Robert and I just returned from a thrilling and restorative mini vacation to Tucson. It was one of those less-than-a-week vacations that felt like a mega vacation with all the frills and thrills and relaxation.
My niece, Autumn just wrapped up her second musical. Last year I had the delight of seeing her perform in Frozen, and this year both Robert and I were able to see her in Aladdin. It was special to see Autumn perform in Aladdin for multiple reasons. First, she was performing the musical of one of my favorite Disney movies. I think I was six or seven when the animated movie came out, so it was super cool thinking about how she was experiencing the same Disney movie I experienced as a kid but in a very different way - she was the movie! It was also special to share the experience with Robert this year. He felt really left out last year! Also, it was amazing to see Autumn grow as a performer and actor. The kids were brilliant. I loved every minute of it.
This year Robert and I flew out on Wednesday, but we had to wait until Saturday to see Autumn's musical! We had a great time with family, doing silly things, and soaking up the Tucson heat - there was a heat advisory when we flew in, which I thought was comical because isn't that just every day for Tucson?
Here are the best pictures/moments from the trip!
The first day we got into Tucson, Scott took us on a tour of where he works, which is a huge car dealership. It was Robert's first tour! I'm always so impressed with how complex all my brothers' jobs are. I think if Scott gives me the same tour every year, I'll still learn at least ten new things each year. Sadly, there are no pictures, but it was the perfect thing to do after being squished into planes and cars for several hours.
The next day (Robert's 40th birthday!) everyone had to work, so Robert and I went to a hole-in-the-wall breakfast place, where we immediately ran into a regular who was a real character. He was a veteran who was having a hard time due to losing his wife and having a couple strokes. We chatted with him the whole way through breakfast, and the waitress told us he bought our breakfast! I told Robert it should have been the other way around, so we came back another morning in the hopes of catching him, but no such luck.
After breakfast we opened up Tohono Chul, which is one of my favorite places on earth. We could be here all day if I went into all the reasons I love Tohono Chul. Other than it being absolutely stunning and cherished by those who tend it, therefore blasting its visitors with more positive energy than the sun, there is always a docent who wants to talk about something they're passionate about. Sure enough, this time around we talked to a docent who was very into desert tortoises. And Robert even took the docent role for a while when we stumbled upon the exact Allis-Chalmers tractor he rode around on when he was a kid. He had some pretty stellar and adorable stories. Dear Tohono Chul, if you need a tractor docent, I volunteer Robert's services.
It was Robert's birthday, so naturally we found the most amazing bead store ever, Beadholiday, which Robert promptly fled when he saw the millions of choices. Thanks for sharing your birthday, Robert!
I've never seen so many beads in my life. I think it was three or four rooms of beads, each room filled with trays upon trays of beads. I only left about half my life savings there, and I'm now the proud owner of a duck bead, which I bought even though I had zero ideas of what to do with it.
There were lots of downtime moments, which was very much needed as it was very hot outside and Scott and Kristin still had some work to do here and there. Savannah and I were mesmerized by Autumn's interior design abilities in the game Toca Life World.
On Friday we went to the spectacular 4th Ave where we purchased an ostrich puppet that instantly became everyone's favorite thing. Here's a video of Savannah and her Ostrich looking for some tasty toes.
We also had lunch at Tumerico, which is in my top five favorite vegan restaurants. When I was in Tucson a couple years ago, Robert, who wasn't with me, sent me Tumerico through DoorDash. We decided to check it out in-person, and it's really just incredible. A whole plate of food with a lot of variety of flavors, an unbeatable salad dressing, and just really heavy and comforting (heavy food and heat waves usually don't mix, but that's just the magic of Tumerico).
The artwork sprinkled throughout the restaurant was also nourishing and uplifting.
Speaking of getting gobbled up...
Because Scott's birthday is in July, which is close enough to celebrate now, I found a place to make a cake just for him. A real craptivating piece of art. When Savannah saw the poop on the cake she said, "Ewww," which was just the seal of pooproval needed. She also made a yuck face when Scott ate the poop.
Before the big night, we all enjoyed the Van Gogh immersive experience, which was not only captivating, but also in the air-conditioning with giant rooms for Savannah and Autumn to race through (we pretty much had the place to ourselves). Imagine all the beauty of Van Gogh with two shrieking and laughing children racing and dancing through the color. Pure delight.
Can you find the Savannah?
Everyone loved this quote. How do I know? We all took our own pictures of it. As I was sorting through the pictures, this one of Autumn dancing through the letters of the quote was the clear winner. Oh the wondrous differences between the perspectives of children and adults.
Finally, it was time for the big show! It was spectacular. The singing was phenomenal. The sets and costumes were magical, the kids were brilliant, and the atmosphere was electric. Last year, I watched the very first show, and this year Robert and I watched the last one. Over the course of two weeks the kids give six shows and lots of rehearsals, spending several hours a day at the theater. That's some serious dedication! The kids didn't look like they were on their last show though. Their energy was through the roof.
Sadly, due to Disney copyright issues, I don't have any pictures of the show. Just Autumn's insanely proud fan club. In case you haven't figured it out, this kid is loved by many, many people, including her little sister, who fell asleep from all the excitement.
But that's not all! Robert and I managed to go to bed just shy of eleven after the show, but Scott and Kristin weren't so lucky. Naturally, early the next morning was just the right time to give Robert and Scott their birthday present - off-roading through the desert in a six-seater. Really, though, they loved it. And Kristin, Autumn, and I loved being a part of it too. I was a little nervous about it. But Robert, Scott, and Autumn were respectful, careful drivers. That's right! Autumn drove for a short stretch, and she was a really good driver. Six years from now, I will be more than happy to have her pick me up from the airport. Kristin, however, may not be ready! At one point while Autumn was driving Kristin lamented, "I shouldn't have to worry about this yet. I have six more years!"
We also got out a few times and explored, which was a real treat. As we climbed our way up, we were at eye level with the saguaros, which were blooming.
The trip was composed of a little bit of everything with a healthy dose of shenanigans. I'm thrilled Robert and I were able to see Autumn's musical and be a part of that ridiculously special energy. We gallivanted, laughed, escaped a mischievous ostrich numerous times, relaxed, watched Soul (which is actually really good, but you've got to make it to the part where the cat and man switch bodies), were slayed by Scott at Beat Saber on the VR headset, and celebrated the birthdays of two of my favorite humans.
I will probably need some extra sleep for the next couple months, but I was ready for the next trip even before this one ended in tears at Jerry Bobs (tears have been the only thing on the breakfast menu the last few times we've eaten there). I'm also counting down the days until we know what the next musical is!
I keep saying I won the brother lottery, which I did. But it's also the family lottery. I may have some catching up to do with Beat Saber, but I'm absolutely winning when it comes to family.
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