Perfect hideaways in the Southwest to get away from it all
greer lodge relaxing vacation destinations
Courtesy of Greer Lodge

GREER LODGE, Greer, AZ

The three-story, old-fashioned log lodge overlooks a bucolic meadow, ponds, and the west fork of the Little Colorado River, places where you can play horseshoes or fly-fish in the summer and ice-skate or cross-country ski in the winter. In the lobby, a native stone fireplace invites you to get cozy. Rooms in the lodge are airy, spacious, and decorated with pine and rustic furnishings, lace curtains, and quilts. The cabins, more popular with families, are plain and functionally basic. 

ESSENTIALS: Ten rooms and 17 cabins. https://www.greerlodgeaz.com; from $129. 80 Main St.; 928/225-7620. 

― Nora Burba Trulsson

 

ORCHARD CANYON ON OAK CREEK, Sedona, AZ

Despite the allure of the town, many guests at Orchard Canyon on Oak Creek never set foot off the property during their entire stay. It’s not that Orchard Canyon offers a compelling list of activities. Rather, guests come simply to soak up magnificent views, enjoy great food, and do … nothing.

The lodge, an old homestead that has been running as an inn since 1972, sits along the banks of Oak Creek. Towering rust-hued canyon walls provide a backdrop for the property’s wood-and-stone cabins, which dot a manicured lawn. Oaks and sycamores, interspersed with fruit trees, provide shade and color.

The cabins are simple, decorated with handmade furniture, quilts, and braided rugs. Balconies and patios invite lingering; chaises scattered strategically on the grass suggest naps.

An outdoor cocktail hour allows guests to catch the last rays of light in the canyon, then it’s into the main building to sample an ever-changing menu–herb-crusted salmon, perhaps, or rack of lamb, followed by a rich dessert–much of it made with ingredients from the lodge’s orchard and organic garden. Though there’s no lunch served, breakfast–such as local trout and corn fritters–can get you through to teatime.

The lodge does have a clay tennis court and a croquet lawn, plus access to nearby hiking trails and a swimming hole, but, truly, the big sports here are reading, eating, and going to bed early. And therein lies Orchard Canyon’s appeal.

ESSENTIALS: Seventeen cabins. From $206. 8067 N. State 89A; 928/890-4023 or http://enjoyorchardcanyon.com. Dining room: breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner.

― Nora Burba Trulsson  

HACIENDA DEL SOL GUEST RANCH RESORT, Tucson

Long a Tucson favorite, Hacienda del Sol was originally a girls’ school before it became a guest ranch in the 1940s. As a guest ranch, it catered to sun-seeking Easterners and Hollywood celebs – it was one of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn’s hideaways. A renovation updated the inn’s rambling, Spanish colonial accommodations and added a new restaurant, the Grill. The Hacienda’s magnificent old cactus gardens remain intact.

ESSENTIALS: 59 rooms, casitas, and suites, 11 with fireplaces; outdoor pool, hot tub, and horseback riding. From $149. 5501 N. Hacienda del Sol Rd.; (520) 299-1501 or www.haciendadelsol.com. Grill: breakfast, lunch, dinner; 520/529-3500.

― Nora Burba Trulsson

 

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