Our family weekend began in Phoenix, where we stayed at the Wyndham Buttes Resort. It's a very nice hotel, with beautiful grounds crossed with walking paths among the Southwest flora [right]. The reception area, restaurants, and guest rooms are situated on different levels, creating interesting walkways, views, and small, private areas for enjoying the landscape.

Our first day, we spent a few hours at the Mesa Southwest Museum, an excellent showcase of Arizona natural history and cultural heritage.  We studied dinosaur bones collected in Arizona [right], visited a recreated Hohokam village, holding artifacts in our hands that were over 1,000 years old, and even appeared on TV [above] in an exhibit about Arizona in the movies. We were impressed by the quality of the museum, and all of us found exhibits to enjoy.

Friday night we ate dinner at the Pinnacle Peak Patio Steakhouse, which was a long drive from our hotel but a worthwhile experience. With a sawdust floor, picnic tables and benches, the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. Besides steaks that are highly rated by the New York Times and Sunset magazine (and Amy), the steakhouse is best known for its "no ties" policy. If anyone wears a tie to the restaurant [left: Cameron and Jan prepare], the server comes by with huge scissors and cuts it off. Ties are then hung from the ceiling, which to date appears blanketed in thousands. After Cameron's tie was cut, Santa came round to say hello [above]. For dessert, we highly recommend the gigantic chocolate brownie, warm, gooey, and smothered in vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

After dinner at the Steakhouse, we drove to the Phoenix Zoo and spent an hour viewing a special holiday light display. As we walked through the balmy night air, we viewed fabulous light sculptures [right] while holiday music surrounded us. It was a magical way to end our evening.