On Tuesday, my co-worker Robert and I hopped a plane to Phoenix en route to the Greer Lodge Resort in northern Arizona to meet with a client. Here’s a list of the Top 3 noteworthy things I experienced while in Phoenix:

1. In-N-Out.
2. Saguaro cactus. Lots.
3. An aggravated assault staged on the vehicle directly behind me at a traffic light in broad daylight, downtown.

So we’re just chillin’ in our rental car behind a vehicle at a stop light. Car number one is just idling behind us when car number two pulls up beside it. Guy from car number two jumps out from behind the wheel, runs over to the front of car number one, and proceeds to bash in the windshield with the butt-end of a knife. He then runs over to the drivers side of car number one, rips open the door and tries to drag the dude out on to the pavement. I think he would have stabbed him had the driver of car number one not thrown his car into reverse, thereby knocking the assailant onto the asphalt with very door he’d just pried open. Car number one then roars about 50-yards in reverse (on a two-lane highway) while the assailant jumps back into car number two to follow suit. Instead of chasing all the way in reverse however, driver number two slams on the brakes, jerks the wheel around and spins 180-degrees to start driving, against traffic, towards car number one. All of this was happening, mind you, while we were waiting dumbstruck at the light. Car number one then puts it in gear and roars back toward us, barely avoiding getting clipped by car number two. Just then the light turned green, so I put the pedal to the metal in our Pontiac G6 and shifted lanes in time to steer clear of the ensuing chase. We never saw how the whole thing ended, but I’m sure it’s the kind of thing that would escalate, especially if it wasn’t resolved that day. I’m just glad we didn’t get ourselves mixed up in it.

After departing Phoenix we drove through a series of small Arizona towns, up through the white mountains, to Highway 373, lovingly dubbed “The Road to Nowhere.” It’s called that because the highway is approximately 5 miles long and connects with absolutely nothing. It just turns into a forest. It is here that Doug Sandahl of the Greer Lodge Resort has created his unique brand of luxury cabins nestled in the heart of the Arizona wilderness. It’s geared towards people who love the outdoors, but don’t want to to experience them in a leaky pup tent or a run-down cabin. His lodges and B&B feel like a wilderness-themed Ritz Carlton that’s 4 hours off the beaten path.

But after all is said and done, it’s the little details that make each room a masterpiece…the 350-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, the king size mattress, the Bose soundsystem, the hand selected books and music, the couple’s spa and walk in shower. All of it with a rustic log cabin feel that blends in perfectly with its environment. [Whoa, sorry, I think I just unintentionally wrote the opening paragraph their next promotional pamphlet.] Anyways, Robert and I were treated to the full “Greer Lodge experience,” which made for an excellent environment to conduct business and enjoy a two-day excursion. Here’s a picture of Robert, me, Juliana (Doug’s assistant) and Doug.

The only thing that could have improved our stay was if I’d been able to have Kristie there with me. Maybe we can slip away for a night at their B&B one of these days…here’s hoping.