Despite the triple digits and cactus everywhere you can take your family to a great vacation spot that is relatively close and won’t break the bank. One of my passions is travelling so it’s great when I get to combine a little work with pleasure and share my experiences with our SmartFem readers…although I don’t really consider writing about my travel experience as work.
A few weeks ago I was contacted on Facebook by Kevin Carpenter of Cool Mountain Vacations inviting SmartFem to come up for a weekend and write about their vacation cabins. At first I was a little skeptical as in the past going to the family cabin had meant lots of labor intensive work for me and very little time for relaxing. Some of those old rustic cabins require a great deal of upkeep but when I saw Cool Mountain Vacations’ pictures of their little two bedroom cabin, “Dream Catcher,” I couldn’t wait to go. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as it allowed us to have a very romantic weekend with my significant other for his birthday.
We left Friday morning with the directions and drove directly to our cute little cabin. The ride up from Phoenix to Show Low, Arizona offers spectacular scenery with lush green trees and mountains, a nice change of pace from the long straight desert highway of Interstate 10. There were no lines, no hassles and no waiting. In fact, the check-in process upon arrival is nonexistent which was absolutely fabulous.
Within twenty minutes of arriving we were on the gorgeous deck, enjoying the fresh air and starting to decompress. The cool mountain breeze kept it a very comfortable 74 degrees most of the day. I saw two deer, lots of bunnies and countless birds. The mild temperatures allowed us to sleep with the windows open and enjoy the relaxing sound of the wind gently blowing through the trees instead of the usual mechanical hum of the air conditioners.
The cabin was so beautifully decorated and had all the amenities including a washer, dryer and dishwasher so for the first time ever I don’t have cabin dish pan hands. The cabin also had cable television and internet but they were easy to ignore in favor of going outside hiking, boating, and relaxing.
Cool Mountain Vacations arranged for us to get a kayak for two on Fool Hollow Lake courtesy of J & T’s Wild-Life Outdoors. We had a great time and I think Paul was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could actually kayak. I had an amazing time. Kevin and Tiffani Carpenter, the property managers were absolutely wonderful. 
Their rates are surprisingly reasonable, a two bedroom starts at 99.00 and they even have a five bedroom available for those with large families.
Oh and be sure and bring some large canned goods for charity so you can get an additional night for free as Kevin and Tiffani are always finding some way to help those less fortunate. I know I will definitely be going again to escape the heat and to enjoy the cool mountain scenery again soon.
Be sure to check SmartFem’s Facebook page for more photos of this fantastic place.
Kevin and Tiffani Carpenter the property managers are absolutely an adorable couple who oversee the Cool Mountain vacations and are constantly looking for more ways to make the vacations here become lifetime stays. For more information please visit their website at www.coolmountainvacations.com.
Lea, We were so inspired by your article…and the heat…that my wife and I have carved out some “cabin time” in Greer next month. Feeling cooler already! Thank you, Lee
It’s a great way to recharge the batteries and the romance. Glad to hear you were inspired. 🙂