As a pilot who flies several times each winter from London to sultry and sun-drenched Phoenix, it’s clear to me why the state of Arizona is such a popular destination for Americans and Europeans fleeing the grey skies and icy pavements of less agreeable climates.
But what if your idea of winter escapism isn’t a lounger by sparkling pool, but a Robert Frost poem by a crackling fire? What if, when December rolls around, you — like me — find yourself dreaming not of palm trees, but of frigid, moonlit trails through snow-hushed forests?
If you’re more pleased by drinks bearing marshmallows than those crowned with little umbrellas then here’s something that not many Americans (and even fewer Europeans) know about Arizona: the sparsely populated northern tier of this famously toasty state is home to one of the snowiest regions in the US.