Reach for the stars – or, at least, Texas Hill Country – in 2026 with this lavish buffet of boffo summer destinations in the U.S. West.
By Jessica Dunham, Mirelle Inglefield, Leah LeMoine & Craig Outhier
Original Photography by Eric Cox
Wardrobe Styling by Mitch Phillips
San Diego 3 Ways
Is “America’s Finest City” on your travel docket this summer? We offer this trio of looks.
Beachy Bliss in Carlsbad
The “location, location, location” dictum is every bit as useful when choosing a resort hotel as it is when buying a home. Consider Hotel Solea, a recently rebranded and upgraded imprint of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, located in the coastal foothills of Carlsbad mere steps from LEGOLAND California Resort (legoland.com). Literally, steps. It’s so close, in fact, that a five-minute walk will take you from the hotel to an exclusive, semi-secret back entrance on the mostly forgotten east side of the theme park, where you can nibble at the older, Euro-centric fairy-tale rides before moving on to newer big-ticket stuff like LEGO Galaxy and Dino Valley. Your 8-year-old will be in heaven.
If you don’t happen to have an 8-year-old in your travel party, Hotel Solea remains a jackpot of accessibility in San Diego’s North County. Done in Modern Coastal tones, with a spacious, tastefully refreshed lobby and Moorish porte-cochère, the hotel is a little more than a mile inland from Carlsbad’s formidable collection of public beaches – including its very best beach, Tamarack, located mere steps (that phrase again!) from the town center, broad and clean with just enough swell to make it fun for the splash-around set. Solea offers free shuttle service to and from the beach.
Wedged between Encinitas (to the south) and Oceanside (to the north), Carlsbad is spoiled with natural beauty and, yes, Solea is near most of it – including Batiquitos Lagoon Hiking Trail (carlsbadca.gov), a 1.3-mile meander that begins in an upscale bedroom community and hugs a 528-acre tidal wetland enchantingly inhabited by all manner of exotic birds, including the wren-like snowy plover and fish-hunting California least terns. You’ll espy herons and osprey picking over the serene salt marsh, as well.
Finally, Solea has the virtue of being located next to well-outfitted neighbors, including Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa (marriott.com), which boasts one special endowment that Solea lacks – a place to get a massage. Regardless of which property you’re staying at, the Westin’s Ocean Pearl Spa (oceanpearlspa.com) will happily book you for a service and give you access to its eucalyptus steam room, plunge pools and relaxation lounge. And then it will give you something else, something we all adore after a 90-minute sports massage – a short walk back to your room.
3 Must-Try Menus in Carlsbad
Verise
Hotel Solea’s flagship restaurant is a Modern Italian affair specializing in coastal cuisine – not unlike Pa’La back in Phoenix. Chef Riccardo Bilotta excites with hamachi crudo in a slick, emulsified bath of olio nuovo and fresno chile; and brings the cavallos home with rustic entrées like bucatini in a guanciale-studded pomodoro sauce and grilled sea bass under cannellini bean crema. verisecarlsbad.com
Campfire
Set in a repurposed Quonset hut, this disarming sharable-plates concept earned Michelin Guide “recommended” distinction for its flushed, take-no-prisoners cooking. Think crispy roasted broccoli in a zesty chermoula sauce and warmed oysters with smoked oxtail dashi – much served out of a hand-built 12-foot hearth. thisiscampfire.com
Nomada
Former punk-rock musician Alex Carballo plunges deep into ancestral Sinaloan cooking traditions at his new restaurant and cantina, splashing kumamoto oysters with charred chiltepin mignonette and serving his carne asada with charred green onions and a lusty side of pinto beans. But the pan-Mexican offerings are outstanding, too: tangy-sweet cochinita pibil and spot-on mole. nomadadining.com
Karlsbad vs. Carlsbad
Where and how you get your spa service in Carlsbad is no trivial matter. Founded in the 1880s, the city was named after the renowned Bohemian spa town of Karlsbad because it shares similar, mineral-rich ground water.
