A Guide to Southern Arizona's Historic Farms & Ranches: Rustic Southwest Retreats

Experience southwestern heritage, culture and cuisine while learning to rope and herd cattle, trail ride through the wilderness or make prickly pear syrup. With roots dating back to the mid-1800s, Southern Arizona's historic guest ranches and farm stays include Spain's first mission in the continental United States, a former World War II prison camp, a boys' boarding school and a Butterfield Stagecoach stop. Intimately connected to Arizona's land and legacy, these unparalleled retreats have hosted countless artists, movie stars and politicians and continue to enrich their present-day communities through food, education and conservation. Pack your bags and join travel writer Lili DeBarbieri for a journey into the rural west south of the Gila River.

A librarian and travel writer specializing in wildlife, the environment and historic preservation, Lili DeBarbieri's writing and photography have appeared in dozens of publications worldwide, including the Los Angeles Times, Fine Books and Collections Magazine and Earth Island Journal. Lili has traveled extensively in more than thirty countries, across five continents and over forty U.S. states. Based in Tucson, she is a stringer for Agence France-Presse, and chair-elect of the Arizona Library Association's International Interest Group.