Birthday Road Trip Day 1: Jerome

It goes without saying that I have an amazing boyfriend. So for my birthday he decided to take me on a road trip to Northern Arizona. 

On Tuesday afternoon we set out from Phoenix and landed in Jerome, where we stayed at the historic Hotel Connor. 

Jerome was a copper mining town in 1898. Once of the "baddest towns in the west," Jerome quickly became a ghost town overnight in the 50s. 

Today, it is a National Historic Landmark and tourist town, boasting quaint shops, haunted hotels and wineries with magnificent views. 

The Hotel Connor was exactly as expected- the heart of downtown, quaint and filled with history, and staffed with the friendliest people. 

We feasted at The Haunted Hamburger, a staple in the town. 

But perhaps one of the most unique aspects are its stairs. The town features a staircase where anything is legal. Okay, maybe not anything, but drinking definitely is! So you can just sit in the heart of town and drink whatever you like. 

After a lovely night's stay, we had a delicious breakfast and visited the town's museum. 

For only two dollars you can see unique pieces from Jerome's past and even go into a fake mine shaft. But perhaps my favorite part of Jerome was it's small town feel. 

We haven't been in Skagway in what feels like so long, so being in such a quaint place felt like home. 

Enjoy our traipse through Jerome!

Exploring Phoenix: Hole in the Rock and Desert Camping

Arizona is such a beautiful part of this country. I have visited before, but only to see the Grand Canyon. 

Sam and I have been fortunate enough to go all over the state. 

In this post you will see photos from Hole in the Rock, which is amazing, as well as some desert camping near the Superstition Mountains. 

Photos taken with Canon Mark 5D ii and GoPro Hero4 Black. 

Enjoy!

Cruising Time

So like I said in my previous post, Sam and I have been all over the place. 

Upon arriving in Arizona, we visited with friends, ate delicious fast food (because we don't have any of that in Skagway), and readied ourselves for a cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, MX. 

But first, we visited Palm Springs where I photographed the most beautiful wedding with some of our favorite Skagway friends. You can see the wedding here! 

We left Palm Springs Sunday morning and then headed to Long Beach, CA. 

Sam's mom had never been on a cruise, but it was a life-long dream of hers. So for her Christmas gift, we treated her to the vacation of her dreams! 

And what a vacation it was. 

We walked around the beautiful Catalina Island, through the shops and down the cobblestone streets. 

And we rented golf carts to drive all over the island. The views were amazing!! 

And of course we topped of the day with a few margaritas and tons of laughter. 

The following day we found ourselves in Ensenada. Excursions on from the ship can cost so much money, so we decided to just figure it out once we got to town. 

On the shuttle ride in, a tour guide of sorts offered a $35 deal, including a trip to "la bufadora" (an awesome blowhole), an awesome flea market, a free margarita and horseback riding on the beach. 

SOLD.

We had a lovely day at sea and all together enjoyed a lovely four days of relaxation. 

After the cruise, Sam and I ventured to Hollywood to explore Hollywood Blvd., whose busy streets proved to be a bit more stressful than expected. 

Nonethless, it was a must see. 

All photos taken with a Canon Mark 5D ii and Go Pro Hero4 Black. 

Enjoy!