Mom & I Take Tempe AZ with Baby Jogger! Shopping, food, exploring and the zoo.
Hey friends! Today we are coming to you from our home state of Arizona and talking about a couple of days we had exploring the greater Phoenix area (Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Phoenix). We wanted to keep it simple and just do some exploring without a set plan and it was PERFECT!
We started out by going to the zoo (Maddux is currently obsessed with lions, tigers and elephants). We were thankful to take our Baby Jogger stroller (the new City Mini 2) because Maddux is a very casual zoo attendee. By that I mean, he likes to see the animals but does not love the long walk in between them ;) which works out great because he is as cozy as can be in his stroller. The calf support and near-flat reclining seat means he can easily nap in it if he needs to. Win/win.
We have actually been using a Baby Jogger stroller since Maddux was born. As soon as I pushed one for the first time I knew it was the one I had to have! The lightweight, compact, 3-wheel design means easy maneuvering for everyday errands, out and about exploring and even cross country travel with my Maddi-bug. We used the infant car seat (also from Baby Jogger) and it’s what we left the hospital in. The car seat fit perfectly with the stroller because of the city GO adapters and we were able to use it until Maddux grew out of it.
While at the zoo, we made pit stops at all of Maddi’s favorite animals and then quickly made our way to the splash pad. It’s in the 90’s in Phoenix so a water break was necessary!
Afterwards, we packed up our bags and the stroller and headed to find some food! One of my favorite features of the City Mini 2 is that it folds with one easy pull of a strap. It’s doable with one hand which is an absolute necessity when you are a mama who (if you’re like me) always has your hands full. It’s really as easy as it sounds! It auto-locks when you fold it down so you can put it in your car with as much ease as you can possibly imagine. That makes going from the zoo to the Tempe Marketplace to shop and have some delicious food an absolute breeze.
You’ll notice from the photos that this is our second Baby Jogger Stroller. The first one held up so well and is still perfectly functional, but the City Mini 2 has an all new design that’s sleek and slim (and we LOVE the new color!). With all the trips we have coming up we were excited to have a stroller as ready to go as we are! Also, we plan to attach the glider board in the future so Maddi can ride along with a sibling (not an announcement, just part of the plan ;).
We made it to Tempe and grabbed an acai bowl, which is my favorite snack for the excessive heat. I can breathe easy knowing Maddux is protected from the sun with the UV50 canopy on his stroller (don’t fret, there is also a peekaboo window so you can check on baby while they are being protected from the sun), but a cool down snack is still a favorite among all of us. My dream is to someday enjoy one of these while on the beach in Hawaii, but for now exploring our own little town was so much fun.
I think a lot of people want to travel and explore the world and feel limited because of time/finances/what have you. A lot of times we forget that we can go visit places other people would have to travel to see simply in our own backyard. I challenge you to go on an adventure in your town soon and see what kind of fun you can have!
If you want the comfort, style and convenience of a Baby Jogger stroller to do it in, click the link to check them out!
Talk soon!
XX,
Mist & Mad (and Dad ;)
*Thank you to Baby Jogger for sponsoring this post.
