As winter approaches, and bad weather beckons, many people mourn the passing of summer's sunny days. All too often, your sunny outlook departs with the darkening days, and it is easy to feel stressed by the daily rigours of life. And how many of us fantasise about escaping the rat race, escaping the screaming children, escaping all commitments and pressures.

The answer to your prayers is within reach. Arizona features some of the world's leading spa retreats, with the serene quality of the desert providing a welcome break from the chaos of the Western world, with guaranteed sunshine every day of the year.

Your Local Guardian: Travel: Escape the winter blues at Westward Look.

One such place is Westward Look resort, Tucson. Described as “the soul of the south-west”, this incredible retreat offers the perfect holiday.

I spent a few days there in late September and regretted that I couldn't spend months luxuriating in its top-rate facilities.

The resort is in the Sonora desert, with a dramatic backdrop of the Santa Catalina mountains. We were soon to learn that one of the most amazing qualities of the desert is its serenity. The silence is only broken by the faint rustle of leaves as a desert rabbit or tiny lizard breaks cover, the gentle tap-tap of a woodpecker on a saguaro cactus, a distant chorus of coyotes, or the hoot of an owl.

Your Local Guardian: Travel: Escape the winter blues at Westward Look

The landscape leading up to the Westward Look is dramatic. Its alien quality only adds to the feeling that you have truly escaped your every-day life. Rusty hues and beiges contrast against the deep green of the beckoning arms of saguaro cacti and the deep blue of the clear sky by day, with a warmth lighting up the night sky in some of the most dramatic sunsets you will ever see.

On arrival, the reception doors were opened by footmen and we were warmly greeted by the receptionist. Our luggage was whisked away and we were driven the short distance to our huge room, which featured a balcony overlooking an inviting swimming pool framed by palm trees.

Most rooms either overlook a pool or a jacuzzi that you can almost guarantee to have to yourself if you go out of season. Their busiest time is November and December, as East Coast Americans and Canadians flee the bad weather. Yet Arizona is fantastic in that you can go any time of the year and still be guaranteed fantastic weather.

Though Christmas has a special meaning at the Westward Look. Artist Haddon Sundblom created the stereotypical Santa image, of a jolly man with a white beard, while spending time at the Westward Look in the 1930s. The owner’s two daughters were the children used as models in some of Sundblom’s Coca Cola illustrations. The Westward Look has created a gallery of Sundblom’s art in the room he used while at the ranch.

Your Local Guardian: Travel: Escape the winter blues at Westward Look

However, the winter blues will be far from your mind during your stay. We enjoyed total bliss at the resort's Sonoran Spa, where highly trained therapists use treatments inspired by ancient desert remedies and healing traditions. All stress evaporated as I was treated to a totally relaxing massage that I never wanted to end.

In the afternoon, I decided to fulfil my ambition of horse-riding through the desert. As I have never been horse-riding before, my newly relaxed body quaked a bit in fear. However, I was soon reassured. Highly professional wrangler Valerie Saxon took me in hand, helping me mount a beautiful white horse called Hot Lips (named after the no-nonsense nurse in MASH for her caring qualities). Valerie then amiably led me through the dramatic landscape, chatting about girl things, telling amusing anecdotes, and breaking off to tell me about the flora and fauna. It was an amazing, unforgettable experience that I will cherish – and all for a mere $35 (just over £20).

I returned eager to hit the resort's bar and restaurant. The food, as you would expect is top-quality, and very reasonably priced, with the award-winning GOLD restaurant. During Happy Hour, I enjoyed a cocktail for $4 and a three-course meal for both my partner and myself for just $29 (£18). I recommend the tempura-style vegetables, followed by a succulent steak, and finished off with a Tucson speciality – nacho-shaped pastries smothered in dark and white chocolate with a milk chocolate mousse.

To burn off these calories you can enjoy a round of golf with one of the packages offered by the resort. Tucson is renowned for having some of the best golf courses in the US and people often stay at the resort just to take advantage of this.

Your Local Guardian: Travel: Escape the winter blues at Westward Look

However, we decided to explore the neighbouring area. Westward Look arranged a taxi for us to travel to the arresting Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the nearby Old Tucson Studios, a recreated frontier town made famous by stars such as John Wayne who filmed here. (See yourlocalguardian.co.uk/leisure/travel/8484738.Arizona___Tucson___A_trip_back_in_time to read more.)

When the time came for us to catch our plane, I sadly bid farewell from my balcony, taking one last look. An ancient Native American prayer asks that you always walk in beauty. As I listened to the chirruping crickets, with the early morning sun warming my face, my private wish was that I would return one day to the sanctuary and beauty of this magical place.

Westward Look Resort, Tucson, from $174 (£108) a night for two adults. Visit westwardlook.com for further information on golf and spa packages and to book.

Flights from Gatwick to Tucson from £400 in February.