The beginning of our time in Pinetop, AZ could not have been more perfect! The sweetest Air BnB, with two large bedrooms, queen beds, and patio access awaited us. Jordan and I surprised my Mother in Law, who had traveled in town to watch our girls while we attended and shot a gorgeous wedding at Greenhouse on Woodland – read about it here – with coming with us. Three adults, two babies, and two dogs later, my Jeep Grand Cherokee was packed to capacity, but we were off!

One stop at Five Guys in Payson, AZ gave us enough fuel to make it up to Pinetop that evening, though we got in late. The next morning, we awed at the natural forest surrounding the home. In particular, the cool mountain air blowing through the windows with a cup of coffee in my hands made for an amazing Saturday morning. Before shooting any wedding, I try my best to unwind with family time, paying close attention to my girls. Its always hard for my mama heart to leave my littles, but capturing the start of a marriage is worth it!

If you do head up soon, be sure to check out the local coffee shop, The Pinetop Coffee House & Roasting Company. The vanilla lattes are made with real vanilla extract and taste good hot or iced! The other small town shop we tried was Los Corrales, a small Mexican restaurant. Jordan was sweet enough to think of ordering me extra food for a late night culling images following the wedding. I always look forward to a glass of wine with the hubs after a wedding but Mexican food was icing on the cake! About the only thing to add to this Mexican meal is salsa. The portions are large and the variety is great.

Saturday morning we also took a family walk with the dogs, the girls, my Mother in Law, and the surroundings were quiet and peaceful. The walk would have been perfect minus our two-year-old falling face first on the asphalt and getting a nice quarter-sized road rash scrape on her knee, yikes.

If cooler weather, mountain air, relaxed weekend mornings, and escaping a busy city are your things, be sure to add Pinetop to your list of travels soon!