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THE MAUI NEWS — Sunday, December 6, 2015 — D3
travel
WILD HORSE PASS
Gila River Indian Community a haven of culture, hospitality
nce you spend a vacation
O
at the Gila River Indian
Community 11 miles south of
Phoenix, wild horses will have
to drag you away from the
calm oasis in the middle of the
Sonoran Desert.
That’s because wild horses
are a big part of the draw. Yes,
there’s a casino, but driving
past that at the entrance to the
Pima and Maricopa reservation
you’ll find the Sheraton Wild
Horse Pass Resort & Spa, a
500-room resort designed to
be an authentic representation
of the community’s heritage
and culture.
The resort offers guests a full
recreational, cultural as well as
inspirational experience. The
architecture, art and legends of
the Pima and Maricopa tribes
are celebrated in every detail
imaginable, indoors and out.
Located on a rugged expanse
of Arizona landscape where
ancient vistas, mountains and
wildlife which often includes
sightings of wild mustangs,
coyotes, jack rabbits, hawks
and other creatures.
Interpretive Trail
“Aji,” means “sanctuary,”
and it’s Arizona’s only native
American spa.
roaming wild horses remain
untouched, this unique resort
on the sprawling 372,000-acre
reservation includes many fun
holiday options.
Koli Equestrian Center
Spanning more than 2,400
acres in the heart of the Wild
Horse Pass, the center takes
you on an adventure back in
time. Soak up vistas of three
mountain ranges while riding a
domesticated horse, learn the
culture from tour leaders and
catch a glimpse of the native
The tribes got their sacred
water rights back and re-created
the Gila River. Stroll along the
river on a 2-mile interpretive
walk surrounded by pristine
open views and lush green golf
courses. Plants and flowers are
identified that were utilized for
centuries in ancient American
Indian methods and you’ll spot
from coyote to quail to blue
heron.
Journey back to the 1880s
and experience the world-famous Rawhide Western Town
and Steakhouse, an authentic
replica of a frontier town that
let you and the rest of your
posse saddle up to daily events
and activities including stunt
shows, gunfights, stagecoach
and camel rides, gold panning,
shooting gallery, petting zoo,
live country music, sundown
cookouts and much more. Just
hop on a complimentary shuttle
from the hotel.
“Kai,” the Pima word for
“seed,” has great relevance to
the Gila Native Americans. It’s
a connection to their past, their
“Kai,” the Pima Indian word for “seed” is the only AAA reverence for all of nature, and
Five Diamond/Forbes Five-Star dining experience in the the belief that the land provides
state of Arizona.
them with everything they
WAIKAPU
Continued from Page D1
Photo courtesy King Kamehameha Golf Club
An aerial view shows the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed
King Kamehameha Golf Club’s curves and unusual lines
on the slopes of Waikapu.
three Koa sculptures, including
the warrior chief, the high chief
warrior and his female counterpart,” says Zarrella. “
“Marilyn Monroe and Arthur
Miller actually went into my
The lobby of Sheraton
Wild Horse Pass & Spa
(above) captures the land
and the people to a T; a
fire pit is a place to relax
and talk story; mustangs
in the wild abound.
Rawhide Western Town
Kai restaurant
Then in 1988, the original
owners of what was then the
Waikapu Country Club went to
Taliesin West in Arizona to
view Wright plans that were
not built. What you see today is
larger in scope and modified to
the site from the “Marilyn”
house, but the integrity of the
design is in place.
Art glass, elevator doors,
leaded glass skylights, front
door, base boards and fixtures
are all Wright designs. But the
bronze statues outside were
done by famous Maui sculptor
Dale Zarrella.
“It was such an honor to be
chosen to create the sculptures
for King Kamehameha, the
bronzes of the Kahuna la‘au lapa‘au, the conch blower and
Photos courtesy Wild Horse Pass
grandparents’ ice cream shop
in Southington, Conn., when
they looked for land to build
this home right down the street
from where I grew up. It’s an
interesting fact.”
need. Located at the resort, Kai
is Arizona’s only AAA FiveDiamond/Forbes and Five-Star
dining experience, and it has
made history as the first Native
American-owned property to
receive this exclusive combo
of awards.
Kai Chef de Cuisine Ryan
Swanson captures the essence
of Pima and Maricopa tribes
with rabbit, elk, buffalo, native
corn and other cuisine of the
Gila community.
Sommelier Kevin Lewis is a
Native American who lives in
the San Tan district nearby in
the reservation and takes the
wine list to new heights.
Aji spa sanctuary
Translating to “sanctuary”
from Pima, Aji is the state’s
only Native American spa and
one of only seven to earn the
Forbes Four-Star Award. The
Gila River Indian Community
invites you to experience the
pool, steam room, meditation
hut and indigenous collection
of treatments and activities that
were designed and practiced by
Aji’s caretakers.
Each cultural spa offering is
subjected to an approval by the
tribal elders for authenticity
and respect of sacred doctrines.
Soothing design elements,
art and architecture add to the
17,500-square-foot spa, with
treatments using many ancient
rituals, natural herbs and local
ingredients, such as white clay,
Shegoi (Creosote) and rocks
from the Gila River. Aji Cafe
offers a heath-conscious menu
and wines, too.
Other activities
Experience 36 championship
holes at the Whirlwind Golf
Club; or take a complimentary
riverboat cruise to the casino or
to the Rawhide Western Town
and back.
For more information, visit
www.wildhorsepass.com.