Weekend Life....L'Auberge de Sedona, Sedona, Arizona

L'Auberge de Sedona, Arizona, early February 2013.

Our trip to Arizona was rather like a progressive dinner party: the entrée in Scottsdale at the boutique Hermosa Inn, the main at the ruggedly beautiful White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, and finishing with desert at L’Auberge de Sedona. And what an indulgent desert it was! 

Nestled in the heart of the red rocks of Sedona along the banks of Oak Creek (not so much a bubbling brook as a gushing river during our early February visit!), L’Auberge de Sedona was an oasis of luxury and tranquility, and a fitting finale to our Arizona adventure. Set amongst 11 acres of landscaped gardens, the 87 guest rooms and cottages are dotted amongst towering fragrant pines, cottonwood and sycamore trees*. Our beautiful Vista Suite was set high on the property, tucked away at the end of a row of walnut-hued timber cottages. Opening the door to our suite, it felt like we were entering a living picture frame: a bank of windows and sliding glass doors framed the spectacular, uninterrupted views of Snoopy Rock (my favourite, of course!), Giants Thumb and Elephant Rock. With a backdrop of brilliant blue sky, the red sandstone rocks were truly magnificent, the colours changing with the light throughout the day. Each morning I awoke before sunrise, grabbed a blanket, made myself a coffee and sat huddled on our suite’s large wooden deck to watch the moon disappear and the sun rise over the rocks. And in the late afternoon, we sat sipping wine, eating antipasto and watching the sun set, changing the colours of the rocks from terracotta to vermillion, coral and rust.

In keeping with the serenity of the surroundings, interiors at L’Auberge were simple, modern and tasteful. Hardwood floors in the living room and bedroom, crisp white Fili D’oro bed linen adorned the huge bed along with a entire flotilla of pillows (love!), a gas fireplace kept the suite cosy and warm at night, and luxury robes and slippers were provided to lounge in after a swim in the heated pool, spa treatment or shower. Ahhh yes, the shower. Two words that make me do a happy dance: Outdoor shower! Distant memories of the freezing après-beach outdoor showers of my childhood (“Wash ALL the sand off before you come inside”) came flooding back. The beautiful cedar outdoor shower in our suite was, however, a far cry from those of my youth: silky cedar wood underfoot, bright blue skies (or the clear night sky filled with masses of stars) above, oodles of hot water and zingy grapefruit scented Antica Farmacista bath products. Bliss. And if we didn’t feel up to the outdoor shower (a crazy thought but possible I guess!), there was also a spacious indoor shower and jacuzzi in the enormous bathroom. Did we do the “3 Bath Run?” (outdoor shower → indoor shower → soak in the bath). Of course we did! 

The restaurant, bar and reception area for L’Auberge are situated in the centre of the property by Oak Creek and guests tend to gravitate creek side for drinks, and in the warmer months breakfast, lunch and dinner under the canopy of trees. Chairs and tables are dotted along the banks of the creek (including some cute wooden swinging chairs) so we took some time to watch the resident ducks** glide by and read our books while enjoying a glass of wine from the bar. 

Eat:

L’Auberge Restaurant on Oak Creek: We had dinner in the restaurant on the first night of our stay, and both the food and service were wonderful. Highlights included an amuse-bouche of poached and smoked persimmon with sunflower seeds, pork belly on a bed of creamy oats with preserved apple (so delicious and one to attempt to recreate at home!), Dungeness crab crepe parcel with a roasted tomato and fennel sauce, sticky braised short ribs with roasted fingerling potatoes, baby beetroot and cashew parsnip puree, and the perfect ending….. sticky toffee pudding (oh. so. good).

Elote café: Excellent Mexican restaurant just down the road from L’Auberge. We shared the beef tamales and elote (roasted corn in a creamy, spicy, slightly tangy sauce – so yummy scooped up with tortilla chips!), lamb adobo and carne asada. The restaurant doesn’t take bookings so you might have to wait for a table. My suggestion? Grab a table outside and enjoy the excellent margaritas (I had the tasting flight) and complimentary popcorn while you wait. 

Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market: A roadside deli/café with super friendly service and delicious, made-to-order sandwiches. Perfect if you want to grab a sandwich before setting off on a hike (the sandwiches are huge so you should be set for an entire day’s hiking!). There is a lovely little garden out the back to eat in or you can take your order to go. 

