Travel in Arizona: A Trio of Treats
By: Michael and Eli...
Published: January 9, 2015

A Fire Theater with pyrotechnics show and daredevil acrobatics prepared by Flam Chen - this was the welcome we had in Tucson at the 25th Annual All Souls Procession (Mexican ritual of honoring loved ones). This vibrant event was filled with spicy Mexican food, creative face paintings and wild costumes.  Great evening, but since it was late we did not have time to walk the Turquoise Trail. This 2 ½ mile route follows a turquoise stripe in the sidewalk and passes many historical points of interest, art galleries and restaurants. Instead we took the short drive from downtown to the Westward Look Resort.
This contemporary resort was built in 1912 as an elegant adobe home. Just behind the lobby one can see the original hardwood floor and the ceiling beams (called “vigas”), which still have the rich color of the Ponderosa Pine from Mount Lemmon.  Mt. Lemmon is one of the highest points in Arizona (over 9100 feet) and is part of the Santa Catalina Mountains. In fact, when we stepped outside in the courtyard we could see the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the northeast.
We were greeted by Raymundo Ocampo, Landscape Manager of the 80 acres with over 240 species of plants. He has been walking these grounds for over 24 years and his knowledge and enthusiasm was showcased during the hour long tour.  We learned that many of the native plants are used in the spa. However, we were assured that the “jumping cholla cactus” is not used in the spa. The cholla received its name due to the ease of getting punctured by its sharp needles if one just brushes by it. And once the needles have “jumped” into you – they are notoriously difficult to remove! Ouch! On that note we stayed on the trail and did not touch anything.
The tour culminated with a visit to the chef’s garden where we found the only avocado tree grown in the area. Raymundo does have a magic touch and he shares that by teaching classes at the University of Arizona.

Raymundo’s garden expertise is also shared in the two excellent eating venues featured at Westward Look. Our first delicious taste was breakfast in the warm November sun at the Gold Restaurant. My favorite was the Tucson omelet which is garnished with fresh avocados and peppers. 

After breakfast we strolled around the grounds and enjoyed the mountain views and absolutely delightful weather.  Before we knew it, it was time to return for the afternoon happy hour. Outdoor seating at the Lookout Bar & Grill was greatly enhanced with the refreshment of their special house made sangria. This was paired with a few of the great appetizers such as Smashed Avocado & Chips (of course!), Street Tacos, Nachos Blanco (I have never tasted such light and crisp nachos, made with white cheese), and a main dish of Charred Grilled Tequila Lime Gulf Shrimp.  Room for dessert? Yes!  The highlight was: Chocolate Nachos. Crispy nachos drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with cinnamon. Someone in our party did not share well.  
Since “Eating our way through Arizona” was quickly becoming the theme, we thought it was time to do some hiking.
There are over 80 hikes in the Greater Tucson area. It would have been fun to try all of them – which would have required us to stay over winter. Instead, we chose a hike only a ten minute drive from the resort, the Iris Dewhirst Pima Canyon Trail.
Saguaro cactus dotted the entire landscape with the diversity of low lying grass lands and flowers. We hiked several miles and considered continuing to Mount Kimball. But the guide book noted that “The last 4 miles to Mount Kimball is unrelenting and unforgiving” so given that description we were happy to turn around and head to the next stop on our itinerary - Phoenix.  
It was hard to say goodbye already as there is so much more to do; more hiking and two wine trails to the south. And we missed out on Mount Lemmon. This majestic peak creates its’ own weather and receives 200 inches of snow in the winter.  Next time we are in the area in the winter perhaps skiing at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley would be fun.  This is the southernmost ski area in continental US.
However, on a warmer note (85 degrees on this November day) we were happy to enjoy our last stop in the Tucson area, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. This is my type of museum with almost 100 acres, most of it outdoors.  We hiked the two miles, learning about the great diversity of plants. The museum boasts of 1200 different types of plants.  There is also an abundance of wildlife, the most celebrated of which is the javelina. We were disappointed that we failed to spot one. Perhaps we missed it since they travel at over 35 mph. Some folks call this a cute pig, others say it is ugly and it stinks like a skunk.  We think it is a cute wild boar and others must agree with us as depictions of the javelina can be found all over the southwest – including as the mascot at Texas A & M in Kingsville.
Not finding any wild boars we took the short ride to the Saguaro National Park (West Section). The highlight was the tranquility of driving the Bajada Loop Road with the beauty of the towering saguaro cacti and the Tucson Mountains in the background. Some of the tallest saguaros can reach over 45 feet in height. The saguaros provide insulation from the weather extremes for nesting woodpeckers and other birds and are a great source of water and food. The woodpeckers actually drill into the cacti and build a little hammock nest for their eggs.

