On top of Mount Lemmon and 20-30 degrees cooler than Tucson, Summerhaven has been living up to its name recently.
The small community has been a go-to destination for Tucsonans and tourists alike, especially during the weeks-long heat wave that has flirted with or broken heat records in Arizona.
Were getting a new air conditioner installed so obviously the old air conditioner had to be turned off, said Jan Slaby, taking advantage of natures air conditioning with her family. They recently moved to Tucson and were visiting Mt. Lemmon for the first time.
And what a difference this is compared to Tucson, only one hour away.
Longtime mountain resident Leanne Mack says this summer has been even busier than the typical flood of visitors.
This summers been extremely busy, especially the last couple of weeks, as Tucsons been hitting record highs, she told KGUN on Monday. The restaurants are just packed. The streets are packed.
Im gonna say the last two or three weeks is probably close to almost double the amount of traffic we would usually see.
Its not just Tucsonans making the trip; visitors from Phoenix and out of state are discovering Summerhaven.
We see a lot of Phoenix visitors come this way. Instead of going north, they come down this way, said Mack. I think its just a little shorter drive. Or a lot of people are just actually learning about Mt. Lemmon. Like, What? Theres mountains down there?
More people driving to Summerhaven, and
staying
there.
I have an Airbnb cleaning business, Mack explained. So thats my main business and I have seen the cabins book a lot more Theyre just finding time to come up. Not just weekends anymore.
Thats all led to new businesses popping up in the past year: the Mt. Lemmon Coffee Bean, a shop called Ugos offering gifts and home decor, and a soon-to-open Mount Lemmon Lodge with overnight accommodations and a Beyond Bread.
Theres also been a boost for the longtime favorites, like the Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin.
Longtime resident Jeanne Hartmann, who works at Cookie Cabin, says weekends are extremely busy, but that the crew is able to handle the crowds.
I just love it, she said. Its kind of my mission to love every person that comes through that door. And I think that shows.
Nowadays theres a lot more people coming in that door, with the mountain one of the few comfortable outdoor options.
It has a peaceful effect on people, she said. Theyre chilled, not just spiritually, but theyre chilled because its about 20 degrees cooler [than Tucson].