Saturday Surprises

A few weeks ago, I took Chris out for a day of surprises. Each surprise began with an envelope with a trivia question. Chris had to answer the trivia question then could open the envelope to find out where we were going. Of course, he got every trivia question correct because he's so smart! And we had a fun day of activities around Phoenix.

Getting Ready

Surprise #1

Question: What type of animal, although capable of flight, spends most of its time on the ground? Hint: It can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and generally prefer sprinting to flying.

Answer: ROADRUNNER! Wait, what does this have to do with where we’re going on a Saturday? We went to Roadrunner Farmer's Market at Roadrunner Park.

Surprise #2

Question: A) What is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land or a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water? B) What does the government build to control flooding?

Answer: A) Flood B) Dam What does flooding and dams have to do with Phoenix on a Saturday?! We’re going to the library to find out. What better place to do research?

Opening the Floodgates: Roosevelt Dam and the Development of the Salt River Valley Location: Burton Barr Central Library

This exhibit, located outside of the Arizona Room on the 2nd Floor, includes photographs and documents from the Arizona Room collection chronicling the construction of Roosevelt Dam, and its dedication by Theodore Roosevelt, a great supporter of federal reclamation during his presidency. Roosevelt Dam is a historically significant landmark that is celebrating its own centennial during 2011. The dam played a prominent role in the development of the Salt River Valley by providing water storage, flood control, and hydroelectric power. At the time of its construction Roosevelt Dam was the largest masonry dam in existence in the world, and Roosevelt Lake was the world's largest artificial reservoir.

Surprise #3

Question: What country has the second best food in the world? (Hint: Thai is the best!) It’s also the same country The Mekong River flows through before it flows into the South China Sea. The Mekong is the 12th largest river in the world. It flows through China, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia before reaching this country.

Answer: We’re going to have Vietnamese food for lunch. Location: Pho Thanh Restaurant

Surprise #4
Question: What activity, if done for 20 minutes, can help refresh the mind, improve overall alertness, boost mood and increase productivity? Hint: Hammocks, couches, blankets in the park are some of the best places to do this activity.

Answer: Nap

At this point, Chris asked me if this surprise was for me or for him. Hehe, it was definitely for me since Chris seldom takes naps. But we were planning to go to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the Luminaria that night and I wanted to rest.

Luminaria at Desert Botanical Gardens
A holiday tradition for us!

Surprise #5
Question: Where are we going for dinner? Hint: We’ve never gone there before. It’s an Arizona original – opening in 1947. They specialize in beef. In 2004, it was added to the City of Phoenix Historical Register for both its central role in Arizona’s cattle industry and its relevant architectural style.

Answer: The Stockyards Restaurant

However, we ended up eating at Rokerij, which was delicious and really romantic. We drove to The Stockyards and thought it odd that the parking lot was nearly empty at 8pm on a Saturday night. Just as we were about to enter the restaurant, a group of people exited complaining loudly about their experience. I stopped the woman to ask about it and she didn't have good things to say. So we decided to go someplace we knew would be good. The Rokerij was packed, which assured us that we had made the right decision.

All in all, a very fun Saturday. I still can't believe Chris got all the trivia questions right. Next time I'll have to make them a LOT harder.