We could have hiked one of the many trails but our itinerary listed food, spa treatment, swimming pool at the Sheraton Wild Hours Pass Resort. In less than a two hour drive we arrived at this grand resort in Chandler, just several miles south of Phoenix.
Once inside, the first thing we noticed was the colorful and artistic murals painted on the ceiling. We met up with Rosie Rivera, the Cultural Manager of the Wild Horse, who gave us a wonderful context for the beautiful art featured at the resort. The murals which circled the wide expanse of the lobby depict the history and culture of the Gila River Indian Community consisting of the Pima and Maricopa tribes. The vibrant colors and intricate detail of the pictures highlighted such things as the pottery of the Maricopa, the basket making of the Pima and farming scenes from over 1200 years ago.
Rosie is the prefect guide since she was raised in the area and has worked almost every type of job at the Wild Horse for the past 10 years. Along with the murals, the artistic beauty of the Indian community is eloquently displayed on the walls throughout the entire resort.
The discussion continued with breakfast at Ko’Sin Restraint while we enjoyed the views of the Sierra Estrella Mountain Range. Rosie started to boast how great the food is and we had to agree with her since we had dined there the night before. We told her about the appetizers we had, the Jumbo Prawns swimming in chili sauce. Our favorite was the main course of Mesquite Grilled Filet Mignon with just the right balance of pepper. My wife and I usually like to order something different but this time we ordered the same thing and were each glad we had our own tender and juicy Filet.
But now it was time for breakfast so we ordered the breakfast fry bread topped with scrambled eggs, fresh tomatoes, and chorizo and sprinkled with a salsa verde. Excellent and almost as good as the Fillet.
We had to part ways with Rosie so she pointed us to our next adventure - Aji Spa.  The walk from the hotel to the Spa is an interpretive trail that weaves between the river and cottonwood trees. Once at the Spa, we were treated to over an hour of bliss in this lovely sanctuary (Aji). I had the performance massage and my wife had the Gila River Rock Massage. We both emerged completely relaxed and rejuvenated. We retired to the shaded poolside veranda. Here we enjoyed some light snacks while gazing at the beautiful watsu pool – which is a long curvy pool ringed with cacti. We were truly in a relaxed state and ready to keep things that way – at least for the rest of that afternoon.
However - I was reminded that I would need to shift gears in the morning and test my newly massaged performance on the trails at 6:30 am.  The goal for the morning was to hike the South Mountain which is located in Phoenix. Being recharged, I told Annmarie from Arizona Outback Adventures that I want to hike the entire mountain. However, that goal needed to be tempered; there are 58 miles (14 different trails) worth of trails which makes it the largest municipal park in the United States.
Annmarie and I enjoyed hiking and talking and since we are both from the Seattle area we were both happy to talk about hiking and weather. She pointed to the east and said the Superstition Mountains is one of her favorite areas and is less than an hour’s drive from where we were. These mountains were formed from volcanic upheaval and millions of years of erosion leaving towering spires which are excellent for technical rock climbing.
Along with talking about the obvious: rain in Seattle and lack of it in Arizona, we reflected on some of the legends about how the Superstition Mountains got its’ name. I said one folktale has it early settlers were fearful and puzzled about the eerie sounds that at times come from the mountain range. The scientific explanation of that is that a cold front moving through the area can bring 50 mph winds followed by a 50 degree drop in the temperatures, creating unique wind patterns through the mountains and rock spires. Or – it could be about a lost gold mine, or a mysterious hole deep in the mountains that leads to what the Apaches thought of as the Lower World. Whatever the source of the name is – the mountains are beautiful!
Of course if you don’t want to take a chance in the Superstitious Mountains there are numerous hikes in that area that are less than a 30 minute drive from Phoenix. You can find them listed here.

