Canyon Ranch – Tucson, Arizona

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. ~ George Moore

This is the first in a series of articles about our trip to Arizona in mid-September.  It was one of the most inspiring adventures we have taken so far and we look forward to sharing these travel pieces with you in the coming months.

It all started with the back fat.  No, I don’t mean fatback, the “Cut of meat from a domestic pig, consisting of the layer of adipose tissue (subcutaneous fat) under the skin of the back, with or without the skin (pork rind).”  Description courtesy of Wikipedia.  No, I’m talking about the fat on my own back.  The fat just above my waistline that I never had until recently (often referred to fondly as “love handles”) and the fat that has forced me to make some changes in my life for both myself and Mr. B.  In other words, food and travel writing, while fun, can be hazardous to your health and waistline.

To paraphrase Yogi Berra, when you find yourself at a crossroad in life, take it.  So, accepting the need for change, we decided to jump on a plane to Arizona and check in at the Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson.

Located on over 150 acres of what was once a working cattle ranch, in the beautiful Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona, this award-winning property is a year-round destination spa and resort.  With views of the Santa Catalina Mountains in the distance, the scenery of the desert is spectacular and strangely beautiful.  I was enamored by the contrast to the lush green and the changing hues of foliage back home in Georgia.  Arriving in Tucson, I was reminded of the older couples I knew when I was young who had retired to this part of Arizona for the arid climate and the healing properties of this environment.  It was now our time to search for healing.  I knew we were in the right place.

Founded by Mel and Enid Zuckerman, Canyon Ranch Tucson opened in 1979.  A bit of a radical idea at the time, “It was a comprehensive, healthy living vacation resort with no smoking and no alcohol.”  “What kind of vacation is that?” you might ask.  Canyon Ranch was one of the first spa resort concepts ever developed and after a few years, became a major influence for the evolution of spas around the world.

Mel Zuckerman, at age 50, found himself overweight by 40 pounds, out of shape, dealing with numerous health issues and feeling like, well, like us.  The desire to create a nurturing and supportive healthy living environment was the idea behind Canyon Ranch.  Their tagline, The Power of Possibility, captures the essence of this getaway.  You feel that you can accomplish your goals with the supportive staff, doctors, medical team, health experts, facilities, and information available to you at the resort.

For us pork belly eatin’ and bourbon swillin’ adopted Southerners, this was quite the change in lifestyle for the scheduled three long evenings and four long days.  There ain’t much fat on their spa menus and there sure ain’t no bourbon or bars (except the smoothie bar) to belly up to at Canyon Ranch, so we checked our fatback-filled collard greens and bottle of Pappy bourbon at the front gate and buckled up for the dry ride. 😉

Upon arrival and check-in at the Clubhouse, the bellman takes your car and you are escorted to your room after a brief tour of the property via golf cart.  Pueblo-style casita rooms, dining venues, the spa, wellness and fitness centers, swimming pools, and other facilities are scattered throughout the property.  This encourages walking, or assistance by golf cart if needed.  You realize that you are already going to lose a few pounds just by being more physically active at Canyon Ranch.  The room accommodations are that of a luxury resort and you know that the comfortable beds and soft linens will be a welcome end to the hot desert days combined with exercise and the other appointments and activities you schedule during your stay.

The weekly schedule of activities is comprehensive and you can fill your days with as much or as little as you desire.  You are encouraged to make reservations for some classes and events prior to your arrival as they can book up quickly.  All-inclusive packages will give you the opportunity to try several services, perhaps chat with a nurse about your overall health, and meet with a fitness and strength instructor (as we did).  There are also numerous additional options for fitness classes, spa treatments, lectures, hiking, golf, swimming, tennis, and much more.  We were particularly interested in their spa cuisine, so we attended a few Lunch and Learn cooking demos and went on a kitchen tour.  Executive Chef Scott Uehlein has elevated what was once considered diet food to healthy, yet flavorful and attractively prepared dishes and he has received many accolades for the cuisine at Canyon Ranch.