Inland Wellness at Rancho Valencia
Bundled between old horse trails and stands of eucalyptus in Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is as cozy and unpretentious as any one-percenter wellness retreat could reasonably aspire to be. Renovated to the tune of $30 million by members of the Jacobs family (read: Qualcomm money) in 2012, the 40-acre Relais & Châteaux property is much more about pace and proportion than extravagance. A typical day might involve a late breakfast of lemon-ricotta pancakes followed by numerous short strolls among banyan-like fig trees and herb gardens; you might play a little tennis later, or something else with a racket, and nap on your private patio (because this is a suite-only property, and all the suites have one); then maybe enjoy some body work at the spa, then maybe miso-encrusted sea bass at the resort’s on-site Coastal Cuisine restaurant, The Pony Room. You might wind down with a chat over drinks with someone nice and then head to bed – on the most magnificently forgiving mattress you’ve encountered.
Ain’t wellness grand?
The excellent beaches of Del Mar and Encinitas, meanwhile, are only about 7 miles due west – but the beach really isn’t part of the wellness equation at Rancho Valencia. Instead, you might find yourself repeatedly using these coefficients:
The Spa. Like many resorts that take their spa programs really, really seriously, the spa at RV doesn’t have a special name – just as the engine in your car doesn’t have a special name. It’s simply that which propels the whole deal. A sprawling, indoor-outdoor space done in glass and elegant decking, The Spa includes hot-cold outdoor plunge pools; numerous studios for Pilates, sound therapy and other classes; and a yoga pavilion built around a serenity pool. Just as critically, the treatment rooms are bungalow-like affairs with their own outdoor showers, facilitating advanced services like Restore, a 90-minute odyssey in which you shower off after a vigorous full-body dry-brush scrub and infrared bundling session, then return to the bed and enjoy a traditional deep-tissue rubdown. If you’re a massage fan, it will spoil you permanently.
The Gadgets. Crude extravagances are few at Rancho Valencia, but Therabody red-light therapy masks, leg compression socks and other high-tech recovery gizmos? They’re everywhere – in your suite, on the tennis courts, racked like armory swords in the fitness center, everywhere. Vigorous exercise is an ever-present possibility at RV – as is the expectation to help heal yourself.
Rackets and Padels. Where exercise is concerned, most RV guests seem to do it on the tennis court, and many are quite good – accomplished amateurs drawn by the resort’s first-rate facilities and instruction. For the rest of us, the resort offers a diminished version of tennis played with a paddle, but it’s not pickleball. It’s called padel, and it’s basically pickleball crossbred with squash, obliging players to return caroms and wall-shots. And you know what? It’s fun. You probably won’t break quite the sweat you would at tennis, but if you do it right, you’ll definitely be reaching for the leg compression socks afterward on your patio.
Food Escapism in the City
Where eating and drinking in San Diego is concerned, we’ll go high, we’ll go low, we’ll go anywhere. Here are five recent culinary revelations from the PHOENIX travel team.
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
Maybe we’re late to the ball on this one. After all, Stone has been a “big thing” in the beer world long enough to become a fixture in the beer aisle at your local Safeway. But the IPA pioneer’s fortress-like taproom and restaurant in the jungles of Escondido really is a delight. It has taps, it has merch, it has interesting plants… it even has terrific eats, like chutney-topped Indian street nachos and a consommé-sided birria melt. It’s basically a Stone lifestyle center, and we’re so down. stonebrewing.com
A.R. Valentien
Culinary quality has never been an issue at this flagship restaurant at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Still, the precision California cooking has arguably taken a back seat to the venue itself, a library-toned dining space with lordly forest views that fairly hums with collegiate dignity. With the recent hiring of chef Eric Sakai, the menu may be drawing even. A veteran of two Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurants, Sakai is expected to impart an expressive Romantic touch on the ARV menu this summer, given his aptitude for handmade pastas and wood-fired cooking. lodgetorreypines.com
Realm of the 52 Remedies
If you visit only one apothecary-themed Chinese speakeasy hidden inside a closet at a Kearny Mesa pizza joint this summer, make it Realm of the 52 Remedies. Conceived by one-time engineering student Cristian Liang, it’s a disarming onslaught of tastes, textures and cultural theater, serving both baroque Asian cocktails and a limited but electrifying menu of fusion-fueled small plates, including instantly addictive, honey-sambal-coated Korean fried quail and tangy chile-pickled cucumbers. Forget the elaborate qualifier: Just go. 52remedies.com
Raised by Wolves
San Diego is best known as a beer town, but it’s also the home of tiki trailblazer False Idol and other seminal cocktail bars. One of the most thrilling: this fin de siècle-inspired speakeasy set somewhat humorously in a La Jolla outdoor shopping mall. Entering through a revolving false fireplace, you step into a lavish, study-like drinking realm done in crushed velvet and Art Deco sky lights, where you sip mad-scientist stunners like the umami-centric Torta Verde (brandy and vermouth entwined with olive oil and lemon curd). raisedxwolves.com
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken
With a mouthful of a name like that, it better deliver the flaky-crispy-sweet goods, and boy does it ever. Set near the San Diego State University campus in East San Diego, Rise is precisely the kind of late-A.M. fast-casual comfort food you crave after a night of, for instance, drinking cocktails at Realm of the 52 Remedies. Go orthodox (but delicious) with a ham, bacon and cheese breakfast sandwich, or break all the rules with a peppery Southern sausage patty wedged between two halves of a glazed blueberry biscuit. Mouthful, indeed. risebiscuitschicken.com
Santa Monica Roadie
Take the I-10 west – all the way west – to the classic summer road-trip destination of Santa Monica.
