Sedona to Phoenix

Big city jitters, fancy salads, and a pest plant in paradise.

After a night in Sedona (and one very questionable campsite), we hit the road for Phoenix. I’ll be honest—I wasn’t exactly excited for this leg of the trip. So far, I’d managed to dodge all the major cities, and in my head, Phoenix was huge.

Sure enough, the second the highway exploded into six lanes, I was done. Nope. Not for me. I pulled over and made Julie take the wheel while I sat there pretending to be chill but really just avoiding the chaos.

We rolled into Old Town Scottsdale, and… holy moly. I’m not kidding when I say there was more money sitting in that carpark than I’ve probably seen in my life. Shiny cars everywhere. It felt like stepping into a movie set—just with more palm trees and slightly sweatier people.

After a very expensive (but admittedly delicious) salad for lunch—plus two cookies… and maybe an ice cream—we headed off to meet our friend Maggie. She whisked us straight to the botanical gardens, which were absolutely stunning.

The funniest part? Spotting a plant that’s considered a full-blown pest in Australia—one that’s such a nightmare at home, you almost want to set it on fire when you see it—being proudly displayed in the gardens like it was a treasured jewel. I had to laugh. What one place sees as an invader, another welcomes and nurtures.

Different landscapes, different rules.