A luxurious new membership package aimed at deep-pocketed racing buffs just hit the market. Apex Motor Club, a private racetrack and experiential motorsports lifestyle community in Phoenix, has launched the ultimate membership for enthusiasts, bundling a brand new McLaren with a custom, trackside man cave. The $2,000,000 package is an all-inclusive opportunity for anyone looking to live out their professional racing fantasies. It kicks off with a new McLaren supercar, provided by McLaren Scottsdale, that’s immediately ready to hit the track.

But an exotic, ready-to-race ride needs a proper home. The membership includes a private, customizable trackside garage condo with direct access to the track’s Pit Lane. To transform this space into the owner’s personal sanctuary, the package allocates $250,000 toward creating a customized man cave. Apex even offers an interior design service to help owners turn their private garage into a personalized motorsports haven.

The value of the membership extends beyond the hardware. Forty hours of professional driver coaching are included to elevate skills on the track, along with entry into the Apex Challenge series of races to allow members to compete like a professional. Members get their choice of an all-inclusive Formula 1 VIP Experience or a Monterey Car Week VIP Experience, both featuring first-class transportation and exclusive event access.

The package also includes a fully custom race suit and helmet, a customized Louis Vuitton personal shopping experience with $75,000 to spend, and the ability to name a turn on one of Apex’s signature racetracks. Finally, the package wraps up the membership initiation fee and three years of annual membership fees.

Apex Motor Club features three private racetracks in Phoenix. Its newest track was designed by race industry veterans Darren Law and Ian James and integrates iconic design features and turns from legendary international tracks, including the Nürburgring, Silverstone, and Monaco.

Located in the entertainment district of Old Town Scottsdale, the five-star W Scottsdale hotel—which just renovated its wow-inducing suites—has a cheeky split personality. During the week it is the place to mellow out and take full advantage of its rooftop swimming pool and world-class AWAY Spa. Come Friday, and it is noon-to-2 a.m. party central both outside on the deejay-pulsating Wet Deck pool and its architecturally stunning open-air lobby-cum nightclub, as well as the Living Room and wavy-gravy-cool Cottontail Lounge. Walls of sound, bikini-ed bright young things, bottle service, shooters—this is Hedonism 101.

Just clock the luxury cars parked in the forecourt. No wonder some call it “South Beach in the desert.” Things can get racy, but all within reason, of course. Want to go out and play? Blocks away, in the heart of colorful Old Town Scottsdale (settled in 1888) there’s a French Quarter-evocative bounty of at least 80 nightclubs to bar hop through.

The W brand, known for quite nearly inventing the luxury “boutique” hotel platform, has always made a point of being regional-centric, creating personality environs that nod to their whereabouts. The 241-room W Scottsdale is like a fascinating spaceship, both blending in and standing out in a city that is best known for cleansing air and golf-golf-golf. It stands in contrast to the stereotype of the town being a place for retirement duffers—simply not true if you look around you.

The renovated suites are mesmerizing, and provide walls of views of the Camelback Mountains. The suites at the W Scottsdale are more like urban-chic residential living rooms, loft-inspired with open kitchens and spacious work areas. Many have fully furnished balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows to look out upon the Sonoran Desert the resort’s tranquil Zen Garden, or the entrancing cityscape below.

Some even have full kitchens and pool tables. And those low-lying, W-signature featherbed mattresses and high-thread-count sheets. Bliss. Furnishings are reminiscent of Mid-Century Modern with contemporary twists, as if Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the 21^st century. Form but comfortable function. The entertainment pits do not lack spaciousness. Kick back and just indulge in the sheer glory of it all.

There are three restaurants-cum-cocktail lounges at the W Scottsdale. Currently in residency is Donabe, a Japanese steakhouse that specializes in Wagyu and sushi. Located on the second floor this intimate but streamlined chic spot is a sumptuous addition to the Scottdale culinary map. Donabe excels in such delectables as openers like Pacific oysters, kampachi sashimi and duck foie gras rice. The 16-ounce Wagyu ribeye is Westhome Australian and is big enough for two.

A gourmand’s last meal, the restaurant’s Wagyu medallons of beef are cooked in hot stone pots to diners’ tastes. It is A5 sirloin simmered in daikon, shiso chimichurri, and white scallions. Mouthwatering. As are Donabe’s crispy-skin Ora King salmon laced with citrus, and its gourmet Wagyu cheeseburger served on a Japanese milk bun and laced with truffle mayo, served with haystack fries.

