D2Presby
Google
I've heard about Ghost Ranch for years and years, and finally got there to spend a week. My wife and I spent a week during the Festival of the Arts week. The scenery is absolutely stunning! Mesas, mountains, plains, arroyos, and canyons make a magical landscape. The views change with the light through the day, so the scenery is different every time you look. We each took an art class and had wonderful experiences! The food in the dining hall was surprisingly and consistently good. There are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options at every meal. Our room was a suite with a sitting room, bedroom, and full bath in one of the lodges on top of the mesa. The room and the bed were very comfortable. (There is no A/C, but with adobe, fans, and open windows the room was pleasant. We did have temps in the 80s most of the week, which is a little unusual for July.) There's a lot of walking to get around the campus, especially if you're staying on the mesa. In hot weather you'll want to carry water with you, and there are water station in most of the buildings. Besides our programs, GR offers various activities like horseback riding, hiking, and kayaking. There are two museums, one anthropology and one paleontology, that are small but worthwhile. The Trading Post in the Welcome Center has lots of good swag. On a clear night, the sky is spectacular! If you have never been to a dark sky site, you will be amazed at how many stars you can see. This is not an inexpensive place to go. I was surprised at how much it costs, actually. Of course, it's the middle of nowhere, so everything costs to bring it in, I guess. Anyway, it turned out to be well worth it after all. So between the natural beauty, the excellent program, and the good people you meet, this is a great place to be spiritually refreshed and renewed.