A Cabin in Pinetop

Picture yourself sitting here, having your morning coffee outside comfortably in an alpine forest...

Last weekend I really wanted to get out of the heat, at least just for 24 hrs. So we dropped some cash and took our selves (including Frida, pictured above) to Pinetop for little hikes, grilling out, reading in a hammock and roasting marshmallows by the fire to the sound of mournful coyotes. It was just what I needed.

I found an add for the "cabin" on craigslist. Some cabin! The place is huge. It actually sleeps nine people in beds. Then it has room for more in sleeping bags, etc. We're itching to get our friends out there. It would be a great place to do Thanksgiving.

The cabin does back the national forest, but it's also in a subdivision, so it's not as far away from civilization as I would have liked. There are neighbors, but mostly it's more private quiet and spacious than what I'm used to, which is immensely refreshing...I just would like to have a chance to come down a long, dirt road to find a cabin that's really on it's own. (If you know of one let me know, 'cause I'd pay good money for that!)

This cabin has all the amenities, which is convenient but not rustic. (I think that for hanging out with friends, convenient is better, but if it were just Andrew and I again I'd opt for rustic.) It's nice because you don't have to pack much: the cabin includes all appliances, furnishings, dishes, silverware, towels, etc.

The other thing that gives this place special charm is that it's custom decorated. The details are nice, but also weird, because it feels a little like a staging. (For example, there are framed pictures of children in the master bedroom, and you almost expect them to be somebody's grandkids, but they are obviously just the pictures that came with the frames.) I really like those quirky details.

So, the drive is at least four hours there and four back from central Tucson, but it's gorgeous almost the whole way. The drive really seems shorter because it's so lovely.

If this sounds like heaven, contact Irene by clicking on this link to her craigslist post. Tell her Eva sent you. The lower, fall rate has kicked in now, but there is also a cleaning fee and a refundable deposit that aren't mentioned in the add, so make sure you talk to her about that first.