Don’t go without a slice of the matcha basque cheesecake taken with a Japanese Old-Fashioned, the latter one of countless craft cocktails given the Donabe nuances. The Southwest-leaning Cottontail Lounge features upscale-comfort cuisine, amidst its setting of tony book shelves and cow-print chairs. The Living Room Lounge & Bar is where guests go for craft cocktails and live music.

It shares the menu with the Cottontail but offers nightly surprises. Next to Donabe, the pool has day beds galore and 13 private cabanas with wide-screen TVs and offerings of small plate snacks and bottle service. Sometimes it’s a day club, sometimes a night club, and sometimes just the perfect place to chill with the cocktail of your choice. Plus, beautiful people for miles.

The Away Spa is a W brand signature, and the Scottsdale outpost is a destination for both guests and locals. The offerings include “rejuvenating massages, refreshing facials, soothing pedicure and manicure services and revitalizing body treatments.” It’s designed to be a “modern spa oasis offering a serene retreat with steam bathrooms and a variety of wellness experiences.” You can even rent out the entire spa for private parties.

Scottsdale isn’t all about partying. Culture abounds. So many of its building were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. His home Taliesin West, built in 1937, the height of his Prairie Style Mid-Century, and where he set up a sort of desert laboratory-enclave a la the Bauhaus School. The W utilizes some of that “desert masonry” in its fabric. Nearby the hotel is the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, which is on the outskirts of the Arts District. Less modern, a vast collection of Native American pottery can be found at the Musuem of the West, also featuring Western movie posters, landscape paintings and 19^th Century sepia photographs.

Restaurants have history and pedigree too. The best of those near to the W is The Mission, adjacent to a circa-1910s adobe mission church. This romantic enclave serves Latin-inspired cuisine such as steaks grilled over mesquite and pecan fires. Openers include duck caritas empanadas and roasted corn gorditas. A signature drink is a milkshake-like eggwhite topped margarita. There’s smokehouses and brat houses, nearby, as well as steak grills and taco stands, as well as notable haute cuisine ports of call. And a lot of authentic Wild West signage and collectibles along the horse-carriage-drawn way.

And the local dining scene just keeps getting better all the time. One of the best new additions is Uchi, with an ideal old town location. Founded by James Beard Award‑winning Chef Tyson Cole, with branches in Dallas, Denver, L.A. and Miami, among others, it’s known for non‑traditional Japanese cuisine with signature tastings, sushi, and a seasonal omakase, all delivered in a “delicate balance” of elevated food, impeccable service, and beautiful design.

This elusive Southwestern city and the W Scottsdale itself—part of the Marriott International and Marriott Bonvoy portfolios—are secret-pleasure destination outposts. Travelers seeking alternatives to Vegas, Miami, and Palm Springs may want to raise Arizona on their next transporting trip.

A scintillating sanctuary in Sedona, Arizona, The Wilde Resort & Spa, minutes from Red Rock State Park and overlooking the majesty of Thunder Mountain and the craggy Sonoran Desert, could be lifted out of picaresque Marfa, Texas, in all its Wild West-cinematic glory. And actually it’s better than that: the perfect iteration of Desert Modern, with wellness offerings to suit any taste.

Opened just a year ago, where a vintage motel once held the ground, the luxury 105-guest room hotel near Flagstaff is anything but another roadside attraction. To behold it, visitors should see the spread at sunset, when its fire pits, pool, and mountain-scapes are dramatically shadowed by the natural setting: buttes, canyons, pine forests and big, big sky. It was our first stop before heading to the cool new High Country Motor Lodge in Flagstaff (more below).

The haute diner-style restaurant on the site, named Rascal, looks out upon it all. And its spa blows away anything like it in the Southwest. The stars feel thisclose as you take in a prickly pear margarita in the grove garden, as Italian cypress trees are undulated like ceiling fans by the evening’s zephyrs. And be sure to take in the moonlight on its Rangeview Rooftop patio.

Removed from hustle and bustle, the transporting resort, located in the heart of Sedona, offers everything the storied town itself does and more: adventurous types can indulge in daily moments of trail-blazing its paths through all the natural terrain, on foot or bike. Hotel-led excursions also abound. One tour even provides a kayak trip to wine tastings in the Verde Valley. Wherever you go there are those astounding red rock formations so famous from movies past and present.

