I was fortunate to be able to stay several nights in one of our advertising client’s vacation cabins just outside Flagstaff this week.  Though I have been to Flagstaff many, many times, this was my first vacation stay in a Flagstaff cabin and I have to tell you, I LOVED it.

My Flagstaff cabin getaway was just like being at home, and not at all like being at home.

The cabin had a convenient location, about 8 miles south of Flagstaff, making it easy to run into town for groceries, a couple nice meals out, and general sightseeing ventures.

Was the cabin 5-star? Well, no.  But Hello….iT’S A CABIN in the woods. Instead of a personal valet, I had primeval ponderosas ever standing by; in place of French linen spray, my room was infused with cool, alpine breezes; and rather than a fancy Hammacher-Schlemmer white noise machine set to “rainstorm,: I slept to the music of an actual rainstorm.

In short, the cabin was outfitted with the kind of amenities designed to be just like being at home, and not at all like being at home.

Here are some of my photos from the trip… I couldn’t take enough photos of the lovely wildflowers on the hiking trail that originates in the cabin’s backyard, nor a storm that rolled in across the meadow in front of the cabin, nor the morning fog that settled in the wide open field, over which a big red barn presides.The pastoral imagery-brought-to-life was just too much to capture with my point-and-shoot, but you get the idea.

A big thank you to Arizona Vacation Rental Homes (www.arizonavacationrentalhomes.com) for encouraging my vacation buddies and me to come stay in your charming property.  The stay was a welcome break from the “seasonably warm” temps in the Phoenix Valley.  This blog post was not solicited in any way… I just enjoyed my summer getaway and want other locals and visitors to give Arizona Vacation Rental Homes or any other Flagstaff cabin rental companies a thought when planning a trip to Flagstaff.

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Thumb Butte presiding over the Veterans Hospital, formerly Fort Whipple

I was in Prescott this week for a meeting at the Prescott Resort, which is located atop a large hill just before you make the turn southwest into downtown Prescott. I parked my car facing Thumb Butte and looked down into the valley below and saw what I now know is the Prescott Veterans Hospital, formerly the site of Fort Whipple. (I know this because of this great little blog post over at the Prescott Area Daily Photo blog.)

What I thought was most charming about the hospital campus splayed below were the two rows of identical early American farmhouses, as you can see in the photo. I immediately wondered what the houses are now used for, what their history is, and the full history of the hospital in general. (By the way, if you know the scoop, please comment! I’d love to learn more.)

Later, another Prescott discovery (well, okay, I admit… this was a return visit BUT the first time was indeed a discovery and I just had to go back). The Raven Cafe on Montezuma and Willis in downtown Prescott is such a great restaurant, I just can’t say enough about it. Prescott’s only “all green” dining establishment, the Raven Cafe features an organic coffee bar and tons of organic beers on draft and in the bottle.

Quiche of the day at the Raven Cafe (rhyme!) www.ravencafe.com

While I was waiting to order my lunch, I checked out the rotating gallery of what I would describe as indie art, a big bookcase of volumes to borrow while you dine and even a whole bunch of kid-friendly attention-occupiers fill the bottom shelves (as a mom… I totally appreciate the non-verbal cue that kids are welcome, and well-behaved, busy kids are even better.)

Soon, it was my turn to order and I chose one of four special quiches of the day – the boursin and red pepper. An iced tea, too and I toted my order number over to a table by the door. The quiche was spectacular – perfectly portioned and plenty rich to fill me up, with a green salad that I learned was grown in the Raven Cafe’s very own Raven Garden (with offerings from the local farmer’s market, too.)

Please check out the Raven Cafe… From the flyers and chalkboards, it’s clear they are great for lunch and even livelier for happy hour and dinner. Next time I’m in Prescott, I’ll have to force… FORCE myself not to eat at the Raven Cafe and check out someplace new… But you know there’ll be a blog post on THAT discovery, too, so stay tuned.

Last Day’s “Last Run” is Just Straight-up Fun.

Troon North

Scottsdale

Prescott

Sedona

Sedona