Story and photos by Aefa Mulholland
The 7 Reasons I Love Wild Horse Pass, Arizona
1. Kick up your heels Situated
between the Sierra Estrella and South Mountains on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, the exquisite, ultra-luxurious Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa stretches nearly 642 square miles across the Sonoran Desert. Checking in, I
was immediately in love with the landscape, scouring the desert for dust clouds
kicked up by the heels of the 1500 wild mustangs that freely roam the property.
The Gila River Indian Community is home to the Pima and Maricopa people. One of
very few tribes to live on their original ancestral lands, the Pimas and their
ancestors, the Hohokam, have lived in this spot for 2300 years. I felt like I
was a million miles away from everything – when, in fact, I was only 11 miles
away from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.
2. Rooms with a view The
resort has500 spacious rooms
and suites, 250 of which showcase Pima basket weaving and 250 of which showcase
Maricopa pottery. All rooms have warm earth hues and natural elements such as
cornices made from Saguaro cactus ribs. All rooms have a private patio or
balcony that look out over the desert, golf course, or over the Gila River
Trail.
3. Water of life Until
their river was dammed in 1887 the Pima were master farmers with a complex
system of canals throughout their lands. It took a century for the Pimas and
the Maricopas to get water back. I wandered the trail alongside the 2.5-mile
recreation of the Gila River that runs through the resort. I scoured the trail
ahead for rattlesnakes and tarantulas, but every suspicious rustle in the scrub
and bush turned out to be either a fluffy wee white-tailed jackrabbit or an
impossibly cute white-winged dove.
4. Backdropped by the past Wild Horse Pass’s incredible domed main building is painted with ten
panels that depict aspects of Pima and Maricopa Tribal culture. Set up a tour
with the resort’s charming Cultural Concierge Ginger Sunbird Martin to fully
appreciate them. A tumble of vast boulders rises from the lower level toward
the ceiling. The backdrop of the desert and the spine of the Sierra Extrella
and South Mountains create a stunning backdrop. Outside, a 111-foot waterslide
cascades down a recreation of the dramatic Casa Grande Ruins in the main
building.
5. Seed of life The
bold, AAA Five Diamond Kairestaurant,
meaning “seed,” is helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Janos Wilder and
Siletz Tribal member Jack Strong. Starring a “komath,” the traditional Gila
River cooking tool used to bake chumath flat bread, menus at the top Native
American dining destination feature delights such as Grilled Tenderloin of
Buffalo served with cholla cactus buds and saguaro blossom syrup and Lettuce
Hand-Picked by the children of Gila Crossing School. The Gila River Indian
Community provides much of the produce used by Kai with its 35,000 acres of
farms. Cultivating indigenous seeds is part of the curriculum at the school.
Restaurant Ko’sin offers Arizona
desert cuisine.
6. Treat yourself Offering
the world’s most authentic Native American Spa Services, 17,500-foot Aji
Spa has Tribal Elders and Pima and
Maricopa Cultural Caretakers on hand to look after your every need. It’s
incredibly peaceful and the combination of spa aromas and the desert sage and
shegoi is bewitching. Choose a Blue Coyote Body Wrap, a River salt Glow, a
Bluebird Facial, or one of dozens of such enticing options. After a spa lunch
of crab and watermelon salad out by the pool and a Pima Tribal Healing
Ceremony, I can honestly say I came out feeling entirely different.
7. And there’s more… Catch
the boat to 36 holes of golf course at Whirlwinds or to Wild Horse Pass Casino, or canter over to Koli Equestrian Center, saddle up and trot out to meet some of local
stallions in the desert.
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa (WildHorsePassResort.com) is in Chandler, Arizona, just 11 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Call 888-218-8989 for details.
Story and photos by Aefa Mulholland
The 7 Reasons I Love Wild Horse Pass, Arizona
1. Kick up your heels Situated
between the Sierra Estrella and South Mountains on the Gila River Indian
Reservation, the exquisite, ultra-luxurious Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa stretches nearly 642 square miles across the Sonoran Desert. Checking in, I
was immediately in love with the landscape, scouring the desert for dust clouds
kicked up by the heels of the 1500 wild mustangs that freely roam the property.
The Gila River Indian Community is home to the Pima and Maricopa people. One of
very few tribes to live on their original ancestral lands, the Pimas and their
ancestors, the Hohokam, have lived in this spot for 2300 years. I felt like I
was a million miles away from everything – when, in fact, I was only 11 miles
away from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.
2. Rooms with a view The
resort has500 spacious rooms
and suites, 250 of which showcase Pima basket weaving and 250 of which showcase
Maricopa pottery. All rooms have warm earth hues and natural elements such as
cornices made from Saguaro cactus ribs. All rooms have a private patio or
balcony that look out over the desert, golf course, or over the Gila River
Trail.
3. Water of life Until
their river was dammed in 1887 the Pima were master farmers with a complex
system of canals throughout their lands. It took a century for the Pimas and
the Maricopas to get water back. I wandered the trail alongside the 2.5-mile
recreation of the Gila River that runs through the resort. I scoured the trail
ahead for rattlesnakes and tarantulas, but every suspicious rustle in the scrub
and bush turned out to be either a fluffy wee white-tailed jackrabbit or an
impossibly cute white-winged dove.
4. Backdropped by the past Wild Horse Pass’s incredible domed main building is painted with ten
panels that depict aspects of Pima and Maricopa Tribal culture. Set up a tour
with the resort’s charming Cultural Concierge Ginger Sunbird Martin to fully
appreciate them. A tumble of vast boulders rises from the lower level toward
the ceiling. The backdrop of the desert and the spine of the Sierra Extrella
and South Mountains create a stunning backdrop. Outside, a 111-foot waterslide
cascades down a recreation of the dramatic Casa Grande Ruins in the main
building.
5. Seed of life The
bold, AAA Five Diamond Kairestaurant,
meaning “seed,” is helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Janos Wilder and
Siletz Tribal member Jack Strong. Starring a “komath,” the traditional Gila
River cooking tool used to bake chumath flat bread, menus at the top Native
American dining destination feature delights such as Grilled Tenderloin of
Buffalo served with cholla cactus buds and saguaro blossom syrup and Lettuce
Hand-Picked by the children of Gila Crossing School. The Gila River Indian
Community provides much of the produce used by Kai with its 35,000 acres of
farms. Cultivating indigenous seeds is part of the curriculum at the school.
Restaurant Ko’sin offers Arizona
desert cuisine.
6. Treat yourself Offering
the world’s most authentic Native American Spa Services, 17,500-foot Aji
Spa has Tribal Elders and Pima and
Maricopa Cultural Caretakers on hand to look after your every need. It’s
incredibly peaceful and the combination of spa aromas and the desert sage and
shegoi is bewitching. Choose a Blue Coyote Body Wrap, a River salt Glow, a
Bluebird Facial, or one of dozens of such enticing options. After a spa lunch
of crab and watermelon salad out by the pool and a Pima Tribal Healing
Ceremony, I can honestly say I came out feeling entirely different.
7. And there’s more… Catch
the boat to 36 holes of golf course at Whirlwinds or to Wild Horse Pass Casino, or canter over to Koli Equestrian Center, saddle up and trot out to meet some of local
stallions in the desert.
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa (WildHorsePassResort.com) is in Chandler, Arizona, just 11 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Call 888-218-8989 for details.