Both within and “out there,” this is a first-class rejuvenation experience. After hitting trails and vortexes through the park and mountains, tap a massage or facial from the Wilde Haven Spa. Here there are invigorating outdoor hot tubs and a menu of “specialty bodywork, Sedona-inspired massages, meditation, wellness classes, and yoga with sound bowl healing,” according to the resort. A fascinating amenity: guests can even stay inside the spa and experience crystal persuasions such as quantum healing, clairvoyant coaching, and acupuncture.

Mornings are for outdoor yoga, or a Bloody by the pool, with its outdoor wood-burning fireplace. Then hit the trails before it gets too hot. There are also Japanese bathing treatments, cupping sessions and other holistic treatments such as palo santo-infused massages. If you just want to lie in the pool and have a Pink Javelina cocktail, live a little. There are more expensive stays in the area, but for its reasonable rates and more, there is pretty much all you need here, including sublime, character-rich dining experiences.

People flock from miles around to get a table at Rascal Modern Diner & Bar, helmed by noted chef Mercer Mohr, which abides with regional and Americano delights. The craft cocktail program, while insurmountable, is only usurped by the upscale comfort cuisine, which kicks off with starters such as Arizona’s artisanal cheeses, local organic produce, plum tomato soup and green chile chicken bisque, as well as a sublime “Wedgie” salad.

Dinner standouts include ahi tuna nachos, firecracker shrimp, signature meatloaf-and-mushroom gravy, an epic blackened ribeye steak, sustainable black cod, shrimp and grits, fish sliders, rosemary chicken, and a plethora of burgers, including Waygu cuts. As it’s a diner of sorts, there are gourmet Reubens and grilled cheese sandwiches too, served throughout the day. Daily specials include a phenomenal corned beef and cabbage quesadilla with Swiss cheese on Tuesdays; Thursdays, classic Oysters Rock. Breakfast is traditional Mexican: fresh tortillas, huevos rancheros, beans and rice, and the like.

Have a dog? The Wilde loves canines and they have their own menu, including steak tartar, venison stew, chicken jerky cookies, and wood-fired chicken, served poolside if you wish. The minimalistic Southwest-décor suites have balconettes, patios, and courtyard terraces, which look out upon the ranges and gardens. Some even have working gas fireplaces. Many astute shelter magazines hail their beds and bedding, which includes lamb’s wool blankets. Baths have super-sized soaking tubs.

The restaurant scene in town boasts at least 15 singular places. Among the standouts are Tii Gavo, Shorebird (salmon mignon, and a white peach sangria, anyone?), the open-air treehouse of a dining room Hideaway House (inventive takes on pizzas), the Golden Goose American Grill (from pecan-crusted trout to ribeye), the sophisticated comfort food of The Hudson, and the dark and uncharacteristically lounge-y Butterfly Burger, helmed by chef Lisa Dahl.

Then there’s the iconic Cowboy Club, which has been serving up high desert cuisine since 1946 when it first opened as Oak Creek Tavern. There are creeks, wineries, breweries, and al fresco live music stages in the dry-by-night, sultry-by-day city of perhaps 9,000 inhabitants. It is largely reached from the Phoenix-Scottsdale airport, about a two-hour’s drive. For being so seemingly far removed, the city and The Wilde are really something.

From there we roadtripped a bit farther north to Flagstaff and another recently-opened gem, High Country Motor Lodge. Marc & Rose Hospitality, a leading hotel development and management company based in Phoenix, created the boutique hotel along historic Route 66 out of a former roadside motel which had little to distinguish it aside from the location.

Over the past year, the company invested $13 million in reinventing the property, resulting in the 123-room High Country Motor Lodge, one of Northern Arizona’s most unique stays. They also added three private cottage suites and two junior suites, as well as rehabbed public spaces, restored the expansive outdoor pool with the addition of an oversized hot tub and two private saunas, and developed an indoor / outdoor bar and restaurant.

The inviting vibe is vintage industrial meets Dark Nostalgia, “inspired by Flagstaff’s undeniable natural beauty and Route 66’s storied roadside culture.” To create it they “melded vintage style with rustic elements and astronomic accents purposed to create an elevated–yet casual–experience.” Game, set and match, we’d say. And right around the corner is downtown Flagstaff, known for its breweries and boutiques.

“The entire property showcases a darker color palette accented with rustic woods and 1960’s inspired fixtures and furnishings,” notes Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar, Principle with ADean Studios. “An eclectic family of hand-rendered typographic and illustrative graphic elements celebrate the motor lodge’s vintage style, contemporary design, and the love of high desert adventure,” adds Amy Pastre, Creative Director and Founding Partner of South Carolina-based Stitch Design Co. (SDCO Partners).

