Mesa, Arizona is the desert destination with so much to offer
Wild west history, nature and foodie experiences are within quick and easy reach, says Ruth Brindle
Whether you are a first-time visitor to the U.S, or a seasoned traveller, Mesa, Arizona is a good value destination for wide-ranging experiences. For a longer tour of the west it’s an action-packed gateway city. It’s only a 20-25 minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport to the city centre, good to know after an 11-hour transatlantic flight. The tourist authority Visit Mesa offers two very well thought-out visitor routes that will take you out into the Sonoran Desert and also helps you find the best of city life - especially its food.
I followed part of the Apache Trail staying outside town at a very relaxing ranch and then took in some of the best of the Foodie Trail within the city. The Apache Trail is an easy road trip around 12 attractions and places of interest along the way.
The Apache Trail and Chain of Lakes is thought to be one of the best scenic drives in Arizona. The partially-paved 48-mile road snakes along a chain of three man-made lakes on the Salt River – Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt, which takes three to four hours if you do it all.We chose first to take the winding road to the scenic Canyon Lake for a fun and informative, 90-minute Dolly Steamboat ride. As we made our way around the cactus-lined perimeter we passed other small leisure boats and kayaks. Our guide taught us about the rock formations and wildlife, including big horn sheep. We even spotted one nimble-footed specimen high up on the cliffs.We enjoyed drinks and snacks on board and the trip, in glorious sunshine, was memorable.
After the boat trip, we had lunch at Tortilla Flat, an authentic remnant of an old west town. It started out as a stage stop in 1904 with real saddles serving as bar stools where we enjoyed Killer Chili, Big Burgers and Prickly Pear Ice Cream.Next stop was another glimpse of the old wild west at the reconstructed Goldfield Ghost Town. With a stunning view of the spectacular Superstition Mountains, so called because native Americans felt ‘superstitious’ about them, it was the site of a gold strike in 1892 and became a small town of miners. A great place to wander around, watch a ‘gunfight’, take an underground tour of the tunnels or enjoy a drink and meal in the saloon. Behind the bar, there’s a very eccentric European ‘cowboy’ who is a big part of the attraction and will oblige visitors with a gunslinger ‘hold-up’ photo.
My first base was at Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch in the Tonto National Forest, the fifth largest in the U.S, within the Sonoran Desert. It’s in a truly gorgeous, mountainside location on the banks of the Salt River. You just sigh with relief on arrival there. The family-owned ranch is set on its own beside the towering Bulldog Cliffs with cabins set within the forest, surrounded by the distinctive saguaro cacti all around.
It was created in 1927 for workers during construction of the nearby Stewart Mountain Dam. The main lodge at the ranch was originally the mess hall for the crew. It is now a welcoming place to relax and eat, watch TV or use the WiFi, leaving you feeling as if you are in an authentic western ranch.
Famous guests have included Glen Campbell, Henry Ford III, Norman Rockwell and Rob Lowe. Understandably, it has also been used as a film and music video location.
To a certain extent it’s a no-frills location with no TV, WiFi, radios, clocks or phones in the rooms, but the rustic, Western-style accommodations have heating and air conditioning. There are 20 cabins each with a comfortable sitting room and porch overlooking a green lawn looking towards the swimming pool. Here, stargazing is quite simply dazzling. The desert air is clear and the sky untainted by man-made light,.While there is no regular evening meal, there are Thursday night dining events and Saturday night cowboy cookouts.
On my first morning, after a ‘cowboy’ breakfast - bacon, eggs, blueberry muffins and syrup, there was a chance to test out my horse-riding skills. Our trusty steeds took the small group across the river stepping carefully over boulders and climbed up the saguaro cactus-clad hill to a spectacular view over the 10-mile long Saguaro Lake.
In the city I stayed in a hotel where technology was in a great supply. The new Residence Inn Phoenix-Mesa East is a slick and modern hotel with every mod con, including a fully-functioning kitchen and two giant TVs in each suite. There are two-bed suites, too, which would be a great offer for families.
It’s a good base for the Foodie Trail, a ‘have fork will travel’ collection of Mesa’s finest venues for buying, eating and drinking your way around the area. It’s a celebration of farms, agritourism attractions and restaurants in Mesa and surrounding towns, and a really imaginative way to discover the best of local food on offer.
First stop was the Queen Creek Olive Mill. This is a family-owned olive farm producing olive oil, but also every known product that could possibly use olive oil in its production, including beauty and health products. It’s a fantastic place to buy some gifts for yourself and people at home. The Olive Oil 101 tour gave us all the background on how the oil is produced, and we also enjoyed a tasty lunch and sampled some of the in-house roastery’s Superstition Coffee.
That evening another venue on the Foodie Trail - Agritopia - was our destination for what turned out to be a very, very special event, the Fall Orchard Dinner. Agritopia is an urban farm producing fruit and veg through a community garden scheme where individuals grow varied crops, which you can buy fresh, or enjoy in dishes at Joe’s Farm Grill, a 60s-style diner that was once the original farm homestead. There are also other places on site to enjoy a drink or two and workshops.
But we made our way out into the beautiful citrus orchard at dusk to be seated at a long table under the trees to enjoy a Medittereanean-themed feast. It was stunning, the food excellent and the company stimulating. Not a cheap night out (£170pp), but truly special.
Hiking is really popular in Mesa and one of the most popular areas for families to get out into the desert and mountains is at Usery Mountain Regional Park. It’s 3,648 acres of Sonoran desert, accessed with a small entry fee, where you can enjoy a picnic in the shade or take the Wind Cave Trail up 2,840ft for a panoramic view. Find out all you need to know at the Nature Centre near the entrance.
For those who prefer a short walk and history lesson, there’s Mesa Grande Cultural Park in town, to learn about the ancient settlement built by the Hohokum between 1100 and 1400 AD.
Just a short drive away is a famous ‘fast food’ venue - Jalapeno Buck’s. Situated at the side of the road, its popularity was evident by the queue for orders. It’s the best ‘Arizona-style BuzzSaw Brand BBQ and New Wave Mexican Soul Food’ on offer. You can take it away or find a table, hopefully under the branches of a citrus tree. This is a feast mostly for meat lovers! There are burritos and quesadillas filled with your choice of chilli, brisket, and pulled pork and more with a load of Mexican rice, beans and mac and cheese thrown in, all with prices at around $10 for a meal. Makes you feel like a real local!
Mesa has so much to offer and it’s all so easily accessible - a fantastic desert experience taking in the best of the past and present. More information on www.visitmesa.com
Fact box
As You Like It ( www.americaasyoulikeit.com / 020 8742 8299) has a five-night fly-drive to Mesa, Arizona from £1,119 per person, including return flights on British Airways from London Heathrow to Phoenix, five days fully inclusive car hire, two nights bed and breakfast at the Residence Inn Phoenix-Mesa East and three nights bed and breakfast at the Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch.
