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Don't Fence Me In
Under the deep-blue skies of the American
West, you’ll find a varied and unexpected Eden — and the distinct
impression that anything is still possible.
By Lorie A. Parch. Illustration by Jack Unruh.
The
historic American West calls to mind lonesome cowboys, sun-roughened
pioneers traversing inhospitable country, deadly poker games in seedy
saloons, gunfights at sundown across dusty streets. A difficult life,
to be sure. What could have drawn so many for years? “Number one is the
openness of the area, that there are actually spaces that are
unfettered with human population, where there is a little bit of
breathing room,” says Michael Duchemin, senior curator at the Autry
National Center, Museum of the American West, in Los Angeles. “The
second thing that’s associated with the West is opportunity. Because
there are wide open spaces and fewer people, there is opportunity
there, and that’s what historically directed migrant and immigrant
populations to move to those areas.” The argument could be made that
these very things continue to draw legions westward even today, and
that the unsurpassed scale and variety of nature’s beauty here elicits
the same emotions it always has: a sense of unlimited possibility and a
standing invitation to test your mettle against the elements. These six
states, each with more than its share of Mother Nature’s gifts, invite
you to sample the best of the old and new West — naturally.
Arizona's Fabulous Flora
OLD WEST
Arizona
may be best known for the gaping magnificence of the Grand Canyon and
for Monument Valley’s stately pillars, but its most unexpected
pleasures may well be the lovely flowers and plants dotting the desert
state. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum, about an hour east of Phoenix,
regularly tops locals’ lists for best day trip. Paul Wolterbeek,
volunteer program coordinator at the arboretum, says the best time to
catch the blooming desert wildflowers is from early March through
mid-April. “After that, ephemeral wildflowers give way to lush cactus
blossoms, with various Opuntia species — prickly pears, cholla
— continuing through May and into June with hedgehog, barrel, and
saguaro cacti,” says Wolterbeek. For autumn color, his secret trove of
fall flora can be found in Six Shooter and Ice House canyons in the
Pinal Mountains near Globe around Halloween. The intrepid will find
montane canyon wildflowers, including red mint and columbines,
Wolterbeek says, but “only if you’re motivated to hike up a wet canyon
such as Aravaipa or Fossil Creek. You’ll be rewarded with a babbling
creek, songbirds, and butterflies such as the pipevine swallowtail and
the state butterfly, the two-tailed swallowtail, on their own quest to
seek wildflowers.” Farther south, don’t miss a different kind of
forest: The Saguaro National Park, near Tucson, has 150 miles of hiking
trails in view of these anthropomorphous cacti, which can grow to 70
feet and whose large white flowers are fleeting, lasting less than 24
hours.
NEW WEST
The green, green grass of the state’s
approximately 360 golf courses has largely supplanted the idea in
visitors’ minds that Arizona is little more than dry, dusty desert.
With upwards of 300 sunny days in the Phoenix area annually, it’s no
wonder that golf has become a top attraction. The recently opened JW
Marriott Star Pass Resort & Spa, tucked a few miles west of Tucson
in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains, offers a 27-hole Arnold
Palmer Signature Golf Course that you might end up sharing with
coyotes, roadrunners, javelinas, and even bobcats. Because it sits in
the high desert, there’s more natural, lush green grass than you might
expect to find on a desert course. At the Phoenician resort, in
Scottsdale, the area’s vegetation is put to good use in the expertly
made and not-too-sweet Prickly Pear Margarita. And the Aji Spa at the
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, in Chandler, features a number of
plant-based treatments that pay homage to Native American healing
traditions, including the Pima-inspired Bahn Blue Coyote body wrap,
which finishes with hydrating cedar and sage oils, and the Aut facial,
which uses aloe, long favored by the Gila River Indians for its ability
to soothe and soften skin.
Natural Wonders | Arizona
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, (520) 689-2811, arboretum.ag.arizona.edu, $7.50 admission
Saguaro National Park, (520) 733-5158, www.nps.gov/sagu, $10 (per vehicle) entrance fee
JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa, Tucson, (520) 792-3500, www.starrpassmarriott.com, from $399
The Phoenician, Scottsdale, (800) 888-8234, www.thephoenician.com, from $169
Aji Spa at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa, Chandler, (602) 385-5759, www.wildhorsepassresort.com
Colorado’s Majestic Mountains
OLD WEST
As
home to some 415 square miles of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
is synonymous with breathtaking mountain ranges. And what could be more
Western than taking in the views of these granite monoliths from a dude
ranch? The Drowsy Water Ranch, outside of Granby (90 miles northwest of
Denver and 21 miles from the park), has more than 600 acres for
would-be cowboys and cowgirls to indulge in trail rides, hayrides,
trout fishing, square dancing, and daylong rafting trips on the
Colorado River through Gore Canyon. Owner Ken Fosha aims to give his
guests an authentically Western experience: “There’s been cattle
ranching here since the 1800s. This is the way that cowboys saw these
mountains when they were herding cattle around,” he says, noting that
trails to higher ridges offer 200-degree views of the Continental
Divide. School-age kids love the gymkhana rodeo: “It’s basically games
on horseback – barrel racing and pole bending, which is like a slalom
course,” says Fosha. “At the end of the week, kids show off to their
parents how much they’ve learned about riding.”