This is one stop you’ll want to add to your Arizona travel bucket list.

The definitive compendium of the astonishing and delicious from the curious minds behind AtlasObscura.com, GASTRO OBSCURA: A Food Adventurer’s Guide by Dylan Thuras and Cecily Wong, is a book for anyone who eats, is constantly dreaming of their next meal, or who longs to explore. 

An immersive cabinet of culinary curiosities, this handsome coffee table book brims with over 500 compelling entries that span all seven continents and fifty states, from the world’s largest floating restaurant in Hong Kong to classical Ottoman cuisine researched by a culinary detective team in Istanbul. 

The food-and-drink obsessed authors sipped beer made from the fog of the Chilean Atacama Desert, experienced the joys of bouncy meatballs in the Chaoshan region of China, downed a shot of what’s been dubbed the world’s worst liquor in Chicago, sampled Australian delicacies while enjoying the scenery on a historic train speeding across the Outback, and learned the glorious history of the seemingly humblest of foods: mustard and pickles.

Here, feast on ten under-the-radar American eateries recommended by the authors of Gastro Obscura:

Delaware Delicacies – Hancock, New York

Ray Turner’s smoked eels–which he catches in the Delaware River, smokes himself, and sells out of a wooden shack in the woods of Hancock, NY– are the stuff of local legend. Turner brines his eels in salt and dark honey before smoking them over applewood, resulting in a sweet and savory and hyper-local delicacy.

Getting these eels requires a pilgrimage: First follow the signs for “Delaware Delicacies Smoke House” on Route 17, then turn onto a dirt road, head past the quarry, and keep going until you hit the small store and smokehouse. Inside you’ll find Ray with his long white beard presiding over his case of smoked goods, which includes not just eels but shrimp, trout, salmon, bacon, and Gouda. Note: eel season is in the fall and supplies are limited, so call ahead before venturing into the woods

Organ Stop Pizza (Mesa, Arizona)

Each night in Mesa, Arizona, the largest theater pipe organ ever created rises on a rotating hydraulic elevator above a 700-seat dining room filled with patrons enjoying pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. Played by a virtuoso theater organist, the 276-key instrument is linked to a mind-boggling series of xylophones, glockenspiels, gongs, and cymbals.

The landmark attraction was the brainchild of the late William P. Brown, a real-estate developer, pizza enthusiast, and accomplished theater organist. The performance hall restaurant serves 300,000 visitors each year, while the organ plays classics like “The Flight of the Bumblebee,” “The Hills Are Alive” from the Sound of Music, and the theme from Star Wars.

Bat Bar (Ozarks, Missouri)

Top of the Rock, a mountaintop bluff in the Ozarks, is the entry point into the area’s finest watering hole–a bat-filled bar that’s accessible only by golf cart. After renting a two-or-four person vehicle, visitors make their way through a 2.5 mile (4-km) woodland path over streams and bridges, with the option of stopping at a butterfly garden and scenic outlook. Shortly into the trip, the trail dips into the Lost Canyon Cave, which contains this one-of-a-kind bar.

While everyone on the journey must stay in the golf cart, the ride is filled with surprises: The lantern-lit cave contains a natural waterfall, a live bat colony, and skeletons of both a saber-tooth tiger and a short-faced bear. When it’s time for a drink, park beside the wooden bar and order up a Bat’s Bite (strawberry and peach lemonade) or a John L’s Lemonade (vodka, grapefruit, lemonade, and grenadine), then go for a loop around the waterfall pool. Note: Carts are available for rent from 8:00 a.m. until 45 minutes before sunset. Drivers are permitted alcohol, but not before signing a liability waiver.

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner (Marianna, Arkansas)

Jones Bar-B-Q, a two-table eatery in the town of Marianna, is one of only two restaurants in Arkansas to ever receive a prestigious James Beard Award. The owners, James and Betty Jones, hadn’t even heard of the award before winning the “America’s Classics” category in 2012. The small diner takes up the ground floor of the couple’s home. The sign out front reads “since 1964” but the family operation dates back to at least 1910. James Jones’s recipes are the same ones his grandfather used when he sold barbecued meat out of his home and that his father used when he opened up an earlier iteration of the restaurant.

Today, James runs the pit and restaurant, while a man named Sylvester chops wood and operates the attached smokehouse, which is a shed. Oak and hickory logs burn in a cinderblock barbecue pit, where pork shoulders–the only meat Jones sells–smoke for 12 hours at a time. The menu includes pork by the pound and sandwiches: pork dressed in a slightly sweet vinegar sauce and served between slices of white bread. Beyond slaw, sides are non-existent. But with smoked pork this good, they’re also unnecessary. Note: The restaurant opens at 7 a.m. and closes when it sells out. This could happen at 10 a.m., so plan to eat pork for breakfast.

