Mom and dad geese with goslings.
My husband and I planned a long weekend getaway to Pinetop in the White Mountains of Arizona. It’s a place we’ve never been to before, but now that I’m afraid to drive to the beach resort in Mexico, we’ve decided to explore our new state.
My optometrist told me to stay at a place with small cabins on a lake, complete with fishing and row boats. That sounded perfect to me. We were also going to do lots of hiking in the woods.
Don’t get me wrong, but Pinetop was not what I expected. The cabins on the lake were cute. The views were pretty. But it sat along a busy highway. The entire town was on the highway and looked like an urban sprawl. Big box stores, U Hauls, Safeway, Wendy’s, McDonalds, you get the picture. They did have a bunch of local restaurants and the two we tried were good. I guess off the beaten path where the hiking trails were, we would have found some nature.
But no, my first morning we were walking around the lake on a trail. There were two guys sitting on the trail in their folding chairs fishing. One guy had two dogs who growled at me. I walked around them on a steep gravel bank and bam! I went down feeling my ankle twisted and crunching beneath me.
I needed help from my husband to get up and walk gingerly back to the cabin. I spent that day and the next with my foot elevated and iced. Finally I said,”Can we go home?” Husband agreed. He was not enjoying sitting in a cabin for a long weekend — or leaving me alone.
Here are some photos I took with my iphone before I fell and sprained my ankle. I didn’t feel up to using my Nikon after the fall.
A mallard begging for handouts.
Goslings! One mom and pop had 12!
View from inside the cabin.
The deck of our cabin.
This was one of the original cabins built in the 1930s.
The interior.
Cozy and cute, but there’s no place like home.
Have you had a vacation or weekend when things did not go your way?
If so, what happened?
To answer your question, kind of. In 1992, I had a three-day staycation planned, during which we would enjoy Longboat Key (Sarasota). The night before we left, I got a call at about 2AM and was ordered to the airport (TIA). Two days later, my ass was in Mogadishu erasing bad guys. Does that count as a vacation gone awry?
Wow. I’ll quit whining about my sprained ankle! Yes, that’s a vacation gone awry.
So sorry EA, both that you got hurt but also that the place that was hyped didn’t live up to the image portrayed.
I may try the spot again in a year or two. My husband came back from the forest ranger with a stack of hikes nearby. But I really was expecting a town like in Washington out in nature. Do they still exist?
That’s a great question. I’m sure there are places more “remote” but I bet they are also getting harder to find. Do you remember Lake Chelan in Eastern WA? The whole area has taken on the feel of a Disney type resort and the prices reflect that as well.
I haven’t been to Lake Chelan since I was a child. That’s sad to hear. Our property on the Stillaguamish River above Granite Falls is very remote. But lots were given to relatives 60 years ago. there are always a bunch of people up there that I don’t know, so it loses it’s charm for me.
Oh no- sorry you didn’t get your relaxing long weekend. Are you healing ok?
My son is out that way on the Greer fire. I thought for sure your title was going to be in reference to smoke. It seems like the wind much have been in your favor?
Also- I’d love the name of that cabin place… a “local” stay on the water sounds lovely.
The cabin was very cute and cozy. I’d stay there again. We didn’t get any smoke fortunately. But I really wanted to be in my own home and didn’t want to be in the cabin anymore or near the fire!
Are you willing to share the contact info for the cabin?
Sure. It’s called Lake of the Woods in Pinetop. We stayed in a one bedroom cabin number 3. It’s one of the original ones from the 1930s — and on the lake. There is one cabin that has an asterisk because it’s right next to the highway.
Thanks!
What a disappointment. I hope your ankle starts feeling better. And maybe before your optometrist recommends anymore vacation spots, he should get his eyes checked, first.
Ha! Funny about the optometrist! I can feel my ankle is a little better after three days, but I still have to stay off it.
Oh no… I’m so sorry! I hope you feel better soon.
We had a vacation like that when our girls were little—Branson, Missouri. Never again. I’m not even sure why I picked it in the first place! 🤣
It’s not fun being laid up. I’m hoping to make the most of my time. Sorry about your Branson vacation.
So sorry about your ankle, Elizabeth. I’ve stayed in places like you describe – it’s great to be able to leave and go home!
Thank you. I sprained my ankle Friday morning. I can tell it’s slowly getting better. Yes, I’m relieved to be home!
An all round not fun weekend. I would have wanted to go home as soon as I saw the location
I was hoping to go for hikes out in the forest. There had to be forest somewhere! But I fell instead.
Wonderful pictures of the goslings and ducks. I love the ripples on the water. I am sorry about your ankle and about the place being a disappointment. I wouldn’t have liked being right by the highway either!
