Angela and I recently returned from a trip to Phoenix to attend the Fiesta Bowl. This journey has become an annual tradition for us, and, this time, we were lucky enough to be accompanied to the game by some great friends. As the Fiesta Bowl has become a permanent part of the College Football Playoff rotation, I anticipate us continuing to visit every year for the foreseeable future.
Bookings
Unfortunately, Angela had to fly to the Midwest on short notice. As such, I had to make a few last-minute changes to our flights. Luckily, points and miles make such modifications relatively straightforward.
Flights
- Angela
- 25,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
- ORD-PHX on AA J
- 4,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
- PHX-LAS on AA Y
- 25,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
- Nicholas
- 9,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
- LAS-PHX on AA J
- 4,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
- PHX-LAS on AA Y
- 9,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 18.10USD
Hotels
- One room for two nights at the TownePlace Suites Phoenix Glendale Sports & Entertainment District for one 35,000 Points Free Night Certificate per night
Activities
- Four tickets to Penn State University vs Boise State University at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl for 235.00USD per ticket
December 30, 2024
As mentioned previously, Angela and I flew into Phoenix separately on this trip. While she arrived in the mid-morning, I didn’t land in Phoenix until later in the afternoon. When Angela arrived, she took an Uber to the hotel and, luckily, was able to check-in and receive our keys at 1100.
The TownePlace Suites is cozy and gets the job done. The bed is acceptable, and the kitchenette is nice to have.
Back in Las Vegas, I dropped Fitz off at camp before heading to the airport for my short flight to Phoenix. The flight was pleasant and, after I disembarked, I took an Uber to the hotel to rejoin Angela.
We were both quite hungry, so we headed to Lil Capo Pizzeria, a local pizza chain. The restaurant was disorganized and chaotic in its layout. The pizza was tasty, if a little greasy. For dessert, we stopped at Bruster’s Ice Cream for a tasty frozen treat.
December 31
Our stay at the TownePlace Suites included breakfast, but the selection was small, and the other guests seemed intent on coughing on every item. We grabbed a couple of coffees before heading to Cracker Barrel for a delicious meal.
I ordered blueberry pancakes while Angela enjoyed the chicken-fried chicken and accompaniments. Afterwards, we stopped in the small shop and picked up some pumpkin and apple cider to celebrate the New Year at midnight. We also bought some old-timey candy to snack on later in the day.
After breakfast, we made a stop at the Bass Pro Shop located across the parking lot. While we didn’t find what we were looking for, we enjoyed visiting the small wildlife museum inside. It was interesting to see the wide variety of taxidermized animals, both native to the region and not.
After dropping our goods off at the hotel, we walked to Target to look for a hat. I wanted something unassuming and eventually found a plain black baseball cap to cover my shaggy mane.
We stopped very briefly at our lodging before walking to meet our friends in the stadium’s parking lot. John and Lena were waiting there with Fitz’s best dachshund friend, Angus. We gave him some attention before heading to the stadium.
I love our seats for the Fiesta Bowl and enjoy every single game we attend. While this contest wasn’t exactly a back-and-forth affair, it was still exciting as Boise State gave Penn State a good fight in the second half after being dominated in the first.
After the game, we ordered some burgers from Buffalo Wild Wings and spent some time in the nearby Glendale Entertainment District while we waited for them to be ready for pickup. By doing this, we were able to bypass the long lines for entry to all of the restaurants and enjoy a quiet dinner back in our room.
At midnight, we toasted each other to a year well-handled and to wish ourselves another excellent one.
January 1, 2025
We woke up and, after a somewhat leisurely morning, ordered an Uber and headed to the airport. After clearing security, we visited The Centurion Lounge for a delicious (if very brief) meal before heading to our gate, boarding our flight, and heading home.
Our trip was quite fun, and we continue to enjoy our annual sojourn to Phoenix. We are both looking forward to next year’s trip when the game will be a semi-final in the College Football Playoff. With any luck, it’ll be a better game than this year’s contest!