When the thermometer reads 108 degrees in Arizona, this broiling hot baby boomer re-visits her favorite frozen adventures. I picture snow piled high around a rustic cabin, cross-country skiing across a rolling meadow or sitting in the dining room at Hannagan Meadow Lodge watching the snowflakes fall.
Located at 9100 ft., in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, Hannagan Meadow Lodge is a cool escape, no matter the time of year. Accommodations include seven rooms in the lodge plus eight cabins (two of the units are duplexes) that sit on the hill behind the main building.
If you’re looking for luxury, this isn’t the place for you. The lodge rooms and cabins are rustic but clean and pleasant; Alan and I have stayed in both types of accommodations.
We’ve also enjoyed breakfast in the lodge’s restaurant where large windows look out onto the meadow. At night, Alan and I have dined on steak or chicken while the collection of antique colored bottles that sit in the windows glowed like jewels, lit by the setting sun. If you’re planning to eat in the restaurant, be sure to check the website, or call before going as meal service depends on the time of year. The General Store next door to the lodge sells some food supplies. And, if you’re staying in a cabin, you can always cook your own meals.
If you’re one of those “it’s the journey, not the destination” types, do I have a road for you. Travel to the lodge from southern Arizona on the Coronado Trail (Highway 191). With 70 miles of sharp curves, 525 in all, motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts will get their fill of road thrills. And, the road’s scenic vistas offer many photographic opportunities.
Once you’re at the lodge, activity choices are endless. In the winter, name your sport, it’s available. During the rest of the year, read a book, go fishing, take a hike, ride a horse or rock your cares away in one of the rocking chairs on the lodge’s front porch.
If you’re longing for a back to nature get-away, Hannagan Meadow is the perfect location. It’s also a great destination for those baby boomers planning family reunions or time away with the grandkids.
