This “Fire & Ice” trip has been a bit of an annual thing for me, and I was excited to get to see Kurt, Annie, and Ivy in Phoenix and then swing up to Denver to visit Jacob and Tia.
You may (or may not) remember, but this was the time of the polar vortex, and I could not wait to get the hell outta dodge. I was SO COLD and needed some warmth.
Phoenix and the Grand Canyon

Phoenix is Phoenix. A bit of a random clusterfuck to get around, but it was 60-70, so it was a nice reprieve from the excessively cold Minnesota winter. I was really excited to get to the Grand Canyon. Well, that is, until we got to Flagstaff. I thought it was some sort of sick joke that it was snowing. And not just everyday snow. We’re talking the sloshy, shitty to drive in stuff. And it just got worse as we got closer to the Grand Canyon. Yes, we checked the weather forecast, but we really did think it was a sick joke. After a LONG drive, we got to the Grand Canyon. And because it was snowing there, too, we literally didn’t get to see much of anything. I felt like Mother Nature was playing a really sick joke on me.
Regardless, the time was well-spent hanging with the Fleschners.
The vortex followed me to Denver
I was really hoping to enjoy the usual 50-ish degree weather, but that stupid Vortex. It followed me to Denver, and it was in the wonderfully balmy teens for my entire stay. Luckily, Denver has a lot of delicious food and beer to partake in. And boooyyyy, did I partake in it with some absolutely fabulous company!