Payson, Arizona

Make the trip To Payson, Arizona. It's Worth the Drive!

When going to Payson Arizona from the Scottsdale area, you start to wonder if you are in fact, still in Arizona.

Traveling up the Bee Line Highway, 89, starts off as the usual landscape of shrubbery and majestic saguaros, dotting the foothills along the highway. The Four Peaks and other the amazing mountains of the Tonto National Forest to the east can make it easy to take your eyes of the road - but don't! Highway 89 is two lanes in each direction and is all curves, in all directions.

At a certain point the saguaros stop, as if there has been a line drawn and that's as far as they can possibly go. Maybe it's because Johnny Cactus Seed ran out of seeds at that point, or maybe it has something to do with the altitude. Either way, it is an obvious change in the scenery.

At the south end of Payson, the pine trees start. What? Pine trees in Arizona - the land of endless desert? Yes, really, they are there, and they are as beautiful as ever. The first signs of the city are a Sonic Burger and the Mazatzal Casino and Hotel.

Continue into the city and you quickly see that you are in a small mountain town with one main street and one big intersection where the Bee Line Highway (89) meets up with the Payson Heber Highway (260) taking you East to Star Valley, or North to Pine.

Along the way you notice small family owned restaurants and antique shops mixed in with a few of the larger franchise chains, and of course, a Wal Mart located at the north end of town.

Because there are only a few hotels, they can be on the pricey side. We stayed at the Days Inn at a rate of $114.00 a night, plus taxes of course. Since we were there with a group, we had received a small group discount. I believe there is also a discount for Auto Club Members.

The lobby is clean and comfortable. Checking in was a pleasure, the desk clerk was friendly and very helpful in suggesting a place for dinner. Our rooms were clean and large enough for all our stuff, the bathrooms had large counter tops for all our girl stuff, and everything was well lit and ventilated. There was also an indoor pool and spa, we just didn't have the time to check it out.

The Days Inn also serves a small breakfast in the lobby, which comes in handy when you've got places to go first thing in the morning and you're not sure of where to get a bite to eat when you're in a hurry.

But, back to dinner. Like I said, the desk clerk had recommended a Mexican food place just across the street, El Rancho. They were able to accommodate our group of 10 no problem and were more than patient with our group of girls, who were all a little giddy, possibly from the elevation change.

The food was good and moderately priced. I had Chili Rellenos, and their rice and beans were just as they should be - fresh and flavorful without being loaded down with lard. They even have an American menu if you are in the mood for a hamburger and fries. For the 8 of us, including 4 alcoholic drinks of beer and margaritas, our entire bill came to just under $100.

The next morning we decided to try another local place, and had breakfast at the Beeline Café just south of the Hotel on the Beeline Highway. It was small, but again had no problem accommodating our group. The food was homemade and just what we all needed to fill us up and get us going for the day.

And just what were we doing in Payson? We were at a Softball Tournament, which was played at Rumsey Fields just north west of the Beeline and Longhorn. It was a nice facility and our families had a great time.

After we were done for the day, we all went over to the Main Street Grill, which was on Main Street, just west of the Beeline. A converted house that has a haunted history, and is registered with Arizona Paranormal Investigations, the dining area was large and spacious. Again, there was no problem accommodating our large group and they even allowed us all to have separate checks.

They did however run out of a few menu items, but considering we had arrived at the end of the evening and there were a lot of us, that was understandable. I had a great steak, cooked just how I like it, salad, bread and vegetables, and along with my daughters meal of pasta and drinks, our bill with tip was under $50.

The next morning before hitting the softball field again, we had breakfast at the Small Café, again just down the road from the hotel. Located back in the corner of a small strip mall, it is what it says it is. Small. But that is where the similarities end.

The waitress was very friendly, asking where we were from and making great menu suggestions. I had the Eggs Benedict with home fried potatoes that was the right amount and the right price to boot. Two breakfasts with coffee and a hot chocolate cost me less than $30.

Over all, I just loved Payson and can't wait to go back. Especially when during the summer when the temperatures down here in the valley are over 100 and in Payson they're barely hitting 80!