When you think about traveling your mind automatically goes to some extravagant trip, right? I used to as well until I began to look for more budget friendly weekend adventures. Your local state has so much to offer and you should be looking into the different national parks, hokey tourist stops, and small towns you can visit for the day or a weekend. In a monthly series, I’ll take you on my local adventure and show you my wonderful world in Arizona.
My recent travels took me to Show Low, Arizona. I have a friend who recently purchased a cabin up that way and I rented the cabin for the weekend. Being moderately priced was one of my biggest “must-haves” when I booked his cabin. At $200-$300 nightly (depending on the weekend and time of year) I was able to book the entire cabin for 10 people. Creature comforts were a second must have and all the beds, decor, and amenities matched up perfectly with three queen beds upstairs and four bunkbeds for the kiddos on the lower level. The cabin comes equipped with a full-on kitchen so you can run down to the local grocer and pick up food for your stay, which is nice since I am careful about what I eat.
I do suggest heading out on the town in this quaint area for at least one evening. There’s much to explore! From small boutiques to local eateries, there is just enough to discover and enjoy. Saturday night during my stay we headed over to The House in downtown Show Low. I had the white cheddar burger and we started off with some corn fritters. Corn fritters are a food I haven’t really ever tried, but I have eaten fritters before in donut form. Topped with a spicy aioli sauce and full fried and crisp, these delicious little bites sent me swooning and begging for more. The burger was thick, juicy, well-seasoned, and full of spice and flavor. The House crisped the bun on the inside edges and topped the burger off with local peppers and delicious cheese. Being a beer lover I opted for the Four Peaks selection and sucked it down as the perfect compliment to my meal.
When it comes to after dinner desert The House has their own selection of small desserts and during my trip were actually working on opening an ice creamery next door – something to return for and test out! After dinner we ventured around the more rural areas of the town and came across a really amazing tiny house community that is currently being developed. This community is the perfect real estate investment opportunity and affordable getaway spot. To get anywhere around town though, including to this secluded community, you must ensure your car can handle the terrain. *To see more photos check out @TravelFoodieMom and @TheBlonde.Spot on Instagram!
On that note, let’s talk transportation really quick – if you’re coming in from some other state or area you’ll need a car. With the trip totaling nearly 3 hours from Mesa, where I live, it’s a quick drive to a part of Arizona untouched by large corporations and isn’t overpopulated. I drove up alone so I could really have time to reflect on the journey and take in as much of the scenery as possible. Halfway through the drive you’ll come up on a canyon and the Salt River – stop, get out, and walk down to the river. It’s gorgeous and a sliver of peace in a canyon with road construction (this is my way of saying be wary of road construction go on the weekends). I stayed only for a night but it was well worth it and allowed me to enjoy what they’re now calling – forest bathing.
Stay tuned for next month’s adventure story and tell us where you’ve been recently that really changed your sense of travel!
This is me sitting in the show “room” of the larger sized tiny house!
