Episode 1 | From Toronto to Tucson
On today's episode of Aimlessly Wandering, we're heading to Tucson, Arizona from Toronto Pearson International Airport.
To make our journey as seamless as possible, we decide to book a room at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Toronto Pearson International Airport. This allowed us to get a good night's sleep before our early morning flight and have a comfortable place to relax before our journey.
After checking in and getting settled, we spend some time exploring the airport and taking advantage of the amenities in our club suite and access to the Sheraton lounge.
From the moment we checked in we were treated like VIPs, even receiving a free upgrade and admission to the lounge. Every staff member we interacted with was nothing but kind, excited, and passionate about their role - and went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable at every touch-point in our journey.
A hostess named Boguska (who worked in the Club Lounge) was the definition of a hostess. She is very passionate about her guests and made sure we felt welcomed. Words truly cannot describe how attentive, hospitable, and kind she was.
She waited on us with grace and humor. She was very attentive and eager to please. We felt like royalty with her service, and we cannot thank her enough for the kindness she provided to us. Worth mentioning, the food and beverage selection was great, and the quality of the food (we had the pizza) was also on par with any restaurant you'd find in downtown Toronto.
After exploring the Sheraton Lounge, I decided to take a dip in the indoor pool and relax in the hot tub. It was a great way to unwind after a long day. Soon after, it was off to bed, with the view of the runway serving as our nightlight.
We woke up early the next morning and made our way to the customs terminal at Pearson International Airport. Despite the early hour, the airport was already bustling with activity, with long lines stretching from the start of the terminal to the check-in desks. We waited patiently in line, trying to get a head start on the day ahead.
After clearing customs, we make our way to the gate, boarded our plane, and began our journey to Detroit.
We arrived in Detroit and had 5 hours to wait until we could board our flight to Phoenix. At first, the idea of spending that much time at the airport excited us as we thought there would be enough activities to pass the time, but after the first hour, time started to crawl.
Determined to make the most of our layover in DTW, we checked out a few of the shops that were within the terminal, including Dylans Candy Bar. We also enjoyed taking photographs at the Coca-Cola Pop-Up store, though we found it odd that none of the soda machines were working.
After exploring the terminal, we decided to take a walk through the musical tunnel, which was a highlight of our layover. The tunnel, which is located in the McNamara Terminal, is a public art installation that was created by artist Liat Yossifor in collaboration with the Detroit Metro Airport. The tunnel is made up of hundreds of aluminum tubes that hang from the ceiling, and each tube is equipped with a speaker that plays a different note when touched.
After spending some time in the musical tunnel, we decided to ride the airport link tram to the North Terminal, which was a convenient and efficient way to get around the airport. The tram runs every 4-6 minutes and takes about 5 minutes to travel between the two terminals. It was a smooth and enjoyable ride, and we appreciated the opportunity to see more of the airport.
Finally, after 5 hours of waiting, it was time to board our flight to Phoenix. At first, the flight was smooth, but towards the end, somewhere over the Rockies, we experienced some heavy turbulence. Fortunately, it did not last long. We arrived at PHX airport and caught a second wind. We were excited to be back in Arizona after traveling so long.
The first stop we made was my favourite west-coast burger joint; In-n-out. The chain is known for its delicious burgers, fries, and shakes, and has a loyal following among burger enthusiasts. If you're not familiar with In-n-Out, it is a fast-food chain that was founded in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California.
It has since grown to include locations in several states on the West Coast, as well as in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. In-n-Out is known for using high-quality ingredients and for preparing its food fresh in the restaurant, which has helped it to earn a reputation for serving some of the best burgers around.
I ordered my usual, a double-double and a single, and scarfed them down like they were going out of style. Because she’s not a fan of In-n-out, Adrienne opted to try Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, stating that she “doesn’t get the hype about In-n-out”. Agree to disagree I suppose.
After a short drive from Phoenix down to Tucson, we finally arrived at my parent's house. We freshened up before meeting up with our friend Matt.
We ended the night with prickly-pear margaritas that Matt mixed perfectly.
After having spent 17 hours getting to Tucson, we were finally ready to call it a night and get recharged for our next batch of adventures.
The next day, we had plans to visit Biosphere 2, and we knew we would need all the energy we could get.
