WILD WEST Cowboy Up


Clockwise: Rancho de los Caballeros, Goldfield Ghost Town, Prescott’s Whiskey Row, Tombstone Stagecoach The first image of Arizona that most people have comes


from the movies – the classic Hollywood westerns – where cowboys and gold miners and shootouts at High Noon dominated the landscape. These days, most of the gold is found in jewelry stores and the shootouts take place on a basketball court, but plenty of cowboys still roam the state. Rodeos, working cattle ranches and gold prospecting still have their place in Arizona. You just have to know where to find them.


PHOENIX & CENTRAL Greater Phoenix’s version of the Old West is more mild


than wild, but there’s still plenty to be found in these parts. You’ll find a few period buildings and hitching posts still standing in Old Town Scottsdale, but what really stands out are the many art galleries that display classic western sculptures and paintings, along with a handful of western wear stores. A half-hour north of Scottsdale is funky Cave Creek


where several saloons and restaurants feature sawdust on the floor, with mountain backdrops to boot. Speaking of boots, they’re definitely in order if you and the group choose horseback riding as an option. Cave Creek Outfitters is a good bet for small group rides. Another long-time favorite is Don Donnelly’s D-Spur Ranch in Apache Junction, which transports riders deep into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. West of Cave Creek, along I-17, is the Pioneer Living


History Village, a collection of 30 buildings that reels in visitors with a time trip to the 1800s. A miner’s cabin, ranch houses, blacksmith shop and farm animals are all part of


16 www.AZMeet ings.com


the scene. More family fun takes place at Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse, on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Chandler. Stunt shows and shootouts, pony rides and petting zoos, train and stagecoach rides – it’s all there, including live country music. Whether you take to the Superstitions on horseback or on


foot, it’s worth exploring the ghost town of Goldfield and the Lost Dutchman State Park, both of which provide first- hand reminders of the gold-rush frenzy of the late 1800s. An hour northwest of Phoenix is Wickenburg, probably the closest place you’ll find near Phoenix that embodies the spirit of the Old West. Rancho de los Caballeros is the perfect place to stay and get the authentic western feel. With over 100 horses to ride, and a full-service spa to work out your tired muscles, you have everything you would want from a luxury resort coupled with yesteryear hospitality. Be sure to visit the Desert Caballeros Western Museum illuminating the rich character of the land when life revolved around cowboys, mines and minerals.


TUCSON & SOUTHERN The roll call of famous Old West names is legendary:


Geronimo and Cochise; Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. These four and many more make Tucson and southern Arizona a must-stop for western history buffs. Start with the kid-friendly Old Tucson Studios, which was actually built as a set for the 1939 movie, Arizona. Since then, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman have all filmed movies here. Today, it’s more of a Wild West theme park, with train rides, staged gunfight stunts and musical shows. Tucson is also justifiably famous for its guest ranches, where


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