The fresh air, hiking and talking about hiking created great anticipation for what was next: dinning at the Wild Horse Pass.  We prepared ourselves for the three hour dining experience at the Kai Restaurant.  They were just named winner by Open Table for the top 100 Restaurants in America based on more than 5 million reviews of over 20,000 restaurants.  
The food and the service certainly deserve this award. The restaurant is listed as “Native American with Global Accents.”  So true! The menus are bound in wood featuring an original painting by a local native artist (each menu unique) and the servers explain both the preparation and the tradition of the food that is served. The entire experience was one of superb personal attention and elegance.



For our first course we enjoyed Smoked Red Kuri Soup, and Bliss 9 Candied Wild Boar Bacon in house marshmallow, basil cilantro puree.  All of these are traditional foods of the area. Of course the highland was Chimayo Rubbed Dry Aged New York Strip, but my wife insists hers was better: Pecan Crusted Rack of Colorado Lamb. This tender lamb was excellent. And we finished with Deconstructed Carrot Cake (for her) and blackberry sorbet (for me). 
After this lavish dinner and a good night sleep we were ready for something different. Next stop was a community that boasts of this: Rated the best place to live, former Hay Capitol of the world, and a community that folks have called utopia but known as Agritopia, located a short 20 minute car ride northeast of Chandler to Gilbert.
This was a two for one day as the social hub of Agritopia is Joe’s Farm Grill. Most of the group had cheese burgers (local and natural beef) but I went for the  veggie burger; with black beans, brown rice, ten fresh vegetables on a multi grain bun. Best burger (beef or veggie) ever.
Along with the yummy burgers – we got the story of both the Grill and Agritopia. Joe’s Farm Grill is housed in what was the original farm home of Jim and Virginia Johnston, built in the 1960’s. The Johnston’s raised cotton and wheat, and three sons, on the farm. As the town of Gilbert rapidly grew – it eventually became clear that the farm would soon be totally surrounded by housing developments. Rather than give up on over 40 years of a family farm, the Johnston family decided to be more proactive about the future of the property.
Today the Johnston farm has become Agritopia – a shining example of a new movement in residential living that is centered on a working farm – the way other communities might cluster around a golf course or recreational lake.  Agritopia has 450 homes and 160 acres of farmland featuring lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables, much of which is used by the Grill. There are also communal flocks of sheep and chickens.  The homes themselves are intentionally built to ensure a wide variety of life-styles (singles, elderly, young families, etc.) all mixed in together, with front doors opening up onto a common green expanse. The farm operates as a CSA (community supported agriculture) that supplies fresh organic produce to residents and non-residents. Produce is picked up on Wednesday nights by members, and can also be purchased on the honor system by non-members at any time 24/7. You just stop by the stand, pick up what you want and drop the money in the box.
My very enthusiastic wife wanted to take a look at a unit and Michele of Visit Mesa (knowing that I was born and raised in Chicago) tried to sweeten the pot by telling me that the Chicago Cubs would be moving into their new spring training facility very close by this February.  But since we really aren’t ready to leave our beloved Seattle – we thought we would save that for a later trip.
Next we drove the short distance through Mesa on our way to our last stop of the day, Talking Stick Resort located in Scottsdale (Northeast of Phoenix). We lucked out, maybe not in the casino, but in many other ways – like the view of Camelback Mountain from our room. The Talking Stick is run by the Salt River Indian Community which, like Wild Horse, consists of the Pima and Maricopa tribes
Speaking of Camelback Mountain, we enjoyed dinner at the top floor restaurant, Orange Sky - well named for the stunning sunset views. And that evening we were not disappointed by the flaming orange of the sky with Camelback lit from behind. I was almost ready to go back to the room, thinking that the show was over as it got dark. However I remembered dinner. Talking Stick has eleven restaurants – many committed to fresh seafood. On a previous visit I had sampled the Cajun style seafood at the Ocean Trail, located downstairs and was really looking forward to what was in store for tonight.


Tonight the focus remained on seafood and we started with an iced shellfish platter, shrimp, oysters and mussels, all of which were delicious. For main the course I went with Skuna Bay Salmon, which was cedar plank roasted in a traditional style and was tasty and fresh. My wife’s halibut was exceptional – moist, flaky and buttery.
After this meal we were tempted to try our luck at the casino but knew it was time for the last leg of our trio of treats - Sedona. Time to rock the reds! 
The first stop was Red Rock State Park less than a two hour drive from Phoenix. The view from Eagle’s Nest Loop of brilliant crimson red rock, blue sky and gold cottonwood trees was simply breathtaking.  This short loop trail tops out at over 4100 feet, the highest point in the park. We did not see any eagles but were told on any given day one can see not only eagles, but 20 different species of birds.
 
