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

   

Rock City Gardens (Lookout Mountain, Georgia)

What started out as Frieda Carter desire to create a garden with winding trails through giant rock formations in the early 1930’s, has become a popular tourist attraction in Georgia.

Rock City is a unique place on Lookout Mountain that attracts more than half a million people each year.

A 4,100-foot walking trail leads through rock formations, caves, and gardens, ending at the edge of a cliff know as Lovers Leap.

The name “Lovers Leap” comes from a Cherokee legend about feuding tribes and two lovers going over the cliff. One was thrown and the other jumped, both ending in death. What a tragic story for such a beautiful site!

The claim of “see seven states” from Lover’s Leap comes from diary entries of a Union office and a Confederate nurse during the Civil War, both talking about being able to see seven states from the summit. Flags of all seven states stand in representation of the documentations. The states are Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.  

 Location:

1400 Patten Road

 Lookout Mountain, GA

Admission:

$19.95 Adults

$11.95 Children (ages 3-12)

Hours:

Vary by season. Check here.

Happy Travels! 

Exploring the Best of North Carolina's Outer Banks: Nags Head & Duck

The Outer Banks are barrier islands off the coast of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Nags Head is one of the most popular place for tourist. I was surprised to find so many fun things to do in such a small area. Some of the small business were closed for the season, but the trade off was that it was not crowded.It is also very windy and cool this time of year. I am planing a trip back in the summer months to enjoy everything. 

Here are six great place to visit on your trip to the Outer Banks:

1. The  Beaches

With more than eleven miles of beautiful sandy shorelines, the beaches are everyone's favorite place to be in Nags Head.

Public Beach Location access:

 E Hargrove St

 Nags Head, NC 27959

2. Jennette's Pier

Built in 1939, Jennette's Pier is one of the oldest structures left on the Outer Banks. It has encountered a lot of damage from nature over the years, but is newly remodeled and a very popular spot. Fishing is great from the concrete pier that extends 1000 feet out into the ocean.

Hours are:

The hours change based on season. Check here.

Fees:

Daily Fishing:  Adult $12   Child $6

Walk-on:  Adults $2   Child $1

Location:

7223 S Virginia Dare Trail

 Nags Head, NC 27959

3. Bodie Island Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse stands 125 foot tall and is located at the northern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Address: 

8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Road

Nags Head, North Carolina 27959

4. Duck Boardwalk & Park

The Duck Boardwalk runs for about a mile along the Currituck Sound. Along the boardwalk are quaint boutiques, a candy store, bakery, and a park area. Duck is located about 15 miles north of Nags Head.

The Duck Town Park is a beautiful landscaped park that includes a walking trail, picnic area, playground, water fountain, kayak launch, and an amphitheater.

5. Dirty Dick's Crab House

Dirty Dicks is a “must eat at” place in Nags Head.  Their food is amazing! I normally don’t care for seafood, but I thought the snow crab was delicious! It is definitely a fun place to eat!

Location:

2407 S. Croatan Hwy

 Nags Head, NC 27959

6. Jockey's Ridge State Park

Jockey's Ridge is a unique park containing the tallest active sand dune system in the eastern United States. It’s a popular place for flying kites, hang gliding, or just climbing atop a dune for a spectacular view of the ocean and bay. 

We loved Nags Head and I know you will too!

Happy Travels! 

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

I am always excited for fall, when pumpkin everything comes out. One of my favorite things this year is the Little Debbie Pumpkin Spice Rolls. I think that I could seriously eat the whole box in a day! The only thing that I have found that I don’t like is pumpkin spice creamer. I just could not do the pumpkin coffee thing!

These cupcakes are the perfect fall treat! The pumpkin butter cream frosting is simply amazing! And the not too sweet gingerbread is a perfect match.

How adorable are these Wilton decorations, cupcake holders, and spatula ! They were perfect for making these cupcakes.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1/2 cup Molasses

1 cup boiling water

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon. 

Mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Then add to flour mixture.

Add the boiling water and stir.

Pour into liners and bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes. Do not over bake.

Pumpkin Butter Cream

¼ cup butter, softened

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp Vanilla

3 ½ - 4 cups confectioners sugar

Mix the butter, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the confectioners sugar one cup at a time, mixing after each. Use the amount of confectioners sugar that you need to get desired consistency.