As the birthplace of beach volleyball and home to California’s first “amusement pier,” Santa Monica has summer-fun roots that run as deep as any city in the country. Adding to Santa Monica’s mystique: its role as terminus of both Route 66 and its modern-day analog, Interstate 10. The mind boggles imagining the legions of Midwestern road-trippers who kicked open the doors of their Ford Country Squire Wagons and gulped in satisfying draughts of the salty ocean air upon arrival.
But just because this particular summer escape is well-traced doesn’t mean there aren’t fresh delights to unveil – or significant payouts for your five-hour Phoenix to Pacific investment.
Where to Stay: Regent Santa Monica Beach
Formerly a dowdy 1980s-era Loew’s property, the beachfront hotel recently “had some work done” in L.A. parlance, emerging from a $55-million makeover as a bright, well-proportioned luxury hotel with lickety-split access to Santa Monica State Beach. The lone U.S. outpost of luxury hotel brand Regent, and one of just 12 worldwide, the 167-room property checks all the boxes for a bucket-list beach vacay: a celebrity-chef-fronted restaurant in the guise of Orla, where seafood whisperer Michael Mina expands his tent with dukkah Waldorf salad, tahina fried chicken and other Middle Eastern-inflected fusion delights; a world-class pampering at Guerlain Wellness Spa; and complimentary e-bikes to explore the boardwalk; the list doesn’t end until you hop back on the I-10. Summer rates start at $1,500/night. 1700 Ocean Ave., 310-458-6700, santamonica.regenthotels.com
Santa Monica Dining Rec
Though technically a mile up the road in West Los Angeles, this swank steakhouse has resonance for Phoenicians as the namesake of popular Biltmore-area Mod-Med restaurant FLINT by Baltaire. Not to be glib, but it’s basically the Steak 44 of Santa Monica – thrilling raw bar paired with magisterial steaks, all of it impeccably executed with disarming flourishes, from the modest chimichurri add-on to golden ossetra caviar. Pray there’s a fridge in your hotel room – you’ll want to take the uneaten half of your bone-in ribeye home with you. baltaire.com
Santa Monica Summer Social Calendar
MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street, May 24
Get a jump on the summer crowds with this clever take on the classic board game, giving players access to tastings at more than 20 participating businesses. mainopolysm.com
Summer Soulstice Festival, June 21
Local musicians, beer vendors and more take over Main Street during this annual music-and-sun-drenched soirée. mainstreetsm.com/summer-soulstice
4th of July Parade, July 4
Pedestrians and slow-moving celebratory vehicles take over Santa Monica Boulevard in this classic local event. santamonicaparade.com
Untitled Music Festival, September TBA
Care to stretch your summering into the fall? The city is partnering with SoCal promoter Goldenvoice to bring around a dozen top acts to the beach for a single-day, Coachella-style music festival in September. goldenvoice.com
Happy Belated, Mickey!
Route 66 isn’t the only American road-trip institution celebrating a birthday.
