Quailway cottage is a great place to stay in the Portal/Rodeo/Cave Creek Canyon area. It is clean, comfortable and has everything you need to enjoy a short or long stay including a nice sized bathroom, washer/dryer and full kitchen with microwave. We spent two nights at the cottage recently, but unfortunately our staying coincided with the storm of the year. We had high winds, rain and it snowed in Portal and the canyon. The weather forced us to spend a lot of our time at the cottage itself instead of exploring the area. However, this didn't turn out to be so bad. Kristine and Larry have set up a desert garden behind the cottage that attracts all sorts of wildlife. We had dozens of birds at the feeders constantly even in the rain. The gambel's quail and woodpeckers were our favorites. But, the garden also attracts jackrabbits, cotton tail rabbits, Javelina (peccaries), coyotes, and apparently a bobcat. We saw coyotes a lot but missed seeing the javelinas and bobcat despite all our efforts (and all the rabbits that we thought would attract the bobcat).

The weather did clear enough to spend one afternoon in cave creek canyon and it is spectacular. There are lots of hiking opportunities in the canyon and of course wildlife to spot if you are quiet. We didn't get very far on the south fork trail because it was washed out by a flowing waterfall and stream caused by the recent rains, but we got a good enough taste of the area to know that we need to come back. If you are in to wildlife, stop by the Cave Creek Ranch which is just outside the canyon. They have set up feeders that attract lots of birds and while we were there; coati. We had a great time watching the family of coati pillage the feeders and just have a good old time. It was well worth the $5 visitor fee that the ranch asks for. I can't imagine how much food the ranch goes through on a daily basis since every feeder that didn't have a coati on it had other birds. There was even a nice blue-throated hummingbird hanging around for the winter. But, alas we weren't able to find the Elegant Trogon that sometimes hangs out in the canyon area.

All of the attached photos were taken from the patio of the cottage so you can see a sample of the birds and mammals that frequent the area. In the summer time, add lizards and snakes to that list I am sure.

There are other places to stay in the area but when we go back, we won't hesitate to stay at the Quailway Cottage. It is quiet, peaceful and the perfect getaway for nature lovers and wildlife watchers.

This cottage is such a jewel of an oasis. Not only is it clean and roomy, but the atmosphere is wonderful. The birds there are a must see, not to mention hearing the coyotes early in the morning. The owners are very pleasant. We would certainly return again.

If listening to coyotes howl at night, star gazing, bird watching or just enjoying some quiet down time are on your to do list check out the Quailway Cottage. This three room cottage has a full kitchen with stove top, fridge, wood stove and day bed, bathroom, laundry room and a bedroom with two comfortable beds. As an alternative for birders who might choose the Portal Peak Lodge the Cottage has the advantage of a full bird feeding station (complete with Gambel's quail, roadrunners, and a whole host of other species) viewable from a shaded patio. The Cottage keeps an updated "yard list" of birds and animals seen on the property.

The rooms were fairly spacious and the building was cool in the middle of the day without AC on (although AC is available). We liked having a fridge and cooking facilities available and in the evening had the choice of watching a DVD from the Cottage's library or satellite TV when we were tired of stargazing. Everything was kept very clean.

The Quailway Cottage offers excellent value for birders wanting to explore nearby Portal and Cave Creek Canyon. It is more comfortable and has more character than the Portal Peak Lodge and offers more amenities. We paid $100 + tax for 3 people for one night and liked it so much that we stayed an extra night.

Travel tips:
1. Make sure to buy food and gas in either Douglas, Lordsburg or Wilcox since Rodeo does not offer much in the way of groceries (there is a natural food store to the north of Rodeo that we saw on the way out of town that might be good).
2. Try the Rodeo Tavern in Rodeo for pizza on Thursday nights - you will probably have to wait for your pizza if you don't pre-order. There's also a restaurant at the Portal Peak Lodge.