We laugh about it now, but yes, we had a vacation where our cabin was nothing like we thought it would be! It was advertised as a “mansion cabin” in the woods. They only had one photo, this was years ago, back when my children were little. From what i could see in the distant photo it looked nice, surrouned by nature. Well, the cabin was very old. Wallpaper was peeling off the walls and masking tape in spots. Mice friends left things behind in the cupboards. Our bedroom door didn’t shut, etc. It was crazy! There was a hole in the floor and a soup can lid was nailed down over it, but part of the lid was sticking up!
But we were in the woods like they said. There was a creek flowing by our cabin. And there was a note left for us by the phone on the kitchen table. The note said how there are bears that have been up on our back porch before, to not let any food outside! The best part was that it said to call if we need help or have any questions. We picked up the phone. It was dead!
Ha! That’s a great cabin story. The dead phone was the perfect ending. I hope you didn’t need any help! At least it was in the woods. The cabin we stayed in was very cute and we looked out over the lake. I could have enjoyed it without an injury. Next door was a forest ranger and my husband came back with a stack of hikes I wish I could have done!
No, we thankfully didn’t need any help.
I am glad your cabin was cute and cozy! But sorry you couldn’t enjoy the hiking trails. I hope your ankle heals up quickly and you can go away again and this time without either of you getting injured. 😊
We have a wedding to go to in a Redwood forest by San Jose. It’s a lifelong friend of my daughter, who is a bridesmaid. The mom is a close friend of mine, too. My daughter said she’s afraid I won’t make it. I assured her I’ll ask for a wheelchair if needed at the airport and lean on my husband at the wedding!
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Oh that sounds beautiful to be in a Redwood Forest for a wedding. I hope your ankle is doing a lot better by then! But yes, there are wheelchairs and a good husband to lean on. 😊
😊
I’m so sorry for you EA. What a bummer! My wife broke her arm whip we were in Florida a couple of years ago. We couldn’t wait to get home too. It’s just the worst!!!! Heal up quick! 😊😊😊
I’m sorry for your wife. It’s not fun to look forward to vacation only to get injured. Tomorrow, I’m going to a doctor about foot surgery on my left foot. It’s been years that I’ve had cortisone shots for pain, but now it hurts all the time. I’ll be limping in with a sprained right ankle! Maybe she can check both out?
It actually happened to my wife twice. The second time, she came with me to a work thing and fell at the hotel. Couldn’t get a hold of me. The first time we were at the falls on the road to Hana in Maui and fell, dislocating her shoulder. Crummy experiences both times. Good luck with your doc. Need to be able to walk w/o pain!!!😌😌
Yikes, that sounds terrible for your wife. We were on a reward trip to Hong Kong and my first step out of the hotel for a walk I tripped on the curb and sprained my ankle.
I’m so sorry my friend that you had that injury. Sending you love and prayers. I hope it heals soon. What a bummer to have your weekend ruined.
Yes, but there’s always a bright side. I started writing a new manuscript today. It helps being laid up without distractions!
That’s really a bright side.
I’m motivated and without being weight bearing, it is an ideal time to write.
I hope this turns out to be a masterpiece. 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
Thanks!
Bummer about the fall and twisted ankle! I hope it’s feeling better. My in-laws had a home in Pinetop where they lived in the warmer months. It was in a pretty quiet neighborhood. Not really my kind of place, though.
As for your question, I could certainly come up with some examples, but nothing I’d care to share online!
Interesting that your inlaws had a place in Pinetop. I think there is a couple in our neighborhood who have a place up there to avoid the summer heat, too. My ankle is hurting today. I’m not sure why it’s worse, but I probably did too much.
So sorry your getaway ended badly, and painfully. Hope you’re up and about soon.
Love those goslings!
❤️
Thanks! The goslings were a treat to see. One bit of brightness during the adventure out of town.
What a bummer. I’m sorry your vacay wasn’t worth the bother and that you ended up hurt. Going home early seems like the best part of it! Take care of yourself now.
Thanks! I’m trying to make the best of it resting, writing and reading.
The photos are great and the cabin is cute, but it’s too bad the highway was so close. And then hurting your ankle was a bummer! Hope it heals quickly!
Thank you, Lauren. I’m hoping to get back on my feet soon.
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😩😭so sorry friend !
It was a downer of a weekend. I sure wish we stayed home. I also noticed my big mistake that I often repeat, is to not look where I’m going. I need to focus and not get distracted.
If you’re like me , you’re losing your peripheral vision.
That could be. But when I fell walking up the bank around the lake, I was staring down at two barking dogs on the trail and not looking at where I was walking.