NEW WEST
If
WiFi is more your speed than bunk beds and campfire songs, there are
amenities galore (along with plenty of Western appeal) at Devil’s Thumb
Ranch, in Tabernash, which sits at the base of the Continental Divide
and is minutes away from downhill skiing at nearby Winter Park. If
dodging kamikaze snowboarders isn’t your idea of getting close to the
mountains, stay nearer to home (i.e., in your cozy log cabin) on this
4,000-acre ranch and take in the impressive Nordic trail system of 63
groomed, well-marked trails ready for cross-country skiing and
snowshoeing (or hiking in the summer, which includes bird-watching and
nature treks). Or, sign up for an all-day guided backcountry ski tour.
Horseback riding and a full spa are also available. For an eagle’s-eye
perspective of the Centennial State’s mountainous landmarks, take a
turn in a tandem paraglider (you fly with an expert pilot in a cross
between a hang glider and a parachute) with Vail Valley Paragliding;
you’ll take in views of the mountains, of course, as well as of the
Eagle River and the towns of Vail, Beaver Creek, and Cordillera. And
when you’re in Boulder, do your best to score a table at the white-hot
Frasca Food and Wine. Its cuisine is inspired by that of Italy’s Friuli
region, which is situated at the foot of some other very impressive
mountains, the Alps.
Natural Wonders | Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park, (800) 365-2267, www.nps.gov/romo, $20 (per vehicle) entrance fee
Drowsy Water Ranch, Granby, (800) 845-2292, www.drowsywater.com, $1,525 per adult, $1,190 per child (inclusive), for a six-night stay
Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Tabernash, (800) 933-4339, www.devilsthumbranch.com, from $170
Vail Valley Paragliding, Avon, (970) 845-7321, www.vailvalleyparagliding.com, from $150
Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, (303) 442-6966, www.frascafoodandwine.com
California's Green Bounty
OLD WEST
Californians
have a proud history of showing off the riches from their verdant
fields and trees, dating to 1911 with the start of the National Orange
Show Festival, in San Bernardino. The state boasts certified farmers’
markets in 350-plus towns and cities and offers more than three dozen
annual food festivals, including the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Ventura’s
Lemon Fest, the California Avocado Festival in Carpinteria, and Indio’s
International Tamale Festival. And while Napa and Sonoma garner much of
the spotlight when it comes to wine, the Temecula Valley, about 90
miles southeast of Los Angeles, may have been California’s first wine
country: The padres at Mission San Juan Capistrano began winemaking
more than 200 years ago. When you’re in the Valley, stop by the
family-owned Temecula Olive Oil Company and the Rusty Acres Herb Farm
in Rainbow for their lavender. San Diego County has a cornucopia of
local farmers’ markets and roadside produce stands, including the
Vegetable Shop at the Chino family farm in Rancho Santa Fe.
NEW WEST
The
Carneros Inn in Napa Valley is serenely luxe and pays tribute to the
bounty of the wine country with its restaurants. The Boon Fly Café
(simple, delicious comfort food; don’t miss the devil’s food cake) and
Hilltop Dining Room (French cuisine) offer some of the best fare in the
area. Even the inn’s spa uses local produce, incorporating crushed
olive stones, local olive oil, black perlette grapes, and goat butter
into its sybaritic offerings. You’ll find the wealth of California’s
fields in one spot at San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building
Marketplace. There you’ll find, indoors and out, locally made olive
oils, cheeses, chocolates (tip: stop by Recchiuti Confections),
bakeries, flowers, and even an antiques store, Culinaire, which carries
only wares to do with food and cooking. Don’t miss Slanted Door and its
excellent Vietnamese cuisine. Surrounding the landmark building is the
outdoor farmers’ market run by CUESA (Center for Urban Education about
Sustainable Agriculture) on the Ferry Plaza. Bustling Saturdays at the
market include the 10 a.m. “meet the farmer,” a half-hour interview
with a local farmer or artisan followed by a cooking demonstration
using in-season foods. For the past three years, late October has
brought the Marketplace’s annual Harvest Festival, with pumpkin
carving, wool spinning, butter churning, olive oil and honey tastings,
a petting zoo, and the pièce de résistance: wine and beer tastings with
more than two dozen wineries and breweries, all California certified
organic. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is open Tuesdays and Saturdays
year-round, and on Sundays and Thursday evenings (inside) May through
October.