After this hike and soaking in the views we felt a lot of positive energy. Then the topic of the famous Sedona vortex came up.  Immediately I said I sure hope we do not have a polar vortex. This kind of vortex is a large pocket of cold air that moves from the polar region and last winter was entrenched over the Midwest and East Coast of the US for record cold – but not in Sedona! 
The vortex (plural is either vortices or vortexes) my wife was discussing was the energy field found in the Sedona Area. I did surprise my wife when I told her that there is a similar vortex energy field called the Oregon Vortex (found in Gold Hill in Southern Oregon).
So we left the Red Rock State Park to hunt down the vortex and to continue on to our next stop - the Enchantment Resort.
On our way to the Enchantment we stopped off at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This Chapel is built into the hillside, seemingly emerging from the red rocks and rises 200 feet above the ground level, topped with a 90 foot high cross. Walking into the cool dark interior – which is spackled with colored light from the beautiful stained glass windows and warmed by the many votive candles lined up along the sides, we both felt a lovely flow of calm energy. 
 
The four main vortex centers are listed here. We noticed that the Boynton Canyon Vortex is one of them and the trailhead is located just outside the entrance of the Enchantment Resort.  We hiked (total is 2.4 miles one way) to the 30 foot knoll where the energy is strongest. With the sun and red rocks there certainly is lots of energy but I can’t say for sure if it is flowing through a vortex or just an intrinsic part of the experience.
After the hike we drove the short 4 minutes to check into what I think of as Red Rock Utopia, aka Enchantment Resort nestled into the rocky hillside. The creation of the red rocks is a simple recipe: mix the ocean with sandstone and limestone, and then have the ocean recede. Add erosion, which results in iron oxide, wait millions of years and voila – we have amazingly red rocks (and hills and mountains)!
While our mental energy was mellow it was time for dinner at Che-Ah-Chi, which is the Apache name for what settlers called Boynton Canyon.  We were first met with Michael Robb, the wine sommelier who shared his vast knowledge of the three different wine regions of Arizona.  Due in large part to Michael’s expertise the restaurant won the Award of Excellence from the Wine Spector in 2014. Their cellar holds over 2000 bottles.  Along with the local wines we sampled one of our favorites from close to home, Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Then Michael introduced us to a Syrah made locally by Chateau Tumbleweed and some other local wines during dinner. We will highlight these Arizona wines in our next article.

We started with Hamachi Crudo (sushi) with avocado and pink grapefruit - very light and refreshing. Then came baby beets with gorgonzola, candied pecans and Greek yogurt. The beautiful colors of the dish were surpassed by how great it tasted! For the main course I ordered the Harish Ranch Beef Tenderloin topped with mushroom and butter source. My wife predictably chose the Lamb Sirloin served with mint and cumber, tomatoes and red onion. That mint really made it special. Also predictable we had our usual friendly competition over who made the better choice. It is a fun competition – requiring the trading of many tastes. To finish the meal I had Lavender Panna with cotta strawberry, Champagne Gelee. So light and prefect best dessert ever!!  Elizabeth declared her Enchantment Gelato the Dessert Winner of the Trip. 
Well, our trek through Tucson, Phoenix and Sedona was about to end.  While there was not enough time for spa treatments or more hikes – we certainly found time for one last brunch at the Che-Ah-Chi. We will back many times to this enchanted oasis, and in the meantime our next story will discuss in detailed the wines from the region. You may be surprised.
About our guest contributor:
Michael Fagin is a freelance travel writer who has traveled across Canada and visited all the major Canadian wine regions. Mr. Fagin is currently touring the Pacific Northwest enjoying the wine country, dining, and hiking the region. While he is not writing Mr. Fagin is a weather forecaster for West Coast Weather, LLC forecasting weather for the West Coast of the US as well as on an international basis. Mr. Fagin has a weekly hiking and weather segment every Tuesday morning on KUOW FM Seattle.