Bube’s Brewery and Catacomb (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania)

At least once a month, Bube’s Brewery throws a pirate-themed dinner party in their 19th-century basement restaurant, called Catacombs, located 43 feet underground. Actors in period costumes rub elbows with swashbuckling guests, dining in candlelight, beside enormous wooden beer-aging barrels. On non-pirate themed nights, Bube’s Brewery looks like a cross between a Renaissance Faire (which it becomes during monthly medieval festivals) and a Victorian haunted house (which it becomes during regular ghost tours). Established in 1876 by a German immigrant named Alois Bube, it still makes its own mircobrews.

Charcuterie (Unity, Maine)

A decade ago, Matthew Secich was working in the kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant. That was before he left the high-stress world behind, converted to the Amish faith, an opened a small charcuterie shop in Unity, Maine. Today, you’ll find Secich at the end of a long road in the middle of a pine wood, beard down to his chest, hand-grinding meat to make sausages. In line with his faith, Secich’s small shop is lit by oil lamps and heated by a wood stove.

His meat is kept cool in a pine room stocked with 80 tons of ice that’s hand-cut each winter after being harvested from a local lake. The low-tech kitchen produces high-quality charcuterie such as maple-tarragon kielbasa, smoked duck sausage, sweet bologna, and smoked cheddar–all marked by the finesse of an elite chef. Note: Charcuterie is open only Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, along Leelyn Road in Unity.

Terry Bison Ranch (Cheyenne, Wyoming)

Have you ever dreamed of boarding an old-fashioned dining train and enjoying a leisurely Sunday lunch while chugging through open pastures of bison? At Terry’s Bison Ranch in Cheyenne, this dream could be yours. Established in 1993 as a bison farm, their property has a history that extends much further: In 1910, when the land was owned by F.E. Warren, Wyoming’s first territorial governor, bison enthusiast Theodore Roosevelt came to dine.

Today, Terry’s Bison Ranch is a working farm with interactive bison experiences and award-winning ribs. Custom-built trains take visitors through bison country, meandering past ostriches and camels before the main event: petting and feeding bison. You can also see the sights on horseback or on an ATV, then head inside for a bison burger. Feeding the bison, then feeding on bison, may seem like an incongruous experience, but the practice of raising bison like cattle was a key factor in keeping the species from extinction. Note: the regular train tour takes about 90 minutes and runs multiple times a day. The lunch train departs at 12 p.m. on Sundays and requires a reservation.

Tiki Ti (Los Angeles, California)

The Zombie has a reputation for subduing its victims. The rum-based cocktail, invented at Hollywood restaurant Don the Beachcomber in 1934, packed such a punch that customers were cut off after two. And, for decades, proprietor Donn Beach–Zombie inventor and “father” of tiki–was the only person who knew what was in them, until 2007, when tiki connoisseur and author Jeff “Beachbum” Berry solved the mystery.

After finding a black book of coded recipes from Beach’s restaurant, he worked with former Beachcomber staff to reverse engineer the cocktails. For an old-school Zombie-drinking experience, go to the tiny, cash-only Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles, which opened in the 60s.

Matryoshka (New York, New York)

Descend into the Russian bathhouse in Manhattan’s Financial District to find Matryoshka, the restaurant in this three-story underground spa. (Fittingly, matryoshka is the term for a Russian nesting doll.) Dine on pickle platters, beef tongue, pelmeni, borscht, and copious amounts of vodka–all made even more delightful by dining in a bathrobe.

Nelson’s Hall Bitters Club (Washington Island, Wisconsin)

The standard way to enjoy bitters is in moderation–a dash or two in a Manhattan or a Sazerac for a sharp, earthy tang. But on Washington Island, a remote islet in Wisconsin’s share of Lake Michigan, locals prefer to drink it straight, as they have for a hundred years. Their brand of choice is Angostura and they drink so much of it that the tiny island (population 700) has acquired the title of world’s largest consumer of bitters.

The tradition began when Tom Nelsen, a Danish immigrant who arrived on the island in the late 1800s and opened a dance hall and bar, cleverly got a pharmaceutical license during prohibition. Bitters, despite containing alcohol, could be classified and sold as “stomach tonic for medicinal purposes.” With a pharmaceutical license, Nelsen could legally sell bitters without a doctors prescription, so he began pouring shots of the 90 proof “medical tincture” for his “patients.”

