48 Travel 50 & Beyond AmAndA Howell PHoTogrAPHy/Ted TUrner eXPedITIonS

My faMily has been visiting Vermejo Park Ranch for decades. As the story goes, my grandfather used to take my dad and uncles on annual fishing trips. They would rough it — sleep under the stars, eat what they caught (plus a few cans of beans and beer) and once had a black bear break into their truck and devour what it could find. They would return home, seemingly grateful for air conditioning and home-cooked meals.

Then my older cousin was invited along. When he mentioned my grand-dad had ordered a very expensive bot-tle of wine, the jig was up. My grand-mother, the wives, all of the grandkids — everyone was coming now.

And so we have, almost every year since I was a kid. Vermejo Park Ranch, a private property in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado owned by media mogul and philanthropist

Ted Turner, is an authentic slice of the Wild West. Herds of bison cause traffic jams. Wild horses (and a stray burro, a mysterious addition to the group) roam over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Black bears ramble along lakeshores looking for discarded fish as bald eagles nest in the treetops above. We’ve seen bobcats, endan-gered black-footed ferrets, coyotes and hundreds of elk.

The days are spent fly-fishing 17 lakes and miles of streams in pursuit of trout — rainbow, brown and even the rare Rio Grande cutthroat. Guides can rig up the poles, man the boat and point out the best fishing holes. The kitchen packs bagged lunches (the fried chicken sandwich is a family fa-vorite) along with homemade cookies and a cooler of cold drinks. When we return to the lodge with another cooler of our best catches, the kitchen team

cleans the fish and preps them as our appetizer. A recent trip yielded trout fried in blue corn or wrapped in bacon and jalapeno.

Over the years, we’ve explored the ranch’s 585,000 acres on horseback, hiked for panoramic views of the val-ley, shot clay pigeons and toured ruins of charcoal kilns and Native American camps. The winters aren’t a deterrent, either, as the ranch transforms for ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and hunting. The property falls largely in the Land of Enchantment, after all.

Vermejo offers a few lodging op-tions: guest homes, a main lodge (with an expansive front yard, a frequent site of our family kickball games), the high-country Costilla Lodge and the newly offered Casa Grande. Previously Turner’s private residence, Casa Grande dates to the

CountryFrom Oregon to Vermont, these invigorating sanctuaries embrace the bounty of the outdoors> By Kathryn E. Worrall

RetReatsAt Vermejo Park

Ranch, daily horseback rides wind through

the Sangre de Cristo Mountains or follow the

Vermejo River. Guides can arrange stops along

the way for a picnic or some fishing.

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early 1900s, and the opulent antique decor reflects that with vintage wall-paper, a grand piano, high vaulted ceilings and a spacious greenhouse.

All of the meals and nonguided activities are included in the price of a vacation here, and children 11 and younger stay for free. For dinner, pick between bison short ribs, antelope steak or other wild game. Green chile, a New Mexico staple, is implemented in almost everything. My family usually bunks at Costilla Lodge, and its cheer-ful breakfast chef, Charles, beefs up the morning spread with homemade salsa and jams and freshly squeezed juice.

So this isn’t roughing it, as my granddad once hinted. This country retreat doubles as your own personal national park, but with a few more perks. Read on to discover four more getaways that allow you to recon-nect with the outdoors, sample some farm-to-table fare and enjoy nature’s bounty. www.VermejoParkRanch.com

Beltane RanchGlen Ellen, CA> this Sonoma Valley estate has been a functioning winery since the 1870s, and today it produces more than just bottles of vino. The family-owned farm and inn uses harvests from vegetable gardens, fruit trees and olive groves for fresh cooking oils. A raspberry patch planted in the ’30s still yields berries each summer. Clucking hens lay eggs, and meals

acres. Horses graze on open land in between rows of vines and country roads, and a horseshoe pit and tennis court keep vacationers outdoors.

Check Beltane’s online calendar to browse its dinner series, vintage releases and concerts. The wine-paired feasts toast the harvest season, with one dedicated to the heirloom tomato crop, and sometimes are held in the garden or barn. A February event lets novices prune the vineyard’s branch-es, and their hard work is rewarded with a pig-roasting party and live tunes. www.BeltaneRanch.com

ButteRMilk fallS inn and SpaMilton, NY> in the heart of Hudson Valley’s orchard and wine country, this idyl-lic inn seems much farther than 80 miles from New York City. Visitors to the 75-acre estate can stroll through gardens and orchards, and while lodg-ing choices range from a single room to a four-bedroom home, opt for the Riverknoll House for stunning vis-tas of the Hudson River.

A farm-to-table eatery, Henry’s at the Farm, supports local growers, and menu items noted with a llama icon contain ingredients grown on Butter-milk Falls’ own Millstone Farm. Look for the watermelon gazpacho or the PBLT, made up of pork belly, lettuce, avocado and tomato with a Sriracha

here often are made with ingredients grown exclusively on the property. Additional goods head to a farm stand or into jars of preserves.

