Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch ( Review) Tucson, Arizona

I was looking for a place to stay in Tucson, Arizona when I came across the Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch. The front entry had me hooked immediately! I read on about the accommodations and amenities, which all sounded good, so I made reservations. 

I have been disappointed many times when I was expecting a place to be how it was presented and it wasn't. But let me tell you, this place exceeded my expectations! It is amazing!

The Hacienda Del Sol is one of Tucson's oldest and most prestigious guest ranch resorts with a very interesting history. Read about the resort's history here.

The resort offers lodging in an older section or in the new area. We chose the newer area.

The adobe buildings and grounds are beautiful!

We stayed in #52, which is at the top of these stairs.

Besides being incredibly beautiful, our room had everything we could possibly need. We even had soft robes to put on after getting out of the shower!

Brightly colored tile work is throughout the grounds and buildings.

There are walkways, gardens, and courtyards connecting the old and new sections.

The door to our room

One of two pools on the property. This one is an infinity with a hot tub connected located in the new section. We had this one to ourselves the whole time we were there.

The second pool is located on the side of a hill in the older section. The view is breath taking from the pool and hot tub both. Both pool areas are great places to watch the sun set.

The perfect place to watch the sun set on a chilly day.

I noticed a rainbow as we were loading the car to leave. The perfect ending to a perfect stay! I hope you enjoyed the tour around the Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch.

Happy Travels! ~ Sherri

   

Tallulah Gorge State Park (Tallulah Falls, Georgia)

Tallulah Gorge State Park is a beautiful place with amazing views of the gorge, waterfalls, and beautiful scenery.

Tallulah Gorge is one of the largest canyons in the eastern part of the United States.

 A fairly easy hike to the rim allows spectacular views of the gorge’s waterfalls. The gorge is around 1000 feet deep and runs for 2 miles.

If you are up for the hike, there is a suspension bridge that is 80 feet above the canyon floor. We did not make it to the bridge, but you can view it from the rim.

Location:

338 Jane Hurt Yarn Drive

Tallulah Falls, GA 30573

Happy Travels! 

Lake Lure (Blue Ridge Mountains) North Carolina

Lake Lure is a small area located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.

We stumbled upon Lake Lure by accident. We were headed to Chimney Rock and decide not to go when we got the entrance. Three tour buses were pulling in ahead of us! It was early morning and we had about an 8 hour drive ahead of us that day. 

We looked around Chimney Rock Village. Everything was closed because of it being so early, but it was very charming. The town became popular in the 20’s and 30’s which is when most of the buildings were constructed.

We walked over bridges and explored along the river running behind the shops on Main Street.

A little ways down the road is where is found Lake Lure.

The area was so pretty, especially the lake in the early morning light!

The lake is located in the Hickory Nut Gorge and is surrounded by granite cliffs and tree covered mountains.

I didn't find out until later that the Lake Lure area has been the filming location for many movie scenes. Some of the movies include:  Dirty Dancing, Forrest Gump, The Last of the Mohicans, A Breed Apart, Thunder Road, and Firestarter. They even have a Dirty Dancing Festival there! How cool is that!

The large sandy beach at the swimming area would be a perfect spot for relaxing in the sun on a summer day. This is a place that I would love to return to when the weather is warmer!


Happy Travels! 

Bald Rock (South Carolina)

Bald Rock is a heritage preserve in Cleveland, South Carolina

It is located on the left going up the mountain towards Caesars Head State Park. It is a large area of exposed granite with views of the valley below.

The Rock face has accumulated great amounts of graffiti over the years, which takes away some of the natural beauty of the area.

Bald Rock is a nice place to visit if you are in the area.

Caesars Head State Park - South Carolina

Caesars Head State Park is located in Cleveland, South Carolina. The Park gets its name from a rock outcropping on top of the Blue Ridge cliff.

We visited this park towards the end of a long trip through the mountains of North Carolina. We were so glad to find a place with amazing views that didn’t require a 3 mile hike up steep terrain! :)

To get to the Caesars Head overlook does not require any hiking. It is only a few hundred feet from the parking area.

The overlook provides a great view of Table Rock Lake.

If you are up for a hike, the Raven Cliff Falls trail leads to 420-foot waterfall. A suspension bridge allows access to two overlooks to the falls. The trail is about 4 miles round trip. Maybe next time we will be up for the hike.

This park is a great place to visit, especially in the Fall. The views and fall foliage are beautiful! 

Happy Travels! 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range along the Tennessee–North Carolina border.

Fall is, by far, the most beautiful time to visit the Smoky Mountains. The weather is crisp and the colors are beautiful.

There are several scenic overlooks and each have a very different view.

We visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gattlinburg,Tennessee.

We had read a lot about Laurel Falls and decided we would hike it first. It was our favorite and is the most popular trail.

Laurel Falls and the trail got its name from the mountain laurel that blooms along the trail and near the falls every May.

The round trip distance is 2.6 miles and the hike is a fairly steep climb on a paved trail. It’s rated an easy to moderate hike, but it’s fairly difficult if you’re not used to climbing mountains. We had to stop and rest a couple of time on the way up, but it was an easy hike back down the mountain.

The reward for the hike is an amazing 80 foot waterfall at the top!

The Falls are separated to upper and lower sections by a bridge walkway.To get to the bottom, you have to maneuver big boulders. I did not think it was worth it at the time, but now wishing that I would have taken the adventure. ☺

We enjoyed the hike and the weather was perfect. The Smoky Mountains are a perfect place for a fall getaway.

Happy Travels!