Madrez Cafe Review! (Flagstaff, AZ)

 

When we go on trips whether it is a slightly bigger vacation or just a small weekend trip to explore one of the cities in our home state, I like looking for locally owned or small chain restaurants to support. On our most recent weekend trip to explore a few things in Flagstaff, I found a small locally owned restaurant called Madrez Cafe. There were one or two options I was looking at for lunch while we were in town, but I am so glad that this is the spot we landed on because lunch was fantastic.  

They offer breakfast & lunch at this spot and are closed for dinner. This is the first spot I've been to that has consistent price across the menu, pretty much all of the breakfast options are $13 each and the lunch options are all $14.50 each. In total for the four of us our lunch bill came out to $60 which isn't too bad for an actual restaurant since some fast food spots can run you just as much. Several of us had ordered the Birria tacos, and they were so good! I like that they came with different sauces to dip them into along with some extra cut up onions. The breakfast bagel, breakfast burrito and the farm skillet were all also pretty good and came with a good amount of food.

Inside of the restaurant felt open, welcoming & cozy and I like that they feature the artwork of local artists on the walls with QR codes you can scan to see more of their work. If it is nice out and you feel like enjoying the weather instead, they have seating outside as well. Wait times for the food were short & everything came out on metal plates which helps keep the food warm and also cuts down on waste as they are reusable. (the staff will collect your plates when you are done eating). So if you happen to be in the area and are looking for a spot for either breakfast or lunch, I suggest stopping by to try out the food for yourself!

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

🟊 This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this ourselves. I just enjoy sharing awesome spots with my readers. 

Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ - A short review!

 

I've always been fascinated with the beauty of space and I have been a fan of science centers since I was young, so when we visited Flagstaff I knew I wanted to check out the Lowell Observatory. The Lowell Observatory is family friendly & they have an awesome area for small children that offers a lot of hands on science & space based activities. Even as an adult you might find a hands on activity or two in this room that you'll enjoy, like building a mini rocket and trying to shoot it through some hoops. 

A secondary room offers hands on activities that are for teens and adults from balancing two weights to make a chair spin without moving your body, or even a spot that has different things to smell there is quite a bit to do on the first floor. If you want to sit down for a bit they have a theatre that features a number of different presentations ranging from half an hour to an hour long. 

Outside you'll find a number of telescopes set up pointed at different planets & stars with a staff member next to it explaining what you will get to see, how to look into the telescope properly and answer any questions you may have. There are also a few buildings to explore which contain museum pieces, huge telescopes & more. Depending on what you decide to do while here and how quickly you walk around looking at everything you'll be here for one to four hours. 

If you end up getting hungry or want to grab something to drink, there is a café up front across from the gift shop. We had a lot of fun visiting & exploring everything the observatory had to offer. It was definitely worth the visit, and it was nice being able to enjoy the lovely weather while walking around the outside portion of the observatory. Everything was laid out to where things were easy to find, they had plenty of benches along the way in case you happened to become tired plus there were plenty of lovely photo opportunity spots. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  Lowell Observatory provided us a discount in exchange for a review, no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

FlagTagAZ - Family fun in Flagstaff, Az!

 

When we travel, I try looking for local family-friendly attractions to visit in-between seeing the typical tourist destinations, so that we can get the most out of our vacations. We wanted to beat the summer heat, so we decided to head up north to Flagstaff where the weather is significantly cooler than in Phoenix. The main three spots we wanted to visit were Walnut Canyon, the lava cave and Out of Africa. However, I knew we were going to have some downtime, so instead of hanging out in our hotel room we decided to look for something exciting to do together. We were looking for something that was indoors & out of the weather, FlagTag Az fit the bill. FlagTagAZ offers Axe throwing & Laser tag, plus they have a small arcade. I do want to note that this spot is geared towards pre-teens, teens & adults. We visited on a Saturday afternoon and were surprised by how few patrons were visiting at the same time. We were originally told that Saturday is their busiest day, so we were expecting packed throwing lanes. Needless to say, that surprise worked out in our favor as it was quieter than normal, and we didn't have to worry about feeling cramped next to other large groups.

You can purchase each activity individually or opt for one of their packages which give you a bit of a discount. During our visit we opted for the 'Groovy Combo' for $35 per person which includes thirty minutes of axe throwing along with two laser tag games. We've visited other Axe throwing locations & something that makes FlagTag stand out a bit from the others is that fact that they also allow you to throw knives & ninja stars.

The throwing lanes are equipped with a tablet that allows you to choose one of their digital games you'd like to play while throwing. The game is cast onto the wooden planks at the end of the lane using a projector. You can choose from games like battleship or just do regular axe throwing, it all depends on if you want to throw for fun or compete against a friend/family member. I do wish that they offered different weighted & sized axes, the larger sized axe they offered was a bit awkward for me to use compared to smaller versions I've used at other throwing lanes. I do not necessarily think it was due to the weight, but the length as I felt like the handle was too long for the way I tend to throw. 

Throwing the ninja stars was an interesting experience, they were so light weight compared to the axes. I am not going to lie; the first time I tried to throw the ninja star it flew up much higher than I was aiming for and stuck above the wooden planks, I almost couldn't reach it to get it back down! However, I know I am not the only one who has overthrown the ninja star because there were quite a few spots next to where I threw it & some marks even higher than where my star landed where others have hit. Your time on the lanes will go by faster than expected, so I would keep that in mind when deciding on which game you'd like to play. 

After we finished our half an hour of axe throwing, we went over to the laser tag. The space they have for the laser tag is actually pretty large and even includes a second story. I didn't go into the laser tag, so I cannot personally comment on the laser tag experience however my family members who played had a fantastic time! While we waited on our laser tag group, the rest of us had a look around the facility. 

There is a cafe area where you can pick up snacks, or drinks including alcohol. You'll also find a small selection of arcade games plus a row of claw machines. I had also noticed that they have a small corner set up with a number of family board games and a giant version of connect four. The last activity they offer is Dart throwing, where you can use either regular plastic tipped darts or metal tipped darts. We had fun checking out everything FlagTagAZ had to offer, and I think it is a fun spot to bring your family. FlagTagAZ is currently located at 1801 W Rte 66 #102 Flagstaff,AZ 86001 however, by the end of summer they are hoping to be in their new location, so please check their website to verify the address before visiting. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page).

Disclaimer-  FlagTagAZ provided us a discount in exchange for a review, no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.