Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon Eve

Old Town Scottsdale
So I kidnapped two of my friends and made them escort me down to Scottsdale for the Fiesta Bowl Half. I felt like it was time I had an entourage and J and C gladly agreed to accept the job of shleping me and my stuff around all weekend. We departed from Tucson around 10a.m. excited for a girls weekend. After the two hour ride filled with some laughs, rainy weather, and chocolate cover pretzel snacks of awesome (you know carbo loading) we went to the Runner's Den (an awesome running store in Phoenix) to pick up my race packet and then headed over to Old Town Scottsdale.
My size cowboy boot
After wondering around looking in a few shops, taking pictures of ourselves (super model documentary hour), we decided it was time to obtain food.

C, Bean & J

Whoohoo I found a cowboy

C, she makes new friends everywhere
 We found a BBQ place that lured us in with a delicious smell.
Big Earl's BBQ
 Warning gratuitous food porn ahead. Big Earl's smelled even better on the inside. They had their own smoker and made their own sauce. Delicious. I wrangled the best chicken salad I have ever had. C got yummy pork tacos and J got ribs that came with delicious jalapeno corn bread that I wanted to steal but J is so nice she shared with me.


 Just looking at these pictures makes me want to drive two hours back to Scottsdale to eat that meal again. After stuffing our faces we decided it was in our best interest to continue wandering. So we waddled back out to look through the cute stores and continue documenting our every move.
J & I and our new western look. 
 We stumbled upon some mini horses dressed up as reindeer. So cute. Of course I assaulted them and Mrs. Claus with my camera. I asked C if we could take one home with us but she pointed out that there was not enough trunk room with all my crap plus a mini horse. So rational that one.


 When done shopping we decided to head over to the Holiday Inn Express to check in. We were pretty impressed with the room. $84 for a room with two queen beds that had a living room attached, microwave, fridge and there was a happy hour with complimentary wine & beer, cookies and milk in the evening and coffee and tea at all times in the lobby. Holiday Inn had me at free cookies. A pretty sweet deal. I would stay here again.


After chatting it up for awhile we decided to carbo load by ordering pizza. Mostly because I was too lazy to leave the hotel again. I am such an exciting travel partner. To finish the evening off we discussed how to diffuse tension in the middle east, create world peace, and solve the budget crisis worldwide.....nah just kidding we drank $4 wine out of plastic cups and watched HGTV in our PJs. Perfect evening! 
I made us go to bed early because I am a dictator. Plus I am about as quiet as a bull in a china cabinet in the morning so it was pretty much guaranteed that C and J were getting woken up when I woke up to get ready for the race....

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