Return to the Bay Area and a Month in Scottsdale

As is customary, we returned from Spain to the Bay Area before we went to Scottsdale for five weeks. In this article, I’ll tell you about the interesting things we did in both places. Spoiler Alert: It involved lots of food. So this article is full of food p*rn. Enjoy.

Getting to the Bay Area

We decided to try TAP Air Portugal from Bilbao through Lisbon to SFO. It was really lovely, and as you can see, Mike even takes pictures of airplane food. The business class seats were comfortable, and the service was top-notch. Consider trying TAP on your next foray across the pond.

Visiting Friends in the Bay Area

Most of our time is spent visiting friends and family, and that usually involves a restaurant and food. Our first outing was with my mother, and we went to Opa in Campbell. Other than the sticker shock, the food was good as usual.

Based on the pictures, Mike went to Sunnyvale Muni to play a round of golf. We also dined at Pacific Catch and then Il Fornaio with Mike’s brother, so here are more food pics. Next stop: Scottsdale.

Staying in Scottsdale

In the last article, A Medical Miracle in Scottsdale, I told you all about running all over Scottsdale to see doctors and have surgery. Because I thought I was having another knee replacement, I wanted to be sure I would be comfortable. Surprisingly, even though it wasn’t high season, the 2 bedroom condo I rented was quite expensive. But the couches and the bed were really awesome and well worth the cost. I did spend a fair amount of time in bed after the second surgery. But the apartment had a nice gym, which I was able to use during our stay. We wound up bring a lot a bags to Scottsdale, mostly to bring things down to our next stop, our home in Playa del Carmen.

The location was great, too, close to all of our doctors and physical therapy. In addition, the complex was right behind one of my favorite gourmet markets, AJ’s Fine Foods.

We have gotten in the habit of visiting Scottsdale each fall to see our doctors. We visited all of them, and we even got new glasses at Costco. Mike tried to get new glasses in Playa, but the lenses weren’t right, so we decided to do it in the US.

Shopping in Scottsdale

First, there were the grocery stores, and we did have a list of stuff to buy that we couldn’t get in Mexico. Mike sometimes has grocery store envy, he took lots of pictures to prove it. We also went to HomeGoods and bought a bunch of stuff on my list and some stuff that wasn’t on my list. I’m sure this will be a regular occurrence because some stuff is just cheaper and better in the US.

For those of you who want to know what we bought, here is a list of the stuff we brought back to Mexico from Scottsdale, not counting the wine.

We brought back even more from our one-week holiday visit in December. While we have Amazon in Mexico, some stuff is not available or is twice as expensive as in the US. So I order it on Amazon US, have it shipped to a friend, and pick everything up on our next visit.

I also needed some jeans and warm, fit shirts, so I had to go clothes shopping before surgery. After my relatively uneventful surgeries, it was time to pick up some golf shirts, too.

Stuff We Did to Keep Ourselves Busy

First, we have friends and relatives who live or were visiting the Phoenix area, so we met them for dinner or planned an event together, sometimes both. The first weekend after surgery, I was bored, so we got in the car and headed east into the mountains. I was able to take a short walk, look at some fantastic views, and sit on a bar stool made from a saddle. I had to start slow, you know.

Law Enforcement Dog Exhibition

About two weeks after the second surgery, I was good with my crutches, and we wanted to go on an outing to Westworld. No, not the TV show (which was great), but a huge sprawling venue in Scottsdale that hosts polo, expositions, and assorted other events. The event we selected was a law enforcement K-9 exhibition. Having never been to one, I had no idea what to expect. The entrance was into a great exhibition hall that had police gear and personnel from most of the police departments in the greater Phoenix area. The gear was interesting, but the arena was even more interesting.

Each team consisted of a dog and its handler. They arrived in their police vehicle and then ran through a K-9 training course, where the dogs were supposed to attack some bad guys. Then they ran to the next obstacle. The course had three stations, and each run was timed. Some of the dogs did really well, and others wouldn’t let go of the bad guys, and they had to be wrestled off by their handler. Overall, it was a good time and certainly a unique experience unless you are in law enforcement.

Coco Montoya Concert

Wherever we go, Mike looks for music and events for us to attend. This time, he found a Coco Montoya concert at the great Musical Instrument Museum, or MIM. We have been to MIM before to visit the museum and attend concerts in their lovely, intimate concert hall. We didn’t know anything about Coco Montoya when we arrived, but he turned out to be a wonderful blues guitarist who has had his own band for more than 20 years. As with most of the concerts that Mike selects, this one was very enjoyable and had an easy in and out, which is very important after surgery.

Lots of Golf

While I was recuperating from my various surgeries, Mike entertained himself by playing golf. He tried to get out twice a week, but I think he managed a little less than that. But here is the shocker: by the last week of our stay, I was able to go out with him and caddy and putt. Arizona in the fall is a beautiful thing.

More Food in Scottsdale

We had lots of meals on our own and with friends in Scottsdale. Here is food from a number of different restaurants, including the Village Tavern, Barley and Smoke, Thompson 105, Soul Cafe, Roaring Fork, and one of our favorites, The White Chocolate Grill.

Winemaker Dinner Featuring Caymus at Maggiano’s

Need I say more? Probably not, but I will. We really like Caymus wines and Italian food, so it was a win-win. The dinner was lovely, and there was an awesome family with grown daughters at our table. The conversation was as stimulating as the food, and a good time was had by all.

I think we managed to make lemonade from lemons on our five-week visit to Scottsdale. I’m actually looking forward to going back this year.