Giddy in Gilbert, Arizona

A vacation from a vacation, we arrived in the southern Phoenix suburb of Gilbert, Arizona, taking a few days to unwind and catch up with smiles and hugs from family and friends. Downtown Gilbert is filled with eateries, a bike path, and a small park/open space for the farmers market under the Gilbert water tower.Distance has kept us from regular visits with our fun Arizonan relatives and we really enjoyed spending time with all of them. An added bonus was spending time with a newly transplanted work colleague and her family. The cacti and the mountains seem to be treating them well. They certainly put smiles on our faces.Each morning as we walked around, we were entertained by a hot air balloon, painted ladybug rocks, hummingbirds and even a cactus woodpecker. We visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix where so much was in bloom and we learned the proper names of many cacti and flowers.The dark skies and sparkling Arizona stars aligned and we were fortunate to see another cousin play with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. We enjoyed eating, hiking and staying with these terrific cousins in Tucson. From A to Z Arizona has been amazing.