Nominated by: Hannah Nelson

Dates:

November 6 - 9

Closest Airport(s):

Sky Harbor (PHX)

Local Attractions:

Convenient airport  |  Sunny weather with highs in the 70s |  Hikes through beautiful desert landscape  |  Desert Botanical Garden  |  The Churchill downtown, or Old Town Scottsdale for a fun mix of walkable bars and restaurants  |  Excellent Mexican food (tamales anyone?)  

Miscellaneous Information

Phoenix and nearby Scottsdale have a lot of group lodging options — we could opt for a block of adjoining condos with common clubhouse and outdoor spaces, a big house with a backyard guest house, or a giant house with additional outdoor dining/swimming/hangout space. 

As a local, Hannah would offer up her car for quick and easy airport runs, grocery store stops, car seat installation, etc. Renting cars/vans wouldn’t be a must. Also you can try a self-driving Waymo, which is fun and often cheaper than Uber/Lyft! 

Nominated by:  Carley Snider, Mitch Baker, Julia Sealock, and Jason & Joenelle Wetzler 

Dates:

Nov. 14 - 16

Closest Airport(s):

XNA

Local Attractions:

Downtown Rogers, Downton Bentonville, Beaver Lake, Mountain Biking Trails, Onyx Coffee, Wright's BBQ, Crystal Bridges Art Museum, Breweries, Hiking, Climbing Gym, Mitch's Calves, Finn & Lucy Dogs, Cabin time 

Miscellaneous Information

-Outdoor mecca with lots of affordable opportunities to stay in large cabins

-Short drive to the airport 

-No traffic

-Local natives with vehicles and ability to transport people to shenanigans

-Small town feel, but enough stuff to have a blast for a weekend

-We can egg Walmart's world headquarters

-Very affordable

-Ranked 2nd best Fall leaf color changing behind New England

-Wright's BBQ named best BBQ in country by Yelp in 2024