SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Whether I want to or not, my internal clock wakes up around 8 a.m. these days. With the two-hour time change, that clock got a little confused this morning, but I found myself done sleeping around 7:45 a.m.
Which isn't ideal, since we rolled in around 2:30 a.m. last night, after the best carne asada burrito I've ever eaten.
But I can't complain, since two of the guys here hit the links for a 7:30 tee time. Those poor fools left this hotel very early, while Oscar snored on the bed next to mine.
I figured that since I was up, I might as well check out the pool at the Hotel Valley Ho again. And that's where I spent an hour doing something I rarely do on vacation: relaxing.
It's another beautiful and sunny day in Phoenix, so the sun was already plenty warm by 8 a.m. I'm totally blown away by the hotel, so I decided to see what else it has to offer.
I ambled upstairs to the steam room and took what my people call a "schvitz." It didn't replace my 5.25 hours of sleep, but it certainly helped. If anyone knows how to install one of these for home use, please drop me a line.
We had a nice breakfast, and now I'm gonna chill until Bill and Paul scoop me up for the 1:05 p.m. Brewers game.
I can't say enough about this amazing property. I've stayed in lavish hotels in my life, but this place is just so cool. Calling it retro doesn't really do it justice. Usually, a hotel is a place to sleep, and that's it. But this is the kind of place you want to hang out in and soak up. I highly recommend it.
I'm off to the pool.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