Disneyland, that ever-evolving realm of magic, wholesome escapism and four-alarm toddler meltdowns, turned 70 years old in 2025. If you missed the initial party, not to worry – like a true Orange County debutante, the park is keeping the celebration going with multiple birthday fêtes extending through the summer, including fan favorites such as the Paint the Night float parade, featuring more than 1.5 million LED lights and characters from Frozen, Toy Story and other beloved movies, running nightly along Main Street, U.S.A. You have until August 9, when Mickey blows out the candles for good.
New at D-Land
If it’s been a few moons since your last visit, make time for these Disney newbies.
Bluey-Maxxing
2026 will bring all things Bluey to Disneyland, as Imagineers scramble to satisfy the insatiable preschool-age demand for the animated Aussie pooch. Bluey’s Best Day Ever! – an interactive mélange of comedic performers, musicians, games and dancing – debuted at Fantasyland Theatre in the spring, along with plentiful food and merch options.
The Mandalorian and Grogu Tie-In
The hotly anticipated sci-fi romp will promptly manifest at the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride on May 22, 2026 in the guise of an all-new interactive mission inspired by the movie.
Soarin’ Across America
Honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary, this limited-time overlay of the IMAX-boosted Soarin’ Around the World ride at Disney California Adventure invites guest to take a simulated aerial ride over iconic American landscapes and cityscapes, from the Grand Canyon to New York City.
Trader Sam’s Reboot
If you know, you know. Long a cult favorite at the Disneyland Hotel – after a day in the park with the kids, you need that Mai Tai, man – this tiki bar and Polynesian restaurant is getting a cosmetic upgrade. Anticipated re-opening: late May.
Sonoma Summer Soak
A new glamping resort on the banks of the Russian River in Northern California dives into summer-camp nostalgia.
On paper, River Electric in Guerneville, about two hours north of San Francisco, cleaves closely to the American tradition of sleepaway camp. Such as: overnighting in tents, a shared bathhouse, hot dogs for dinner, afternoons at the pool and goodies from the camp store.
But look closely. Scattered among a dense thatch of redwoods, those tents are outfitted with king-size beds and 500-thread-count sheets. Dreamily lit paved paths loop through River Electric’s forested 12 acres, not a toe-stubbing tree root in sight. The bathhouse may be communal, but it also boasts dedicated get-glam vanity spaces. The hot dogs are topped with caviar, and the pool – a glittering azure orb ringed by luxury cabanas – leans more European beach club than the chlorine-injected swimming pools of childhood. For Arizonans seeking an easy, breezy, check-it-and-forget-it camp stay, it’s River Electric all the way.
Having debuted in 2025, River Electric kicked off its second season this May, inviting guests to stay, play and swim through October 31, when it shutters for the winter. Dreamed up by co-founder Kelsey Sheofsky and creative director Maggie Wilson, River Electric marries 1960s-era East Coast retreats – à la the fictional Kellerman’s Resort from the movie Dirty Dancing – with a dash of California boho chic.
Notice thoughtful design touches throughout like salvaged redwood and locally sourced craftsmanship in unexpected spots like the showers (by Sonoma Forge) or countertops (by Sonoma Cast). A block north, the Russian River meanders by, lending inspiration for both the camp’s name and for how the entire place was built – completely eco-resilient, with bio-retention landscaping and flood-resistant structures meant to withstand the river’s propensity to swell.
Guests can opt to spend the night in one of 46 canvas tents, each custom-furnished and equipped with electricity. Or, if one prefers traditional solid-walled accommodations elsewhere, they can purchase a day pass ($42) to loll at River Electric’s swim club, where poolside service includes boozy libations and noshes like sandwiches, salads, crudité and the aforementioned caviar-crowned hot dog. Everywhere, Wi-Fi is abundant, as is the lively mood of the place – dare we say, an electric energy that emanates from the friendly mingle of tourists and locals that populate the resort.
When not reading under the shade of a redwood or attending chef pop-ups at River Electric’s restaurant, guests can partake in Sonoma wine-country outings like wandering the shops, art galleries and tasting rooms in downtown Guerneville, a 10-minute stroll from camp.
