TUCSON and SCOTTTSDALE, ARIZONA

Ventana Canyon, Tucson AZ

We celebrated Ron's 75th birthday in Tucson at the beautiful Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort.  This was a marvelous deal from luxurylink.com.  It included 5 nights lodging with a full breakfast each morning, one 3 course dinner for two, and two massages each. We enjoyed every minute there.  

Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort

Next stop: Scottsdale, Arizona.  As so often happens, what started out as a problem turned into a blessing. We had rented an apartment for a week but it was a far cry from the picture in the ad.  Fortunately, we were able to get our money back but drove around anxiously looking for a place to stay.  We found a great hotel in an ideal location -- walking distance to Old Town and Fashion Square Mall. 

Celebrating Ron's birthday

Microsoft recently opened stores to rival Apple and there was one in the Mall.  I've been looking for a new ultraportable laptop for travel.  I was impressed with the Asus which is ranked at the top and we bought it.  It came with Windows 7 and the 2010 version of Office.  I've been frustrated at times but for the most part, I've enjoyed getting used to the changes, updates and additions.  


We were fortunate to have a friend in Scottsdale.  Marlene spent a day giving us the grand tour of Phoenix and Scottsdale.  


On February 7, we drove out of Arizona into California and our next destination: Palm Desert.