We celebrated our 8th anniversary with a weekend getaway to Cottonwood a few weeks ago. Now, I have to begin this post with a bit of a brag - I have an uncanny knack for finding the best spots for unique experiences on trips. We try to make it a priority to spend a weekend away every anniversary, so I did some research online, knowing we wanted to try something new and found that this sleepy little mountain town is having a bit of a resurgence of late in Arizona's northern wine country. This little two block stretch of Old Town Cottonwood had literally everything we needed for a perfect, relaxing, anniversary weekend.
We stayed at the fairly new Tavern Hotel, which was a gorgeous, intimate boutique hotel on an awesome Sip & Stay wine tasting package. It was an incredible deal, and we could not have been more pleased.
We've discovered that Cottonwood is a great launching point for Sedona, Jerome, etc. because those places tend to be more expensive/touristy. It's great to spend the day in one of those areas and then come back in the evening. So after a delicious breakfast across the street from the hotel at the Red Rooster Cafe, we took the short 20 minute drive up to one of our favorite little ghost towns, Jerome, which is quite literally built right into the side of the mountain.
We wandered the winding, crooked sidewalks in and out of quirky little shops. We bought a few unique souveniers, including an antique Christmas ornament. It's becoming a tradition to get an ornament on every trip we go on to help make our Christmas tree a yearly memory of our travels.
Then we headed back down toward Cottonwood.
Our hotel package included tastings at 3 wine rooms in Old Town, so we spent the afternoon tasting wines at The Wine Cellar, and Pillsbury Tasting Room. Our favorite was Burning Tree Cellars, where every wine we tasted was amazing, and the lovely Katie recommended we come back for a glass of The Poet 100% Pinot Noir after dinner at Nic's.
We followed that suggestion, and another to head to RIOT (Rendezvous In Old Town), a bar down the street afterwards. It was a wine/craft beer spot that had the feel of a beach bar with the friendliness of a local favorite. This friend was playing live music, and we were having so much fun we had to buy his CD. We also discovered this beer, heavenly! After wine tasting all afternoon and a few of those tasty brews, we giggled the entire walk back to our hotel like we were in college again.
Breakfast the next morning at Crema Cafe was to die for. I could have sat in that courtyard all day, but alas, it was time to head back down the mountain.
Sometimes everything in the Phoenix valley seems so new and canned. I love exploring the remains of the Wild Wild West in places like Jerome and Cottonwood. I love the raw textures and history of the old mining towns and am intrigued by these beautiful buildings that hold over a century worth of stories.
I would highly recommend Cottonwood for a weekend away. In fact, I just highly recommend weekends away in general. They help you reconnect to yourself and each other, in a place free from the distractions of work and home. It reminds you of why you promised your spouse all your future days when you spend a perfect one exploring a new place together.
