Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park Review!

 

When we visit new spots it is always fun to check out local museums & tours, so on our recent trip out to California we stopped in Yuma, Arizona on the way back to grab some lunch and stretch our legs while checking out the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. You'll go on a self guided tour of part of the original Yuma State Prison which opened in 1876 & closed in 1909. One of the nice things about the parking lot is if you are stopping by on a road trip there is plenty of regular parking spots along with RV parking. They are located at 220 N. Prison Hill Road Yuma, AZ 85364. While you are there you will be next to a park where you can walk down to the Colorado river & dip your toes in, there is also a cool bridge and if you get lucky you will see a train going by. 

On your self-guided tour you'll find pieces of the prison history like actual clothing and more that were kept after the prison closed down. You will learn quite a bit of history not only on the prison itself, but many of the prisoners as well. They actually have a banner that shows you what crimes people were arrested for & how many people were there for that crime. 

It was actually pretty insane to see how prisoners lived in this prison, most of the cells looked like a cave and some cells like the dark cell, literally were caves with a door. Not only were the spaces already small & cramped but they had two bunk beds which each had three people sleeping on them, which means six people were stuffed into a small room. A lot of people called this prison a "Hell Hole" and I can see why, it gets so hot in Arizona and being in a cramped room with no A/C I can only imagine how hot it felt to those living in the prison. 

The Dark cell was also insane to see, once you reach the end of the hallway to where the dark cell is the light get dimmer and dimmer. Not going to lie, the room did feel quite ominous and a little creepy especially if you were to fully go inside and stand in the dark area. In some of the cells they have mannequins set up to show what it would have looked like with the prisoners in the cells along side their bunkbeds and nothing else. The women definitely had it much easier than the men and were allowed clothing changes more often along with other finer amenities.   

On display on the inside museum, you'll also find pieces of artwork the prisoners made while in prison such as hair pieces made by female inmates and small trinkets made from steel & more. Don't miss the gorgeous views from the top of the hill where the prison is located, you'll get to see quite a bit of Yuma long with beautiful views of the Colorado River. Being up in the look out tower also offers you a chance to spot some great picnic areas if you are looking to set up a picnic instead of finding a spot in town to eat. 

🌵 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 on our own. I enjoy sharing new places we explore with my followers.

Corvette Diner - A fun spot to eat for families visiting San Diego,CA!

 

Going out to a fun themed restaurant can be a lot of fun for the entire family, when we heard about the Corvette Diner in San Diego, we knew we had to stop by. Not only do they have a fun classic theme to the restaurant, but they also have a long hallway that leads you down to an arcade complete with tons of games to play and a prize area. The diner can get quite busy so depending on your party size there may be anywhere from a ten minute to an hour wait for a table to be ready, so having the arcade to visit is a huge plus. They also have a lot to look at around the diner including photos of celebrities, themed areas like the soda bar and an old school car right in the middle of the restaurant. 

We were seated in an area that had a groovy 60's feel to it. The entire section had black walls adorned with black light posters & paintings, we loved it and were happy to be seated in that section especially because it isn't a section you can see from the front when you first arrive to it was a mini surprise for us. They have an extensive menu with classic meals and also menu items inspired by celebrities such as the burger inspired by Elvis which has peanut butter on it. Our server was very sweet & very energetic, she was very helpful with answering any questions we had about menu items. 

Our food didn't take long to arrive to our table & everything looked fantastic. The food portions were pretty large for the price of each dish, a few of us even had leftovers that we took with us back to the hotel room. We were all quite pleased with the dishes we decided to order, everything was cooked perfectly. We also had some entertainment while eating, when certain songs come on all of the staff wait staff will perform various dances and sing along with the songs. There was also a balloon artist creating awesome pieces for birthday children. 

I thought they did a fantastic job on all of the décor and the way they had different sections of the restaurant set up. It is a great spot for some to reminisce about how diners used to look and for younger kids to experience what it was like. If you know ahead of time you'll be in the area, they also have party packages which might be a good idea for larger families while on vacation. Overall, this spot is a lot of fun, and completely worth the visit! Price, wise they have some pretty good prices compared to other diners and restaurants we've visited, so between the price and the wide range of food options this is the perfect spot for families to stop. It is also located near a shopping spot and a small park where you can walk around with your family. 

★ This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this on our own. I enjoy sharing new places we explore with my followers.

August Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

 

It's the start of a new month which of course means it is time for this month's Beauty & The Book Giveaway! If you missed last months, there is still time to enter as it ends on the tenth of this month. As I was going through putting together this months bundle, I ended up with a blue hues theme. Blue is my favorite color & this bundle reminds me of the sea so I am pretty happy with how this bundle came out. No big updates for this month, so I will get right into the giveaway details. 

💙 Included In This Month's Bundle: 💙

★ Paper Copy of "The Girl with no past"
★ Self reflection 52 week journal 
★ Morphe Eyeshadow Palette
★ NYX Lip butter in blue
★ Porefessional primer sample
★ Creme Shop Face Mask
★ Onyx bath salts
★ Essence mascara
★ Essence white eyeliner 
★ L.A Colors
★ Grace & Stella undereye patches
★ Keychain
★ Two blue claw hair clips
★ Watermelon lip balm
★  Blue covergirl eye shadow
★ Mad Hippie sample
★ Neutrogena lotion
★ Blue beauty blender 

This is open Worldwide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the winner notification! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 09/5/2024

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

Which item in this bundle are you most excited about?

Do you have any fun upcoming plans?

What is something you are looking forward to?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It is easiest if you log onto Rafflecopter using the Name/Email Address option. 

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way. 

San Diego Zoo Review!

 

I love animals so any chance I get to visit a new zoo or animal spot, I am up for the adventure! For the fourth of July weekend we took a short vacation to San Diego to enjoy a beach day and made plans to visit the San Diego Zoo. They also have the San Diego Safari park which is a sister park to the zoo & is located within an hour drive from the zoo, we plan on visiting that one in the future. We arrived to the park just before opening, so we were lucky to snag a parking spot up from and we were able to get our tickets quickly. The Zoo puts on a small opening ceremony where they bring out a big box full of large parrots that they raise up above all the zoo guests & open it to let all the birds fly out. It was fun to see the assortment of colored parrots. Tickets into the zoo are a bit high compared to other zoos we've explore coming in at $74 for ages 12+ and $64 for ages 3-11, however that is mainly due to the size & number of animals they have at this zoo. The San Diego Zoo is one of the twelve largest zoos in the US.

This zoo is huge! When visiting you should schedule out several hours if not most of the day to explore everything they have to offer and to really take your time seeing the animals. One of the cool things about this zoo is they have several animals that few zoos in the US have such as the polar bears & the newest inhabitents that will be on display soon are the new Panda bears that just moved in. If you would like to leave the zoo to eat lunch at your car or simply go somewhere such as back to your hotel to take a break the zoo does all you to get your hand stamped & you can come back later in the day to show your stamp + ticket to get back into the zoo. This is actually something we took advantage of as it was very humid the day we went so after seeing half the zoo we needed a break, so we went to get lunch and cool down at the hotel for a bit before heading back to check out the other half of the zoo. 

The San Diego Zoo has a few enclosures that are the biggest I've seen at a zoo, such as the Elephant enclosure and the Baboons who had massive areas to live an explore. When we were looking at the Elephants, I also noticed that they have many more enrichment toys then other zoos I've been to. Each area of the zoo is set up to reflect a theme such as the reptile walk, or Asian passage. A few of the bird aviaries are also quite large, one of them towered above you with several levels to explore - we couldn't even figure out how to get to the lowest level. I loved the number of birds, waterfalls, exotic plants and spots to sit they have throughout the bird areas. 

While on your adventure around the zoo, you'll also find plenty of areas with souvenirs and spots to grab food + drinks. They have a souvenir cup you can purchase that comes with free refills all day; you just need to show them the receipt when you get a refill. They are $15 each, however if you buy more than one you will get a discount on all of them. We thought the cups were worth it, we were able to get a few lemonades and a few times I asked for just ice so I could get water & you get to keep the cup to take home which is a bonus. The zoo itself had lots of shady spots, plenty of benches and was over all a very clean park. They also have a small splash zone where kids can play and cool off, when it isn't super-hot out there is also a play area. 

We had a great time at the San Diego Zoo, it was quite the adventure! We spent a total of around six to six and a half hours exploring the zoo. I was very happy with the photos and videos I was able to get as well, I will of course be adding quite a few of them to my nature photography accounts on Instagram & Tiktok - So if you love seeing wildlife and nature content and don't follow me yet, please head over and follow my pages. We can't wait to visit the safari park the next time we are in this area of California. 

