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<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Torreon Golf Course<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Twenty years ago, my husband and I ventured up to Show Low, Arizona<\/strong>, to play golf at the Torreon golf club.\u00a0 We made the three-hour trip up and back in the same day.\u00a0 I think we were younger then.\u00a0 Since that trip, our summer vacations have entailed long car rides with overnight stays in roadside hotels.\u00a0 The allure of those trips has faded, right along with my arthritic back, so this year we decided to plan for at least one of our summer trips to be closer to home<\/strong>. We were enticed by the idea of finding a summer getaway that was quick and easy. We remembered Torreon and, as luck would have it, I was able to secure a cute house for rent on Airbnb that was right in the heart of the community.\u00a0 Only after I had rented it did I learn that Torreon had been bought out by the membership<\/strong> and outside play was no longer allowed.\u00a0 I asked the pro at our club if he could wrangle a reciprocal tee time for us, but after he stopped laughing, he reminded me that summer is their “high season”.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Our Little House in the Pines<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Undaunted by the prospect of not being able to play bad golf<\/strong>, we decided instead we would use this trip to explore the area.\u00a0 We were hopeful that if we liked it, Show Low might become our “go to” vacation spot.\u00a0 Easy drive, no overnight stays, and a twenty degree drop in temperature<\/strong> from Scottsdale.\u00a0 So off we went, Dash the Wonder Dog in tow, for a week of rest, relaxation and exploration.\u00a0 The house was as advertised – clean, cute and nestled in the pines.\u00a0 What they had not made clear was that they had no cable or satellite television<\/strong> hook-up.\u00a0 So, no live tv, including news or, more critically, sports.\u00a0 We could log into apps to get clips of events, which was better than nothing, but not ideal.\u00a0 You may be wondering why no live television was such a big deal, when the purpose of our trip was to explore the area. Well, there were two good reasons.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Downtown Tahoe city<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n First, the town of Show Low was a bit of a disappointment.\u00a0 I grew up spending summer weekends in Tahoe City<\/strong>, where we strolled the main street, enjoying the cute shops and restaurants.\u00a0 As an adult, my husband and I have spent time almost every summer in Mammoth Lakes and Sun Valley.\u00a0 Again, quaint mountain towns with charm that provide an escape from big city living.\u00a0 Show Low, on the other hand, was like visiting a suburb of Phoenix<\/strong>.\u00a0 Every big box store imaginable is there – Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, CVS – as well as a plethora of car dealerships. The main street in town is Highway 60, so there were no nice sidewalks to amble down.\u00a0 Instead, it was a series of strip centers<\/strong> followed by one of those ubiquitous “big” stores.\u00a0 The number one rated restaurant in town is Cattlemen’s, which is fine if you’re into eating half a cow “with all the fixin’s”.\u00a0 My husband also observed that some of the people we saw could possibly be distilling their own liquor.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Pinetop<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Absent any charm in Show Low, we ventured 20 minutes down the road to Pinetop-Lakeside<\/strong>.\u00a0 Both my niece and a good friend had recommended the town, and they were right.\u00a0 It had much more charm that Show Low, some good hiking trails and a semi-private golf course that looked beautifully kept.\u00a0 However, even Pinetop has suffered the effects of the economic downturn – there were many closed stores and restaurants in town.\u00a0 We would have spent more time checking out some of the lakes and trails except for the second factor that interfered with our vacation: the weather.\u00a0 The temperatures hovered near 90 degrees<\/strong>; a full 10 degrees hotter than normal for July.\u00a0 At an altitude of over 6300′, the sun felt like it was four feet away.\u00a0 Hiking mid-day was out of the question.\u00a0 More importantly, the combination of altitude and heat proved to be too much for Dash.\u00a0 He paced and panted, without relief.\u00a0 We spent as much time as possible indoors (thus the need for some television entertainment) but finally, when the temperature was forecasted to reach 95 degrees, we gave up the ghost<\/strong> on Wednesday and went home.<\/p>\n The old adage is true, there is no place like home.\u00a0 Dash was instantly better<\/strong> when he was returned to his air-conditioned surroundings and his cooling mat with a fan blowing on him.\u00a0 My husband had the golf and hockey channels<\/strong> to watch, and I resumed cleaning out closets and watching Brit Box dramas.\u00a0 Fortunately, the weather at home has been below normal, so we can even venture out for walks every morning and could sit outside in the evenings. It was good to get away for a few days, but sadly, our quest to find a nearby summer escape<\/strong> continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson Twenty years ago, my husband and I ventured up to Show Low, Arizona, to play golf at the Torreon golf club.\u00a0 We made the three-hour trip up and back in the same day.\u00a0 I think we … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/show-low-house-300x222.webp\")
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