Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Aaron Anderson [47]
Afterwards, rest up at Hermosa Inn, a Scottsdale boutique hotel that began as the private home and studio of cowboy artist Lon Megargee. Today, the 35 rooms and casitas give off soothing vibes thanks to Spanish-Colonial decor that makes nice use of color and proportion, just like Megargee’s paintings. There’s an excellent restaurant, but no pool to work off those calories. And yes, the on-site eatery serves steak.
Sharpen the steak knives and brush up on cowboy slang, because 10 miles south of Central Phoenix is Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse, a 1880s frontier-town theme park set on the Gila River Indian Reservation. The steakhouse has rattlesnake and Rocky Mountain oysters (bull testicles) for adventurous eaters and mesquite-grilled slabs of beef for everyone else, usually accompanied by music and entertainment. Consider a sundown cookout, which includes a hayride and Western dancing for even more silly fun. The food at the Rawhide Steakhouse is solid but not top of the line; the ambience makes up for it.
After another night at the casita, head to Central Phoenix for a night of classy sips and steaks at Durant’s, bedecked with red-leather booths and red-velvet wallpaper. The martinis at Durant’s are like small swimming pools, and when you enter through the back door the kitchen staff shouts out a welcome over the clatter of chopping knives and the low roar of a wood fire that’s grilling steaks to perfection. But the steak’s Durant’s thing. On that count, this joint is the cow’s moo. Anything is good, but the filet mignon is butta’. If you’re watching your red-meat intake, there’s also seafood on offer. Come during lunch to save a few bucks and see the lawyer and legislator types doing deals.
If you really don’t want to slide off of Scottsdale’s luxurious lap, check out where steakhouse meets piano bar at Mastro’s City Hall Steakhouse. Its sides and appetizer menu has more choices than most, and the tinkling of the piano keys in the background makes the first-rate service feel that much more special. The yummy porterhouse comes in a 3lb slab of goodness made for sharing between two people. The martinis are an oasis and the wine list is the who’s who of top-notch vino.
For a few days away from the city – and to experience firsthand how the cowboys wrangle steers – check out Flying E Ranch, in the scrubby cowboy country of Wickenburg, 65 miles northwest of Phoenix. This down-home working cattle ranch in the Hassayampa Valley is a big hit with families and gets plenty of repeaters. Guests can chow down after a hayride to the chuck wagon.
From here, head 120 miles north to Sedona for more fresh air and, of course, another great meal. Decadence is queen at Enchantment Resort; so close to the red rocks you can almost hear the vortex humming. Seriously, a stray ball from the tennis court will smack the nearby cliffs, and reflected rock formations loom large in the pool. Don’t forget sumptuous Mii Amo spa; Enchantment Resort has won more awards and accolades than a five-star general.
For dinner head out to Cowboy Club. The usual meaty suspects take a wild turn with the addition of buffalo and game meats like elk. Signature dishes include french-fried cactus and rattlesnake bits on a stick. The restaurant’s Silver Saddle Room is the adults-only zone.
Be sure to sleep well before taking the 230-mile trip down to Tucson – a journey that starts in mountains full of ponderosa pines and ends in rolling desert full of saguaro cactus and mesquite trees. The trip is worth it for Janos. French-trained