And though River Electric bills itself as a family-friendly glamp camp, it also schedules monthly adults-only weekends: June 26-28, July 17-19, August 21-23 and September 11-12. Kind of like a fun twist on Parents’ Weekend at summer camps of yore, no?
3 More California Glamp Getaways
AutoCamp Yosemite
Tucked outside Yosemite’s park gates, AutoCamp is both communal (midcentury-inspired clubhouse, campfire wine tastings) and exclusive (Airstream trailers with plush beds, spa-like bathrooms and a French press). From $392/night, 6323 CA-140, Midpines, 844-993-9888, autocamp.com/location/yosemite
Huttopia Paradise Springs
Hollywood’s 1930s elite retreated to this San Gabriel Mountains hideaway; today, in-the-know Angelenos do the same, enjoying laps in the Olympic-size pool, croissants and cappuccinos for breakfast, and tastefully furnished tents. From $303/night, 18101 Paradise Dr., Valyermo, 661-544-8006, americas.huttopia.com/en/site/paradise-springs
Mendocino Grove
Coastal views, redwoods and the metronome of the pounding surf set the scene here. Highlights include safari tents, an on-site spa and hammock-hung nooks throughout the property’s 37 acres. From $259/night, 9601 CA Hwy. 1, 707-880-7710, mendocinogrove.com
Deep in the Art of Texas
Tip your cowboy hat to the open road with a tour of Marfa, Alpine and other art-inclined towns in the Big Bend region of West Texas.
The art rocks in Big Bend – like, literally. Artistic expression in the region stretches back some 6,000 years, with petroglyphs and pictographs etched into towering limestone canyons. We recommend a week-long road trip. Spend the weekday portion roaming the wide-open, natural masterpieces of the region, hugging Big Bend National Park along the mighty Rio Grande, about 300 miles southeast of the New Mexico border; then saddle up for an action-packed art weekend in Marfa and Alpine, where many businesses keep weekday hours to a minimum. Starting your adventure is easy for Phoenicians: Just get on the I-10 and drive east for a day or so.
Thursday-Friday
Landing in Marfa
Founded in 1883 as a railroad water stop, Marfa has evolved over the years from military outpost to a minimalist art mecca favored “by Dallas yuppies,” in the words of one native. Thanks to artist Donald Judd’s efforts to foster the local art scene in the 1970s, it’s now equal parts dusty and divine – a place where high art meets high desert.
After driving through El Paso and covering a stretch of West Texas as wide as California, detour left off the I-10 for your first architectural detour: Hotel El Capitan (223collectionhotels.com/hotelelcapitan), a 1930s landmark in the town of Van Horn designed by architect Henry C. Trost, showcasing Mission Revival design with Southwestern and Spanish Colonial influences. Continue down U.S. 90 to the town of Valentine to peep Prada Marfa – the famous mock storefront built in 2005 by Scandinavian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset, capturing dusty desolation with haute couture in a single, surreal package. Nearby, you’ll find the area’s other iconic image: a larger-than-life 3-D mural by artist John Cerney nods to the 1956 film Giant, complete with a soundtrack by musician Michael Nesmith.
Once in Marfa, book a tour at the Judd Foundation (juddfoundation.org) to step inside the mind – and living space – of minimalist master Donald Judd, then visit the Chinati Foundation (chinati.org), founded by Judd in 1986 and named for the nearby mountains. Spanning 340 acres on the former Fort D.A. Russell military installation, the area now showcases large-scale, permanent art installations by Judd and select contemporaries.
Later, browse the delightfully cheeky Wrong Store (wrongmarfa.com), an art gallery and gift shop that has a full bar, and where co-owner Buck Johnston will surely be happy to pour you a strong one to sip and shop the day away. At night, chase the mysterious Marfa Lights – explained away as paranormal events or atmospheric reflections of distant car headlights – with the best viewing about 9 miles east of town off highway 67/90. Don’t miss the Hotel Paisano (223collectionhotels.com/hotelpaisano), Building 98’s POW murals (call 432-729-4826 to book a visit) and “Sleeping Figure” by artist Matt Johnson, a massive reclining sculpture made of shipping containers, a mile east of town on U.S. Route 67.