We were very pleased with the number of choices on the menu when dining at the resort.  You could either have your meals in the Clubhouse at the main restaurant or chose the more casual venue poolside at the Double U Café, which offered several theme night menus.  Lunch was also served at the Lunch and Learn sessions in the Demo Kitchen.  Each menu item on all of the menus lists the calorie count, number of carbohydrates, fats, and protein so that you know exactly what you are consuming at each meal.  There were several surprising choices like pizza, coffee cake, and desserts, such as ice cream and cookies.  After eating this way for a few days and feeling healthier and less bogged down with food, we did find it difficult to go back to eating like we usually do, especially while traveling.

The sun rises earlier in Arizona compared to what we are used to in Georgia, so we were up early each morning and ready to go.  Combined with hiking around the property and venturing out for some sightseeing and photo opportunities on their two-mile loop, getting lots of fresh air, staying busy with activities, and having earlier dining hours with lighter meals, we had more energy and felt refreshed and invigorated.  At the end of the day, which was complete with dramatic sunsets that spread across the stunning Arizona sky, we welcomed our newly found contentment and early bedtime.

We spoke to other guests at Canyon Ranch and found it interesting that everyone seemed to have a very personal reason for being there; whether it was spiritual, for health and wellness, rejuvenation, healing, to lose weight, exercise, or to just have a celebratory girl’s weekend.  The calming, healing, and healthy environment is conducive to achieve whatever your goals for a vacation or trip to Canyon Ranch might be.

Leaving our busy and hurried world back in Georgia, that is continuously filled with an abundance of heavy food, drink, far too much computer time, and little physical activity, we emerged from Canyon Ranch and our two weeks in Arizona energized and on a mission to make some changes at home which we have already implemented.

My meeting with Steve, the fitness instructor and personal trainer at the Wellness Center at Canyon Ranch, made me rethink what little exercise I was doing at home.  Steve’s suggestion to ride a bike and put less stress on my joints was something I knew I should be incorporating into a workout routine, but hadn’t.  While bicycle riding is generally not my thing, it is a good way to get outdoors and incorporate the benefits of fresh air while exercising, so guess what, I took his advice.  Mr. B and I now have our own bicycles and we also purchased an indoor exercise bike to ride when the weather is not conducive to outdoor cycling.  Every step counts.

Sometimes we need to step back and refocus on the things that really matter and take a break from our normal everyday routine.  Most people travel to far away places in search of extraordinary sightseeing opportunities, to learn about different cultures, dine on excellent food, enjoy fine wines,  experience unique adventures, or soul search for something more spiritual in their lives.  They venture to someplace different which exposes them to new choices.  What we often fail to realize is that those things can often be found not too far from home.

If you are not able to travel to Arizona and need a little break and some revitalizing in your own life, Canyon Ranch has several locations in the United States and one of them may be very close to you.  They also offer a unique Canyon Ranch experience at their SpaClub on several luxury cruise ship lines.

One of our favorite dishes prepared at Canyon Ranch was the Grilled Chicken Enchiladas during the Lunch and Learn cooking demo with Chef Shawn Brisby.  Each serving (2 enchiladas) contains just 420 calories, has excellent flavor, and is quite satisfying.  In fact, we could have shared the plate and had just one enchilada per person.  This version is not weighted down with lots of heavy sauces, but rather has a very fresh taste that lets the ingredients shine through.

Roasting the tomatoes for the sauce gives them a nice depth of flavor.  As you’ll find with many of the Canyon Ranch recipes, there are ways to prepare foods that will take the place of traditional methods where you would normally add various fats or calorie laden ingredients to achieve great taste.  As always, be sure to use the best ingredients you can find and choose organic and local, if possible.  This is always important to the final outcome of the dish.

I look forward to sharing the rest of our trip through Arizona.  You can relive some of our experiences on Twitter and see the photos on Instagram with the hashtag #ChasingArizona and get the rest of the story in future Bunkycooks articles.  Come along for the ride, we know you are going to enjoy this experience.  It was one of our favorite adventures.

* Disclosure – Canyon Ranch provided a media package for our visit.  I was not asked to write any articles about my stay and have in no way been compensated.  The opinions expressed regarding our experience are my own.

Note – A number of these photos in the article were taken with an iPhone and are watermarked as such.

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