In case you’re wondering if there are any strawberry fields in Strawberry, Arizona – the answer is no. Well, I take that back. I’m sure there are probably some strawberry fields, but Tyler and I did not see any during our trip.
We spent this past weekend up north near Payson at The Strawberry Inn. I first heard about The Strawberry Inn through Diana Elizabeth’s Instagram and quickly became obsessed with the place.
Since my birthday is coming up, I figured it would be a nice relaxing trip before all the birthday events start happening! I’ll be hosting a small game night with friends, going to dinner with Tyler, and also going to dinner with my family. I’m hoping to take a weekend trip to California sometime in October. Basically, I’ll be celebrating my birthday all month long!
Strawberry, Arizona
Strawberry, Arizona is located in northern Arizona. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona. On Saturday morning, Tyler’s tee time was at 10:30 am – he’s a golfer if you’re confused what a tee-time is! I met Tyler in Carefree at his parents’ house after his round so we can head up north.
We took Tyler’s dad’s car since both of our cars are leases and we’re trying not to rack up any unnecessary miles. I think after my car lease is up, I’ll be buying a car instead of leasing. It’s so annoying that I’m constantly stressing about going over my allotted miles, haha.
Anyway, when we got into Strawberry, we realize that there were no grocery stores or non-restaurant food near us. We wanted something quick and easy, so after unloading all of our stuff into the cottage, we drove back down to Payson to grab some food.
* Note: we didn’t know this, but there’s actually a grocery store in Pine! It’s called the Ponderosa Market.
On our way back to Strawberry from Payson, there was a car accident. It was so scary – I won’t go into many details about it but we showed up about 20 seconds after the accident had happened. We were the first ones there and one of the cars involved was flipped over and on fire. It was really scary and it happened so fast. Some things I learned from that night:
- Always wear a seatbelt
- Drinking & driving is very scary – please don’t do it
- Cars don’t explode unless there are explosives in the trunk
- Learn more about your state’s Good Samaritan laws!
On a lighter note, after 1.5 hours, everyone was safe and we were able to continue our drive to Strawberry.
The Strawberry Inn
Disclaimer: The Strawberry Inn did not pay nor ask me to write this blog post – I’m writing it because I just want to share what I did in Strawberry!
Going to The Strawberry Inn was a bit confusing because if you booked one of the cottages, they give you a specific address to drive to. When Tyler and I were driving, we saw the actual hotel on the way and Tyler thought I gave him the wrong address! Haha, the cottage and the hotel were probably less than half a mile apart from each other.
#10 Cottage Studio
We stayed in #10 Cottage Studio, which is probably around 350 square feet I would say! It’s a studio-style open floor plan with a queen bed, dining table, TV, and a kitchen area with a coffee machine, microwave, mini-fridge, and sink. There’s also a corner room with 2 bunk beds. The bathroom is pretty nice too – there are bright white lights so you won’t be applying makeup in the dark!
The cottage was so cute – I love how there’s a white noise machine (you can play other noises besides white noise, such as rain, forest, etc). There’s a USB to charge at the outlets and two reading lamps. We love how every single area was thought out. It’s a pretty tight space but they utilize every inch of it.
The Strawberry Inn allows for dogs, so if you want to bring your furry friend with you, you can!
We definitely want to come back again. I want my family and Tyler’s family to come too! Maybe not all at once because that would be too many of us, haha. One family at a time.
The cottages were very quiet and peaceful. The next morning, we spent some time at the hotel itself. There’s a windmill that’s actually a coffee shop – I love the idea! There’s also huge Jenga and cornhole. Tyler was throwing cornhole the whole morning and I, on the other hand, was looking through their little strawberry library!
Windmill Coffee
Funny story – Tyler ordered hot chocolate and I ordered an iced mocha from Windmill Coffee. When our drinks were done, I brought them over to the table. Tyler asked me, “Which one is my hot chocolate?” I looked at him and started laughing, “Only one of them is hot, Tyler…” Haha, I’m still laughing right now as I’m typing this. It was too funny not to share.
Unfortunately for Tyler, I’ll never let this moment go! Watch me bring it up on my game night with friends.
Overall, the quiet weekend at The Strawberry Inn was so peaceful.
I wish I brought hiking stuff so we can go visit Fossil Creek. Oh well, maybe next time!
Diana Elizabeth says
I’m laughing at the which one is my hot chocolate ???????????? love it! Your trip look like so much fun and I’m so glad you made it up there. Your photos are so cute too – such a good guide for anyone who wants to visit Strawberry!!