Travel to Carefree
Posted in Food, Hotels, Restaurant, Romantic Locations, Scenery, Southwest | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Desert, Food, Hotels, Romantic Travel, Scenery, Southwest, Travel
Ah, if only everyone could be Carefree – or travel there. It’s a town in Arizona north of Phoenix, by the way, but it is also a state of mind.
On a recent stay at the Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, the experience lived up to the name.
Carefree Resort & Villas entrance
Arriving to a warm welcome in Carefree – it just happened to be the day they were celebrating the 25th anniversary of the town – we joined a festive throng.
The desk clerk at The Carefree Resort & Villas was efficient and friendly. Asking for information, they linked us up with one of their upbeat concierges who answered our questions.
Carefree Resort room
Dropping our suitcase in the very spacious room, we looked at the impressive view. The patio overlooked both the pool and the desert. We requested and received the second floor room that we had reserved with foam, not feather, pillows. So, it is possible to have attentive service that allows for individual needs (we are allergic to feathers).
When we called ahead, we mentioned that we were looking for hikes and, once we were already in the room, their concierge, Diane, called our room to let us know she had assembled material for us on hiking.
After a relaxing swim in the pool, we prepared for dinner at the resort’s Lariat Grill.
Pool - just the deep end
Lariat Grill Restaurant
The Lariat Grill, the most upscale of the Carefree Resort restaurants, has waiters who care about proper service. The “Pre fix” dinners they were offering seemed to be a big deal – they were promoting them since the menu was offered twice. We wanted something more impressive, so opted for their regular menu.
My choice was the cedar-planked salmon, which came with a mild, but sweet nopal glaze, not too overpowering, but it did enhance the flavor. Prime rib was the other entrée we chose. The Lariat seemed to have a fixation on creamed spinach, since it was a vegetable choice on several dinners. The spinach did, indeed, include cream, but unlike any creamed spinach I’ve ever had, the spinach leaves were whole and the effect was somewhat soupy. It did taste good.
Both entrees came with potato, mine a flavorful mashed potato, incorporating poblano peppers, the other a baked potato.
We had let slip that we were celebrating our anniversary and the waiter announced very graciously that they were comping our desserts.
Our two dinners, including wine, would have come to $90-plus dollars with tax and tip without the comped desserts. That’s actually reasonable for hotel restaurant fare for that level of quality and service.
Thumbs up to Carefree Resort – everything worked in the room (not always a given – even in upscale properties), the staff was gracious and professional, and the facility had attractive landscaping.
Come back tomorrow…
Our stay in Carefree would not be complete without recounting a visit to the town center – down the road from the Carefree Resort – and our visit to the English Rose Tea Room. Later in the week, we also take in a classic car show, a hike, and a visit to the (in)famous Harold’s nearby in Cave Creek.
http://www.carefree-resort.com/
Tags: Desert, Food, Hotels, Romantic Travel, Scenery, Southwest, Travel