Natural Wonders | California
National Orange Show Festival, San Bernardino, May 24 to 28, (909) 888-6788, www.nationalorangeshow.com, $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, military, and kids
Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 27 to 29, (408) 842-1625, www.gilroygarlicfestival.com, $12 general admission, $6 for seniors and children
Lemon Fest, Ventura, September 8 and 9, (805) 642-0605, www.lemonfest.com, free admission
California Avocado Festival, Carpinteria, October 6 to 8, (805) 684-0038, www.avofest.com, free admission
Indio International Tamale Festival, December 2 and 3, (760) 391-4175, free admission
Temecula Olive Oil Company, (866) 654-8396, www.awesome-oil.com
Rusty Acres Herb Farm, Rainbow, (760) 731-7349, www.rustyacres.com, open Thursday to Sunday
The Vegetable Shop at the Chino family farm, Rancho Santa Fe, (858) 756-3184, closed Mondays
The Carneros Inn, Napa Valley, (888) 400-9000, www.thecarnerosinn.com, from $455
Boon Fly Café, Napa Valley, (707) 299-4870
Hilltop Dining Room, Napa Valley, (707) 299-4865
Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco, (415) 693-0996, www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com; festival takes place October 26 to 29
Culinaire, Ferry Building Marketplace, (415) 576-1700, www.culinairesf.com
The Slanted Door, San Francisco, (415) 861-8032, www.slanteddoor.com
New Mexico's Blue Skies
OLD WEST
Georgia
O’Keeffe’s images of the bright blue New Mexico sky punctuated with
fluffy cumulus clouds act as a window to the state’s haunting, uncommon
beauty — which makes a trip to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum a must when
you’re visiting Santa Fe. An hour north of the city (and also an hour
southwest from Taos) are the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, a peaceful
setting where four types of geothermal mineral waters converge. It’s
believed there’s been a community around these springs since ancient
times, dating to the ancestors of today’s Tewa (Pueblo) tribes. Before
you sink into the healing bubbles to enjoy the blue (or star-filled)
canopy above, take the easy three- to four-hour hike with archaeologist
Martha Yates to Hupobi, an ancient pueblo on the Rio Ojo Caliente, to
see petroglyphs and kivas. And there’s perhaps no more dramatic setting
for the Land of Enchantment’s sky than above the pale, shifting lines
of White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo. With this view, you
can’t help but tap into your inner Ansel Adams, especially along the
park’s eight-mile Dunes Drive.
NEW WEST
The Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta combines history (the city’s first
ballooning demonstration took place in 1907) and the best of modern
technology and design. Held every October, it’s the biggest ballooning
event on the planet. Don’t miss the Mass Ascensions (October 7, 8, 11,
14, and 15 this year), when some 700 balloons take to the azure heavens
at sunrise. During the Fiesta, Rainbow Ryders offers the only
authorized balloon rides from the same place as the competition
balloons depart. If you’re headed to Santa Fe, skip I-25 and take the
Turquoise Trail, a slow and very scenic road with a unique mix of old
West and new West, from the Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture
in Cedar Crest and the 10,678-foot Sandia Crest, the literal high point
of the trail, to the art galleries of quirky Madrid (pronounced
MAD-rid) and the Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum. And since perhaps
nothing is more modernly West than the harmonious combination of
cultures, don’t miss the Ten Thousand Waves spa near Santa Fe and its
“Japanese-adobe aesthetic.” At this haven of peace and relaxation with
a focus on water-based treatments, locals recommend booking the Ichiban
Tub, which lets you take in the stars or sky as you enjoy the healing
waters.