★ This is not a sponsored post, we paid for this on our own. I enjoy sharing new places we explore with my followers.

Pinches Tacos Review! (Phoenix, AZ)

 

When it comes to lunch or dinner, I am always down for tacos or nachos so when I heard about a new taco shop in our area I looked forward to trying it out. My family & I were invited to come try a few of the items on the menu & this is definitely a spot we will be back to. The spot is called Pinches Tacos, This spot has not only tacos but they also sell burritos, quesadillas, plates and sides. Pinches Tacos Al Carbon is located at 520 West Union Hills Drive Suite 102 Phoenix, AZ 85027 which is in North Phoenix. This spot is not only family friendly, but it is quite affordable as well. 

You can get tacos for as low as $1 for a bean taco, or opt for it as a bean & cheese burrito for just $2.50. Inside of the restaurant you'll find a salad bar where you can choose from a number of sauces, or toppings like cut up onions, limes and cabbage. If you ordered to go, they have small containers with lids so you can still grab what you want from the salad bar to take home. Everything looked fresh & was kept stocked and swapped out when needed. 

Let's talk about what we ordered! I'll start off with one of my personal favorites out of what my husband and I picked out to share. The Asada Fries are so good and it comes with a lot more than I had expected. The fries were packed full of flavor & some bites were slightly spicy due to one of the sauces on it (you can ask them not to include it if you don't like spice). My husband ordered a Alambre plate which is almost Philly cheese steak filling on a plate, with a side of beans and five tortillas. I tried a bit of it & was so good, I like that you can eat it with just a fork or in a tortilla if you choose. 

My son selected a plate as well, he selected the green chili mix. He really enjoyed it, they included quite a bit of green chilis which is nice as some spots can skimp a little. Again they are another option that comes with quite a bit of food & for the price, it is perfect! My daughter is a big fan of quesadillas so she decided to try out the Mulitas quesadilla which is steak and cheese. She was a big fan of it, it was cooked just right and didn't need any sauce. 

As for myself I decided to try out the quesabirria, it had more meat in it that I thought would be in it! I thought the shell had just the right amount of crisp and went really well with the green chili sauce. I added in a bit of onions too which really gave it an extra pop. I also ordered the Vampiro which is an open faced taco on a tortilla which has steak, beans and melted cheese. You'll get a little mounted of sliced steak on top of the tortilla & are sure to love it. 

Everything was cooked perfectly, we didn't have any issues with our food. The staff were friendly & the food was made quickly. The restaurant itself was very clean & had plenty of seating if you decide to dine in instead of taking your food to go. I also really liked the dragon mural they had painted on the wall, over all it was a very enjoyable experience and as I mentioned before this is a spot we will 100% be stopping at for dinner again since it is both fast & affordable, perfect for nights when no one wants to cook or you are too busy to cook. If you are in or near the Phoenix area, I highly suggest stopping by to check out what they have to offer. 

🌮 Does this sound like a spot you'd enjoy? Which do you prefer Tacos or Burritos?

🌵 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-  Pinches Tacos provided a meal for us for the review free of charge 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.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Review!

 

Did you know that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is back with an all new and updated show. One of the biggest things they've updated is that the show no longer features live animal acts, instead you'll see an adorable robot dog performing some tricks instead along with an action packed show. The team at Ringling went all around the globe to collect a variety of acts to perform in their new show. We were recently invited to check out their show when they were in Phoenix. 

The show last about two hours with a short intermission between, they've set everything up to where you can see the action no matter where you sit. Not only do they have main focus acts in the center, but they often had secondary acts to the far sides of the state as well so the show felt up close and personal. The way the show flows is done so well, the staff are very quick with getting the stages changed out and making sure the next act is ready to go. 

We were very happy with all of the acts who went on. There were some pretty awesome tricks and stunts that take years to master. The mixture of acts from someone playing the drums to acrobats jump roping on a tight rope and fast paced bike stunts this show is sure to have something for everyone's taste in acts. 

They are currently on tour & may be stopping by a city near you. Tickets range in price depending on where you choose to sit. This show is completely family friendly & fans of all ages will enjoy this show. The new show was a lot of fun to watch, we enjoyed it and we are glad we were able to attend to see all the new acts that have been added. I look forward to seeing what they do next! Stop by their website to see where they are headed to next.

Disclaimer- Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey provided tickets for us to visit for the review free of charge 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.