. The flavors and ingredient combinations were fantastic!

None of us thought we wanted dessert until we saw the menu.

Our group of three ordered the apple and goji berry cobbler and… oh my goodness was it good. If you’re lucky enough to live close to a True Food Kitchen (there are locations in seven states), do yourself a favor and stop in at least for the cobbler, if nothing else.

Feeling happy and full, we walked down the main streets of shops and did a lot of window shopping. There was a great collection of clothing, stationary, and home decorating stores. I could have done some serious damage if I let myself!

We had about an hour to kill before our next appointment, and we enjoyed leisurely strolling in and out of the stores before walking down to N. Scottsdale Road.

 

drybar – Scottsdale Quarter

Next up on our girls’ day was blowouts at drybar. Have you ever visited one before?

Blow dry bars are becoming more and more popular in bigger cities. They don’t cut or color hair, but instead offer a wash, blow dry, and style where you can usually get in and out with clean and styled hair within an hour.

Drybar offers a look book that displays different styles you can choose from including a few simple up-dos. I am notorious for trying to go long periods of time without washing my hair (thank you, dry shampoo!), so I selected the Cosmo hairstyle with loose curls.

From what I understand, every style costs $40 (tip not included) and you can upgrade your time in the shampoo chair with extra scalp massage time. (<- um, yes please.) There is a collection of magazines and chick flicks playing to unwind. I felt instantly relaxed as soon as I sat in the chair!

I would definitely recommend going to a blow dry bar if you’re ever stressing out about what to do with your hair for a big night out, wedding, or event. My style lasted for quite a few days!

After our blowouts, we made a mad dash to the car. Naturally, it started sprinkling and the wind picked up as soon as we headed out. Luckily, drybar offered all of us complimentary umbrellas to take with us.

Brittany’s kept flipping upside down! It was frustrating and hilarious all at once.

 

Blanco Tacos & Tequila

The big plan for the day was a night out with the girls after a dinner celebrating Brittany’s husband’s birthday at Blanco Tacos & Tequila.

The 3 Musketeers were dressed up and ready to take on the night like the good old days.

We had reservations for our party and were sat soon after we arrived. Like most Mexican restaurants, we were offered complimentary chips and salsa as soon as we sat down.

I started with a skinny margarita (it was strong and yummy), and ordered the Baja Chicken tacos with corn tortillas. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten an entire plate of food at a Mexican restaurant before! It was that tasty.

Our waiter disappeared for a while after we ordered, and we ended up waiting around for our bills. The upbeat music kept us entertained (there was a DJ in the back), and he eventually came around with a surprise for the birthday boy to apologize for getting busy.

(Isn’t it funny that the two husbands were matching in black and white plaid?)

While the service might have been a bit slow, we had a wonderful time and there’s no doubt that the food and environment was awesome. I’d definitely give it another shot if I lived close by!

 

Old Town Scottsdale

After dinner, the boys went home and the girls took an Uber to Old Town Scottsdale. There were streets full of different types of late night places from bars to clubs. There’s a little bit of something for everyone in this entertainment district.

We started the night off at an upscale lounge called Dakota Bar. The environment changes from restaurant in the day to club lounge at night and has a large bar and open dance floor area with booths inside. We took our party outside to the patio and enjoyed sitting by the heat lamps while people watching.

Our group hopped from place to place throughout the night, and we ended our night at a fun spot with giant Jenga tournaments called Bottled Blonde. We had an absolute blast laughing for hours and dancing the night away!

Our trip certainly started off with a bang, and I was so excited to be with my girls again. It had been too long. <3

We went from a big night out to a super low-key weekend at a cabin in Pine for the next few days. I’ll be back to share more of our hiking adventures (including a trip to the Grand Canyon!) along with highlights from the rest of my time in Arizona next week.

See you in the morning with Friday Favorites!