The Mother-In-Law is in town. Oh no!

OK, I actually get along with my husband's mom pretty well.  But, I did scrub the house from top to bottom before she got here, so she couldn't see the filth her precious little angle baby actually lives in. 

We had a pretty full weekend - trying to show her what we know about the state thus far.  She flew in Saturday afternoon, so we decided that we would take her to Pinnacle Peak Patio (http://www.pppatio.com/home/default.asp) for some a steak and to hear their live music.  On our way up to the steakhouse, we saw a sign for an Art Festival, but it was closed.  We were told that all of the things on the street in Scottsdale close at precisely 5 no matter what they are.  I thought that it was strange since it had just begun to cool off, but maybe there is a law or something...  Anyways, on to dinner we went.  The steak was, as always, excellent. 
Sunday we made a day of it.  We headed north after a breakfast of pie (fruit is healthy right?) at Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon.  (http://www.rockspringscafe.com/)  This is my favorite breakfast place so far. 
Then, we went on up to Montezuma Castle in Mesa Verde.  There were two hawks flying above the ruins - making a convenient photo op.
On to Jerome... I had been here before with my parents, but this time we took the time to poke in all the shops.  We found a toy store with an attendant who was having WAY too much fun, but I saw a few things that are going on my Christmas list.  Just down the road, we found a shop that sells Rubber Duckies!  (This is important because I collect them...)  We wet our whistle at the Spirit Room (http://www.spiritroom.com/).  I liked the atmosphere of this bar, but the live entertainment left a little to be desired. 

Onward and upward... on to Sedona for some red rock photo ops.  We took a short hike in Red Rock State Park.  It is an inside joke with a friend of mine to always take vacation photos that include my most prized possession. 
We had dinner at the Barking Frog Grille (http://www.barkingfroggrille.com/).  I highly suggest their buffalo burger from their "before 5" menu.  It was cooked perfectly, and I loved every bite.