New York City to Arizona

As is often the case – in fact it may always be so – opportunity presents itself at the most unexpected times. In this case, 5 days into my holiday, I was made redundant. Admittedly, it wasn’t completely unexpected (we knew changes were afoot, and in total, 30 of us got the boot), but it still requires some thought. As said, it wasn’t a surprise, but what I was surprised at was how much thought I had to give it. It was a weird thing to happen while I was on holiday, and as it was immediate, it meant that I had – in effect – nothing to go home for. Ah ha. Opportunity.

I’m on a flight to Phoenix, Arizona right now. That was always meant to be the case. 8 days in New York City, and then a week – for me alone – in Arizona (if you’re wondering why Arizona, I’ll get to that in a bit). The 8 days in New York were spectacular. Thilde had never been before, and although I’ve been twice before, the last time was in 1999. A lot has changed, and not just the city. I’m a completely different person than I was at 21, and as such, my wants for the city had changed radically. I really did consider this a second first time for myself. We stayed in the Lower East Side, and covered a huge amount of the city. Every day started early, and finished pretty early too, thanks to the double-digits of kilometers we covered on foot every day. I’ll admit that 8 days was just enough for me. Sure I could have stayed longer, but while I loved the city and its diversity, its beat and its life, it reminded me of why I moved out of London. Sprawling cities just drain me. So as we moved our way back to our flat to pick up our bags, I was elated to know that I had a week in the beautiful state of Arizona to look forward to. Although, now, it wasn’t just a week, it was two.

When I received the email letting me know that I was one of the 30 to go, Thilde, the wonder she is, said that I should stay in the US for longer. At first I dismissed the idea, but then, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. When would I get a chance like this again? I’m already here – or there – so why not? Delta wanted over $4000 to change my flight, but booking an entirely new journey (with a different airline) – return from Copenhagen to Phoenix – proved to be vastly cheaper. So I did it. Two weeks. Just me and the road.

So why Arizona? Most people asked why when I told them about our summer holiday plans, and I understand. I’ve no idea about exact numbers, but I’m willing to bet the majority of visitors to Arizona pop in to see The Grand Canyon and then pop back out again, and what a shame that is. I’ve not covered all of the state, and I won’t do this time either, but I’ve seen enough each time I’ve been to leave me wanting more. I first visited when I was around 13, again when I was 14, once more at 21, and again last year, at 34. The trip that made the biggest impression on me was when I was 14. I don’t know why, but something about it just hooked me. The colours, the vastness, the heat, the feel of the air and the sounds of the desert – all so very foreign to a girl born and bred in the English countryside, but all so oddly comforting at the same time. 

The later trips, while deserving of pages themselves, only cemented the want to return. So here I am. On my way back, but this time alone. It’ll give me time to see the things I want to see, to stop and stare at the things I want to stare at, when I want to stare at them. It’ll help me get it out of my system, and help me get some perspective on things.

We’re currently flying over and between two storm cells. If I wasn’t the nervous flyer that I am, I’d be thrilled. I’m sure in hindsight I’ll think it was brilliant, and it is brilliantly beautiful, I have to admit. If only I was at the window seat I’d take some photos.

It’s hot in Arizona. I’ve got about 2000 miles, or 3000 km, to cover. I’ve gone through all my back issues of Arizona Highways (yes, I'm a subscriber) and made lists of things I want to see and do. I’ve noted down the ghost towns and old mines along my route. I’ve been waiting for this trip for a really long time, and I’m just about to get started.

I’ll admit I’m a bit nervous, but the excitement far, far outweighs it. Thank God for redundancy. 

Entering Arizona in 1999Oh, a side note is that it's Labor Day Weekend here. I have no idea what that is, but I'm sure I'll find out. Something tells me I can't wear white after it. I might rebel. I am, after all, British. 

Arizona 2013

In a very short time I'll be fulfilling a childhood dream. Literally. I'll be spending a week (OK, in my childhood dream it was more like a few months, and by childhood I mean I was 14, but still...) driving around Arizona. Below is my approximate route. Some roads aren't marked on Google Maps, and one is currently closed (damn you 89!), so there's a bit of a detour. I'm going to blog at the end of every day, explaining why Arizona, what I see, where I go and no doubt including a few photos as well, so you're welcome to tag along if you want. 

I'm so excited I can't begin to describe it. 

The Humble Cheeseburger

I'm a burger fan, a big burger fan. I could, and have done, eat them every day for a week or two (I'd like to point out that this was while on a road trip in the US. I feel that excuses me). But to be more precise, I'm a simple food fan. I like the basics, the basics done well. You know what I mean; real food, hearty food, food that fills me up. I'm not too bothered by what it looks like as long as it tastes good. You'd think the cheeseburger should fit in here quite well, yet the problem today is that it so rarely does.

I've been trying to find a great burger place in the city I live in (Copenhagen, Denmark) but I'm yet to find it. Sure, I can find some decent restaurants, but nothing that has made me go back for seconds solely based on how good it was. The best cheeseburger I've ever had in my life (so far) was at Slackers, a burger place in Page, Arizona. I had a ½ pound cheeseburger and it was so good I could have cried. Succulent, simple and incredibly tasty. If you're anywhere remotely near Page, go. Here's a picture of it. It's a thing of beauty.

Of course you can find succulent burgers in every city, you can find tasty burgers, but simple? That's where it gets tricky. 

A good cheeseburger should be a good, juicy beef patty, a lightly toasted but still soft sesame bun, a slice of cheese (Swiss, American or Cheddar - nothing too powerful), a leaf or two of lettuce, pickles (you can put tomatoes in if you want, but I find they make it too wet) and finally, a dollop of ketchup (and maybe mustard). Simple and straightforward. So why is it that restaurants today seem to be more focused on what they can do with the burger rather than just making a good one?

You get cheeseburgers with fried eggs in them, or Applewood smoked cheddar and jalapenos, deep fried cheese, truffled liver parfait, caramelised onions, fois gras, and cheeseburgers that you can't eat with your hands - and what's the point of that? Is it even still a cheeseburger? A 'cheeseburger' that needs a wooden stick through the centre to keep it from falling over is not a cheeseburger. I don't want a cheeseburger than has so much filling that I have to dismantle it to eat it with a knife and fork. I don't want a cheeseburger that has mounds of various sauces inside it which dribble out all over me. I don't want a cheeseburger that has a name I can't pronounce, and I certainly don't want a cheeseburger that has a bun so crunchy I might as well suck on some razor blades. 

These are not cheeseburgers. They are some twisted form of beef...cake, created in the minds of people who think the humble cheeseburger is not good enough. Don't get me wrong, I understand the need to experiment, and all those fillings/toppings/etc probably taste great, but we're missing out on is, in the simplest terms, a cheeseburger. What happened to just making the simplest thing, really, really well?

If there is good burger to be had in Copenhagen, tell me. But don't say Halifax. Or Cocks and Cows.