Natural Wonders | New Mexico
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, (505) 946-1000, www.okeeffemuseum.org, $8 admission
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, (800) 222-9162, www.ojocalientespa.com, from $99 for lodging, day rate for the mineral and mud pools starts at $16
White Sands National Monument, (505) 679-2599, www.nps.gov/whsa, $3 entrance fee
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, (888) 422-7277, www.aibf.org, $6 admission
Rainbow Ryders, Albuquerque, (505) 823-1111, www.rainbowryders.com, $295
Turquoise Trail, Albuquerque to Santa Fe, www.turquoisetrail.org
Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture, Cedar Crest, (505) 281-4745, www.museumarch.org, open May to October, $3 admission
Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum, (505) 438-3008, $2 admission
Ten Thousand Waves, Santa Fe, (505) 992-5025, www.tenthousandwaves.com
Texas's Wide Open Spaces
OLD WEST
Do
you want horizons for miles, the feeling of space, and the possibility
to make your own manifest destiny? It’s hard to do better than the more
than 800,000 acres that make up Big Bend National Park, located in
Texas’s southwest corner and one of the National Park System’s
least-visited parks, owing to its remoteness. If you’re not camping in
the park, check out the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon — it looks like
a Deadwood set and is a reasonably priced spot to call home
after a day on the range. And after you’ve had your fill of hot dogs
and s’mores, enjoy the first-rate “Texas Cowboy Cuisine” at Reata
Alpine in the nearby town of Alpine. If you’d like a professional’s
take on the park, the World Outdoors’ seven-day Big Bend–Rio Grande
Hiker combines hiking and canoeing for a trip back in time that lets
you experience the true meaning of the Wild West. You start with a
visit to Fort Davis, a nineteenth-century frontier military post, and
then hike and paddle your way through Santa Elena Canyon, its walls
soaring to 1,500 feet.
NEW WEST
Billing itself as “the
ultimate hideout,” the chic Lajitas sits on 25,000 acres between Big
Bend National and State parks and offers the amenities of contemporary
Western living, including an 18-hole golf course with four holes on an
island in the Rio Grande and an optional par-one in Mexico, as well as
a spa with an aptly named three-treatment, two-and-a-half-hour special
called the Escape ($225). But if you’re hankering for the perfect
combination of old and new, sign up for the “So You Wanna Be a Cowboy”
package: The two-night stay includes custom-fit cowboy boots, a
shooting lesson, two half-day horseback rides to a nearby mine and
ghost town, gourmet cowboy grub, and accommodations. Prefer to explore
the area on a bike? The X Bar Ranch has 16 miles of moderately
technical, mostly single-track trails that run through hills, mesquite
flats, and dry riverbeds.
Natural Wonders | TEXAS
Big Bend National Park, (432) 477-2251, www.nps.gov/bibe, $15 (per vehicle) entrance fee
Gage Hotel Marathon, (800) 884-4243, www.gagehotel.com, from $69
Reata Alpine, (432) 837-9232, 203 North Fifth Street
Big Bend–Rio Grande Hiker, (800) 488-8483, www.theworldoutdoors.com, $2,295
Lajitas, (877) 525-4827, www.lajitas.com, from $195
X Bar Ranch, (888) 853-2688, www.xbarranch.com, from $80
Utah's Red Rocks
OLD WEST
The
stunning red canyons and stone of southern Utah in Arches and
Canyonlands national parks are worth the trip, but far less traveled
and just as magnificent is the 1.9-million-acre Grand
Staircase–Escalante National Monument, adjacent to Bryce Canyon
National Park and housing a mostly unsung trove of fiery-hued slot
canyons. The basic canyoneering trip offered by Excursions of Escalante
is an ideal introduction to down climbs and rappelling in these serene
canyons; owner and guide Rick Green, named Hiking and Backpacking 2005
Guide of the Year by the Outdoor Utah Recreation Guide, takes small groups of aspiring canyoneers only to unpublished canyons.
NEW WEST
The
red rocks take top billing at Red Mountain Spa in St. George, a
two-hour drive from Las Vegas. Most everything centers around the
dramatic landscape at this health-focused spa, from the daily
multilevel guided hikes and rock climbing to orienteering, geology, and
archaeology walks. Even the spa treatments, such as the Adobe Lavender
Hydrating Cocoon, incorporate the red earth, and canyon stones are used
in the Canyon Sage Warm Stone Massage. You’ll need your muscles worked
over after a jaw-jarring journey down the Canyonlands’ White Rim Road,
a 100-mile mountain-bike trek that takes you through peerless red-rock
country and which is routinely ranked one of the country’s great
trails. Postride, slake your thirst and swap tales of near-endos at the
Moab Brewery.
Natural Wonders | UTAH
Arches National Park, (435) 719-2299, www.nps.gov/arch, $10 (per vehicle) entrance fee
Canyonlands National Park, (435) 719-2313, www.nps.gov/cany, $10 (per vehicle) entrance fee
Bryce Canyon National Park, (435) 834-5322, www.nps.gov/brca, $20 (per vehicle) entrance fee
Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, (435) 826-5499, www.ut.blm.gov/monument
Excursions of Escalante, (800) 839-7567, www.excursionsofescalante.com, basic canyoneering trip is $125 for a full day (includes lunch and transportation)
Red Mountain Spa, St. George, (435) 673-4905, www.redmountainspa.com, from $239 (inclusive)
Canyonlands’ White Rim Road,(435)719-2313, www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/whiterimroad.htm
Moab Brewery, (435) 259-6333, www.themoabbrewery.com
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