Eating & Drinking in Marfa
For the culinary side of things, you’ve got options. Start at Marfa Burritos (@marfa.burritos), where Ramona Tejada – aka the Burrito Queen – serves scrumptious handheld legends, praised by Anthony Bourdain and immortalized on a wall of celebrity snapshots. Then head to The Sentinel (thesentinelmarfa.com) for a post-prandial Americano and a copy of the region’s lone newspaper, The Big Bend Sentinel, which happens to be published at the coffee shop. You might lunch at Bordo (bordomarfa.com) by James Beard-nominated chef-owner Michael Serva, who cut his teeth in Michelin-starred kitchens and delivers what he calls “post-caviar” cuisine – affordable, simple and stunning. While the sandwiches are the most popular item on the menu, he says his pasta is “simple, and high quality. Like a Prada dress.”
For dinner, consider Cochineal Marfa (cochinealmarfa.com) by Beard-nominated chef-owner Alexandra Gates, whose cooking is a study in flavor composition, blending West Texas roots with European technique. For a spirited prelude, Marfa Spirit Co. (themarfaspirit.com) pours house-distilled, desert-inspired libations. Stop in before you hop over to Planet Marfa (planetmarfa.com) – an open-air bar with a renovated school bus, where day drinking becomes performance art.
Where to Stay
Hotel Saint George pairs historical bones with modern lines. Hallways and rooms are adorned with original works by local artists – think gallery meets getaway, with rooms that feel like sleek, livable installations. 105 S. Highland Ave., Marfa, 432-729-3700, marfasaintgeorge.com
Friday-Saturday
Float Over to Alpine
The ironically named desert town of Alpine began as a Southern Pacific Railroad shipping hub and has evolved into a creative enclave under some of the darkest skies in Texas. City tourism official Chris Ruggia says it best: “Culture isn’t curated here – it’s created.”
At Museum of the Big Bend (museumofthebigbend.com), explore regional history and art, including Tom Lea’s powerful Western Beef Cattle series – raw, unflinching vignettes of the cattle lifecycle that feels undeniably Texan. If you can, time your West Texas visit with the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit (July-August, museumonmainstreet.org), which spotlights how communities spark fresh ideas and new ways of thinking.
Alpine’s see-and-do scene is nothing if not diverse. Sports fans can catch a 7th-inning stretch at Kokernot Field (kokernotfield.com), a charming “mini-Wrigley” built in 1947 where amateur and semi-pro teams play. If architecture is your thing, take in the exterior of the Holland Hotel (thehollandhoteltexas.com) – another Henry Trost design, built in 1912 in Spanish Colonial Revival style. It will undergo renovations this summer, with a planned reopening in January 2027. Then, for a dose of perspective, hike Hancock Hill to its summit, where you’ll find “The Desk” (visitalpinetx.com/attractions/hancock-hill-trails), a decades-old study perch with sweeping views. Bring a pen and leave your mark among the inscriptions.
But art is surely the thing in Alpine. Start your art walk at the Alpine Visitor Center (visitalpinetx.com) to grab a mural map, then roam 50-plus public works, including a Texas-twist homage to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Pop into 5th Street Gallery (5thstreetgalleryalpine.com) for a fair-trade, artisanal take-home treasure, including some pieces that support the Big Bend Natural History Association.
End the tour by picking up a bar of donkey milk soap or cozy alpaca apparel at Wassermann’s (wassermannwranch.com), where you might get to pet a baby wallaby, or grab a ticket to the Wassermann Wranch for a full alpaca meet-and-greet. End your day at The Ritchey (theritchey.com), where the second-floor balcony sets the scene for a vivid Big Bend sunset, best enjoyed with a Texas tea and a little live music.
Eating & Drinking in Alpine
Fuel up at Scoops (@scoopsalpinetexas) where, yes, breakfast and ice cream rule. Spicewood (hotelparker.com/spicewood) serves comfort classics – like its mainstay chicken-fried chicken – with a view that could inspire a landscape painting. At night, Alcove Social (alcove.social) mixes house-distilled spirits with karaoke. (Liquid courage = live art.) Lucia (luciaalpine.com) rounds it out with luscious Italian fare, jazz tunes and a mood as smooth as a well-blended palette.
Where to Stay
Hotel Parker (hotelparker.com) offers ranch-style serenity with a luxe twist – casitas, big skies and ample room to roam.