Established in 1892, the ranch house now includes five rooms and a nearby cottage. Lodgings are outfitted with mini private wine cellars for storing the day’s finds, and guests can elect to take their complimentary breakfast on their secluded porch or in the garden.

Have the chef pack a four-course picnic (including a salad sourced on-site) or cheese and charcuterie board (with estate preserves and lo-cal cheeses) as well as a bottle of the ranch’s estate-grown sauvignon blanc or zinfandel, then explore the 105

Beltane Ranch’s wine-paired dinner series uses the farm’s goods in themed feasts serving paella or wood-fired pizza.

The Sage Right room at Buttermilk Falls

Inn and Spa boasts a built-in fireplace and

semiprivate terrace overlooking the

Hudson River.

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options like smoked salmon eggs Benedict or bread and jam made in-house. The Stephanie Inn Dining Room’s dinner menu presents Dunge-ness crabcakes and Columbia River salmon. Conclude the evening with a gratis cocktail in the library or request a beach bonfire (a “fire butler” sets up the blaze) with a libation and s’mores.

The inn celebrates Pacific Northwest fare with a variety of food- and wine-themed events and experiences, often hosted by executive chef Aaron Be-dard. Guests go crabbing and salmon fishing on the Columbia River, followed by a five-course feast, or learn how to make the inn’s signature salted caramel ice cream. Past events have brought in a local pastry master and hit the coast’s craft breweries. The inn recently has teamed with nearby Adelsheim Vine-yard for tastings and classes.

Ready to unwind? The spa’s treat-ments include a hydrating facial mas-sage and a treatment that uses mineral-filled tiger clam shells to detoxify the body. Or, you can always wander toward the water for Cannon Beach’s annual sandcastle-building contest, set for June 8. www.StephanieInn.com

RaBBit hill innLower Waterford, VT> established in 1795, Rabbit Hill Inn is tucked away in a corner of Vermont nicknamed the Northeast Kingdom. The 19-room bed-and-breakfast is near the Connecticut

aioli and smoked maple glaze. Cap it off with a cocktail like the gin-based Millstone Farm Bees Knees, which uses honey from the farm’s beehives.

The farm moonlights as an animal sanctuary, hosting rescued alpacas in addition to miniature donkeys, llamas, goats and a party (yes, party) of peacocks. Visit the livestock barn or see the laying hens at the Aviary House.

Take it easy in the spa’s sauna, steam room and pool. Certain massage oils employ the farm’s lavender, and a homemade sugar scrub shows up in the manicure and pedicure treatments. One of the facial options sources an oats-and-honey exfoliant, a cucumber-honey toner and a honey-apple face mask, making the most of the resident bees’ hard work. www.ButtermilkFallsInn.com

Stephanie innCannon Beach, OR> Just 80 miles from Portland, this waterfront inn is a mere 28 steps from the beach. The 41 rooms have gas fire-places, large soaking tubs and lanterns for evening strolls along the shore. Some boast steam showers, while others have a patio or balcony for watching the waves roll in. The beach’s 235-foot-tall Haystack Rock is home to tide pools with colorful starfish and green anemones, and from spring to midsummer, tufted puffins and the occasional eagle nest here.

For the complimentary breakfast, locally sourced ingredients boost

River, the White Mountains and towns filled with museums, galleries and antiques shops. Ride an aerial tram to witness the outdoor splendor, enhanced in fall when the foliage changes colors, or take in the area’s many waterfalls on a hike.

With so much to see and do, Rabbit Hill Inn serves as a perfect jumping-off point for northeast exploration, though its wooded walking trails and peaceful gardens (not to mention the tempta-tion of afternoon sweets and tea) often lure guests to linger on the property.

Breakfast claims a “cornucopia” of freshly baked goods, homemade granola and hot dishes such as corn and couscous pancakes accompa-nied by house-cured and smoked ham and, of course, some Vermont maple syrup. In the evening, feast on seasonal fare like beef tartare, honey-glazed duck or a pork loin sourced from an area farm. Want a reminder of your trip when you’re back home? Head to the inn’s website to pick up a few recipes for beloved items like Ver-mont cheddar cheese soup or oatmeal molasses bread, served here for more than 100 years.

If the inn can’t satiate your appetite, embark on its suggested “Taster’s Tour of Northern Vermont.” Indulge with maple syrup, cheese and chocolates, and sip homegrown cider, coffee and beer. The one must-see stop? The Ben and Jerry’s factory and store in Waterbury for a scoop of your favorite flavor. www.RabbitHillInn.com

The menu at Rabbit Hill Inn rotates in-season ingredients, while an expansive wine list offers a few Vermont-grown bottles.

Bask in the glow of a Cannon Beach bonfire, thanks to Stephanie Inn’s “fire butler.”