The Tavern Hotel

Make this boutique charmer in Old Town Cottonwood your basecamp for exploring the exploding Verde Valley arts-and-culture scene.

Cottonwood serial entrepreneurs Eric and Michelle Jurisin gave their prized property a revamp in early 2018, expanding the hotel to 41 “retro rustic” rooms with tile and wooden floors. A warm front lobby with Edison lightbulbs, vertical “hanging gardens” and a cool upstairs lounge with goldenrod Adirondack chairs encourage guests to linger. Upon arrival, they’ll also enjoy a complimentary cocktail next door at The Tavern Grille and a continental breakfast with house-made pastries and gelato at Crema Craft Kitchen + Bar. thetavernhotel.com

Swimming Hole Spotlight: Parsons Spring

Cloistered, quiet and winding 20 miles, Sycamore Canyon shelters a lush, shaggy jungle whose greenery is given life by Sycamore Creek. It’s this slender waterway that also feeds the mirror-like swimming holes that appear on the 4-mile Parsons Trail No. 144 to the pièce de résistance: Parsons Spring, a secluded, lake-like pool. After a 200-foot scramble down the canyon wall, the trail offers mostly level footing, although tree debris from recent fires make for rough terrain in spots. fs.usda.gov/r03/coconino/recreation/trails/parsons-trail-no-144 

Fee: None

If You Go: Near Clarkdale.  Head north on I-17, take exit 287 for SR 260, then go west for 14 miles to Cottonwood. Drive through town, following signs for Tuzigoot National Monument. Turn right on the signed route to Tuzigoot. Take the first left on FR 131. Follow this for 11 miles to the trailhead. 

High-clearance vehicle recommended.

3 VV Must-Visits

Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria

Strikingly encircled by rows of terraced grapevines, this hilltop winery/restaurant/tasting room/greenhouse (there’s also a gelato stand!) from winemaker Maynard James Keenan has arguably turned Old Town Cottonwood into the premier wining and dining destination in Arizona. Don’t miss the Le Verdure vegetable platter – a dirt-treat revelation that even carnivores will love. merkintrattoria.com

Woodchute Trail No. 102

Before exploring the hillside artist colony of Jerome, with its sundry wineries, galleries and shops, view it from above with the help of the area’s premier trail – a 7.2-mile round-trip hike that culminates at the Jerome Overlook. From the State Route 89/89A junction in Chino Valley, follow 89A for 18.8 miles to the Mingus Summit, turn left onto Forest Road 106 and continue 1 mile to the trailhead at the Forest Road 106D junction. fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott

Tuzigoot National Monument

Between Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarkdale and Cornville, there are more than 25 wineries and tasting rooms. Somewhere between all that sipping, find time for this stunning 800-year-old Tonto Apache pueblo – arguably Arizona’s premier archeological treasure. nps.gov/tuzi