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace: The Sedona version of Whole Foods. Great for picking up provisions for a picnic (either in-room or outdoors!) or hiking trip. 

To Do: 

Pink Jeep Tours: This is an absolute must-do on a visit to Sedona. We took the Broken Arrow Tour (approx 2 hours) which was so much fun despite the fact I squealed like a little girl on one particularly steep descent – I think it was called Devil’s Staircase (in my defence, I don’t like heights and have zero experience 4WDriving). The views were incredible, the ride exhilarating and our guide extremely knowledgeable and funny. 

Chapel of the Holy Cross: A beautiful Catholic church built into the side of the rocks/mountain in Sedona. 

There are also loads of hikes and trails to follow (on foot or mountain bike).

*Being the middle of winter many of the trees had shed their leaves. I can only imagine how spectacular the grounds must look when they awake in the spring, and in autumn when the leaves change colour from green to orange, gold and crimson. 

 **Each morning at 8 a.m. there is duck feeding on the banks of the creek where guests can help feed the family of ducks that call L’Auberge de Sedona home.

We were guests of L'Auberge de Sedona.

Weekend Life....White Stallion Ranch, Tucson, Arizona

White Stallion Ranch, Tucson, Arizona, late January 2013.

Playlist:  By the Time I get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Rhinestone Cowboy . . . basically anything by Glen Campbell!

Dress-Code:  Jeans, R.M. Williams boots and cowboy hats. The more denim, the better.

Destination: White Stallion Ranch, Tucson Arizona

The Hermosa Inn might have had us dreaming of cowboys, but the White Stallion dude ranch in Tucson, Arizona had us turning those dreams into a reality!

Growing up in Australia, lazy Saturday afternoons were often spent parked in front of the television watching old Western movies*. Set in the American Old West, I was endlessly fascinated and seduced, not so much by the storylines, but by the beautiful, vast landscapes in a country so far away (and so different) from Australia. And then of course there was the horse riding. Man and faithful steed, riding out together under scorching blue skies, over desert plains dotted with cacti and tumbleweeds under the shadow of formidable rocky mountain ranges. Having spent a couple of years when I was maybe 10 or 11 taking horse-riding lessons, the dream of one day riding out over that very landscape never left me.  So when the opportunity came up to stay on a dude ranch in Tucson Arizona, the setting for many of those Western movies, I saddled up and booked our flights faster than you can say giddy-up**!

Still, arriving at the White Stallion Ranch (an easy 90 min drive South from Scottsdale), I think we were both feeling a little nervous. Neither of us had ridden a horse for around 15 years (yikes!) and, with fashion month just around the corner, I had thoughts of trying to use my camera with one arm in a sling or hobbling around on crutches . . . things you never tend to worry about when you are a teenager! Thankfully we had no time to dwell on the wisdom of our decision: a quick welcome from the friendly ranch staff, followed by a short questionnaire (to match horse and rider and gauge your level of experience . . . I chose beginner since I hadn’t ridden for so long) and suddenly we found ourselves in the corralling area while the wranglers saddled up our horses.  Mine, an affable, sturdy draft?!/quarter horse named Packer immediately found a special place in my heart. At 14.3 hands, Packer was not the biggest horse on the ranch, but over the days we spent riding together, I think he had the biggest heart (although I could be biased ;). Mounted up*** and we were off on our maiden ride at the White Stallion Ranch.

A little about the Western style of riding at White Stallion Ranch which differs somewhat from the “English” style that many of you might be familiar with. Western riding was developed in the American West to meet the needs of cowboys who spent long days in the saddle, often in difficult terrain, roping and mustering cattle. In very basic terms, the Western saddle is a lot heavier, deeper and bigger than an English saddle (kind of like sitting on a big ‘ole leather recliner), stirrups are worn long, reins are held in one hand (so that the other hand is free for roping cattle, gun slinging, taking photographs), and the horse is directed via neck rein. When jogging (trotting) you are not suppose to rise to the trot (or bounce!) but remain seated and move in motion with the horse – this is much easier said than done *well howdy long-lost stomach muscles –I can certainly feel you now!*! And cantering in Western style is called loping . . . my preferred method of travel on Packer other than walking ;)