Monday-Wednesday
Rocking Out in Big Bend
Farm-to-Market Road 170 – aka the “River Road” – is arguably Texas’s most scenic drive, bird-dogging the Rio Grande as it ribbons through canyons and cinematic desert landscapes, past hoodoos and balanced rock formations. Pull over at Closed Canyon, a picturesque slot canyon, and climb Fandango Dom Rock, the steepest point on the road. A boulder here bears the word “DOM” – a nod to the 1985 film Fandango, which made Kevin Costner a star and was shot in the area. Stop at Contrabando Day-Use Area, a mostly flooded-out former movie set where Dead Man’s Walk and Rio Diablo, starring Naomi Judd and Kenny Rogers, were both shot.
Driving past the gritty ghost town of Terlingua and its famed cemetery, you’ll arrive at Big Bend National Park (nps.gov/bibe/index.htm). Hike the Chimneys and Indian Head trails to spot ancient rock art and soak in historical hot springs, then stargaze under some of the darkest skies in North America. The park is a designated International Dark Sky Park Gold Tier.
When the end of your Big Bend residency rolls around, take FR 170 back to the I-10 and start the long drive back to Arizona – second state on the left.
Texas Hill Country Quintet
Fixin’ to visit Fredericksburg this summer? The heart of Texas Hill Country offers activities aplenty, from the rustic to the refined.
Peach Pickin’
Georgia who? Texans pride themselves on (among many other things) their peaches, which hit peak deliciousness between May and August. Pick your own at any number of multigenerational family-owned farms. Jenschke Orchards (bestfredericksburgpeaches.com) boasts other U-pick produce and a wine tasting room. Vogel Orchard (vogelorchard.wixsite.com/vogelorchard/shop) sells incredible peach cobbler and peach butter made from matriarch Nelda Vogel’s original recipes. Burg’s Corner (burgscorner.com) has a huge selection of artisanal foodstuffs and an ice cream counter with sweet peach ice cream.
Bubbles Drinkin’
Texas Hill Country = Texas Wine Country, and there are scads of vineyards and tasting rooms where you can sample the state’s famed Roussannes, Marsannes and Mourvèdres (texaswinetrail.com). But a new kid in town specializes in sparkling wine. Six Twists (sixtwistssparkling.com) is the first tasting room in Texas devoted to Champagne, Crémant, Cava, Prosecco and more. Pair a glass of Champs with global bites including Spanish fried potatoes, conservas and caviar flights in the luxe yet comfy lounge.
Garden Tourin’
There’s a lot going on at Hill Country Herb Garden (hillcountryherbgarden.com), a sprawling property that includes a garden-to-table restaurant, boutique lodging (three styles of guest cottages or the spacious Garden House, which sleeps 12) and the region’s premier spa. But the draws in spring and summer are undoubtedly the beautiful herb and flower gardens dotting the parcel. Pop into Marigold gift shop for seed packets and every type of botanical art and floral merch imaginable.
Compound Crawlin’
Speaking of sprawling properties: You could spend days at the Fischer & Wieser Farmstead (fwfarmstead.com), a collaboration between two longtime Fredericksburg families, the Fischers and the Wiesers. Their substantial acreage includes country store Das Peach Haus, the F&W cooking school, a wine tasting room, Dietz Distillery, Tha Stand produce stand, lodging (a 1910 farmhouse and modern Airstreams), a private pond, a peach orchard and an experimental orchard. You can do a gluttonous food-and-drink crawl without leaving the premises.
Vittles Eatin’
Not all wine towns are food towns, but thankfully, Fredericksburg is. Our recs for a day of deliciousness: for breakfast, a jalapeño-cheddar kolache and an iced latte at Caliche Coffee Bar & Roastery (calichecoffee.com); for lunch, a carnitas torta and Mexican Coke at Emi’s on Austin (emisonaustin.com); and for dinner, either duck schnitzel and a dry Riesling at nouveau German bistro Otto’s (ottosfbg.com) or the signature lobster-topped chicken-fried ribeye with a big Texas Cab at Hill Country legend Cabernet Grill (cabernetgrill.com). You’ll have to roll yourself back to your hotel, but it will be worth it.
