The Grand Canyon State

My favorite cactus

I came back from my short stint in Arizona yesterday. I got there around 9pm on Wednesday night, and as soon as I walked out of the airport, I was hit with a wall of heat. It was 102 degrees, and it felt great! Living in Oregon, you don't get much chance to be that warm...especially since the added humidity usually makes it unbearable. As I shuttled to the car rental place, I realized why the heat felt familiar. When you're sitting around a campfire and it roars up briefly, blasting your face with excessive heat...that's what it was comparable to. It wasn't unbearable, it was just hot. Getting in my little KIA Forte (my mom would be proud, it was red), I headed to the hotel. Even in the dark, I could see cacti everywhere. I definitely wasn't in Oregon anymore!

It was definitely weird seeing Buffalo stuff on the walls

I explored Phoenix and Tempe the next day, taking pictures of cacti for my mom and my Tumblr. I also crossed off eating at Ted's Hot Dogs in Tempe, Arizona from my bucket list. It sounds dorky to anyone who isn't from Buffalo, but Ted's is a staple, serving Sahlen's hot dogs, fountain Loganberry, and amazing milkshakes. The original owner of Ted's opened this location, and it's the only one outside of the Buffalo area. I got the works, and took several pictures. I'm pretty sure the customers thought I was nuts. I drove past an In-N-Out Burger too, but I was too full to stop and get something if I wanted to. I've been told it's one of the best fast food places; I hardly eat fast food, so I think I'll just take everyones word for it. 

My Ted's spread

Tempe is the home of Arizona State University, and it had a college feel to it. Of course, the campus didn't really look like any other university I've been to before. It amazed me that everything outside was relatively clean, and not ruined by the weather. The metro stops were pretty extravagant (obviously I don't get out much), and the roads weren't destroyed by snow plows or excessive amounts of rain.

Another cool looking cactus

I left 90 degree weather yesterday to come back to low 60's in Oregon. Dear Oregon, it's summer...act like it!