The first ride gave us the chance to familiarise ourselves with our horses, the Western style of riding and breathe in the exquisite beauty of the 3,000 acre property owned by the True Family. The Sonoran desert landscape truly is breathtaking: Big blue skies contrast against the soft brown and beige tones of the arid desert floor, abundant cacti (including the magnificent Saguaro cactus with its almost humanlike characteristics) punctuate the landscape as far as the eye can see, longhorn cattle poke lazily about in the scrub keeping a watchful eye on the horses as they pass, and in the distance the rugged peaks of the Tucson mountains rise majestically. It is not hard to understand why dozens of movies, commercials and stills have been shot at the White Stallion Ranch over the years: it is the unspoilt terrain of my wistful childhood dreams.

All rides at the White Stallion ranch are led by an experienced wrangler, and are divided into slow rides (peaceful and relaxing, perfect for enjoying the beautiful scenery), fast rides (tighten the Stampede string on your cowboy hat for exhilarating loping across the desert plains), mountain rides (this was our personal butt-clenching, sweaty palms Man From Snowy River moment: with the horses picking their way down rocky Movie Pass in what felt like a near-vertical descent!), half and full day rides (I did an afternoon half day ride into the Javelina Canyon – it was incredible. Loping back to the ranch on Packer as the sun was setting was truly magical) as well as a wine and cheese ride (with lovely wines and cheeses served mid-ride under the shadow of the mountains), beer and Cheetos ride (which we didn’t get to do unfortunately) and the wonderful Breakfast ride (blueberry pancakes with whipped butter and syrup, sausages, eggs, camp potatoes, and strong coffee all served up in the desert. I could almost read poor Packer’s mind when I mounted up again…right after loosening my belt a notch! He certainly made his point with a judgemental look in my direction and a snort of his nostrils ;). The ranch also offers lessons plus team penning and barrel racing, and a rodeo on Saturdays.

While the White Stallion is a working longhorn cattle ranch, you won’t need to roll out your swag and sleep under the stars. Accommodation is in comfortable casitas (ours was a deluxe suite), with a small terrace and sun loungers out front where you can read, watch the sun go down or just collapse after a long day in the saddle. Meals are served in the old Adobe ranch house in the middle of the property and are taken “family style” so you grab a plate, load up with mouth-wateringly delicious food (Mexican night was my favourite), and pull up a seat next to your fellow guests to eat, drink and discuss the day's activities. That was one of the best things about the ranch: meeting people from all over the world (U.S.A, Sweden, Canada, Australia and the U.K. were all represented during our stay), of all ages, with wildly different backgrounds and riding experience. Some guests had their own horses back home and were extremely experienced while others had never ridden a horse before. It didn’t matter: we were all there to enjoy the horseback riding and embrace our inner cowboy/cowgirl in this slice of Tucson paradise.

Apart from riding, the White Stallion Ranch offers guided hikes, a pool and hot tub, tennis court, petting farm for the littlies, and a games room. The ranch is also close to golf courses, Old Tucson studios, museums, and Saguaro National Park (which is adjacent to the ranch). Bottom line: if you are going with someone who doesn’t want to ride or who only wants to ride occasionally, they will find plenty to do.

I could go on and on about the awesomeness of the White Stallion Ranch – we absolutely loved our experience and didn’t want to leave when it came to saying goodbye. If you read the reviews on TripAdvisor, clearly we are not alone in our sentiments. Guests rebook year after year (I think I read that one guest was up to 50 or so return visits!), a testament to the hospitality of the True family, the wranglers and the ranch staff. Will we be making the trip back to the White Stallion Ranch in the future? Yes siree! And you might just see me in a fringed jacket, chaps and rhinestone cowboy hat yet ;)

*I distinctly recall this during my high school years – sneaking time in front of the television, procrastinating, instead of revising ;)

**Note that I did not hear anyone use giddy-up or yee-haw during my stay at White Stallion Ranch. I think that only happens in the movies or in my imagination ;)

*** The ranch is well equipped with mounting blocks so for those who don’t ride all the time, or who are maybe a little less flexible than they used to be (me!), don’t fret, you won’t have to mount your horse from the ground. Before I went, I had visions of having to cart a stepladder around with me at all times!

Note: The ranch provides riding helmets for those who wish to wear one instead of a cowboy hat.

Our stay was hosted by the White Stallion Ranch.