When prohibition was repealed in 1933, the locals didn’t give up bitters, and in the mid-20th century the Bitters Club was founded. To join, you must take a shot. First-timers to the island often make going to Nelsen’s a priority because the shot comes with an official Bitters Club card that states you are “now considered a full-fledged islander and entitled to mingle, dance, etc. with all the other islanders.” Note: Nelsen’s Hall Bitters Pub is open 7 days a week.

List adapted from “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide” by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras. ©2021 Workman Publishing.

If there really are aliens zipping around the Earth in blobby, Tic-Tac-like ships, we’ve got the place they should go if they want to chill from baiting Navy pilots — the otherworldly-looking Nomad’s Pad, located near the south rim of the Grand Canyon. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ4Iov9rBiw

This stylish 20 acres or so is set to be home to 10 glass pyramids equipped with temperature controls and smart glass technology that can render the pyramids opaque when you’re done looking at the stunning night sky — the kind of surreally beautiful vision of the stars you can only get in the desert southwest.

According to The Robb Report, Nomad’s Pad is a “solar-powered project–which recently met its fundraising goals on Indiegogo” and it “plans to offer guests their own 400 square-foot, comforts-filled glass pyramid for one to three nights of luxurious camping.”

Having just 10 pyramids spaced a healthy distance apart will allow for complete 360-degree views, at least until guests engage the smart glass when it’s time to hit the sack.

Here’s more from Robb Report:

Constructed with passive house principles for maximum efficiency, each pyramid will come with air conditioning, a queen-sized bed, luxury linens, a detached private bathroom and shower, eco-friendly toiletries and complimentary tea and coffee. Cushy outdoor amenities include a private hot tub, propane fire pit, a hammock and a private patio decked out with lounge furniture.

Passive house principles, according to the Passive House Institute, are basically “thermal bridge free design, superior windows, ventilation with heat recovery, quality insulation and airtight construction.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlutK9AVl-

On Indiegogo, this project’s original fundraising goal was $25,000, but it’s currently sitting at $401,821 USD. 

Before anyone starts looking for a link to make reservations, note that this is in the “concept” stage at the moment, though blasting through their funding goal likely sped up making it a reality. 

The folks behind Nomad’s Pad state in their Indiegogo listing that guests will “become part of the Wild West. Hear birds chirping in the morning, coyotes howling at night, and the whistle of the wind blowing. Smell the fresh aroma of Pinyon Trees and Juniper Berries—like a refreshing glass of gin without the bite, just pure nature.”

It sounds almost as intoxicating as good gin, minus the risk of a hangover later. 

If you want to add your support and get in line to stay at Nomad’s Pad when the project is complete, register with Indiegogo. Perks range from $579 — a one-night stay — to three nights at $1,659. 

Nomad’s Pad expects to be in operation by October 2021. There probably won’t be actual extraterrestrial travelers staying in the pyramid next to you, but with such amazing views of the night sky, there’s a good chance you might see some flying by. 

Abso-fucking-terrified is how I would describe my current psychological state. I’m squeezing the grips of my 2022 Indian Motorcycles’ Chief Bobber like my life depends on it, because it does. Normally you think Arizona ride: warm deserts, sunny blue skies as far as the eye can see. Paradise on two wheels. Normally, but not today. 

In the 17 Freeway heading into Sedona I’m getting shoved around by gale force winds like a freshman trombonist, squalls blowing me at speeds over 80 mph. The intermittent blasts are so powerful they’ve set up full matrix traffic message boards all over the highway: “Warning! 45-60 mph Wind Gusts!” I am shitting my Alpinestars.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO3LFDLF4I7

Let me explain: I love motorcycles, but I hate highways. Loathe them — on a bike, anyways. I can push triple digits yawning in a V8-powered GT, but on a two-wheeler — even a big American cruiser like this Indian Motorcycle — all that runs through my mind as the lines whizz by is my pending mortality. As in, one mistake and I’m shuffling off the mortal coil and all that.

We’re all here, this small group, to launch Indian’s all-new middle-weight cruiser that makes up the backbone of the Minnesota cyclemaker: the Chief. 

Sandwiched between the light cruiser Scout and the big-boy Chieftain tourer, this Chief launch is supposed to be a lark — an excuse to rumble through pristine swathes of the American West, share a couple laughs (and beers) at the end of the day around some remote firepit, and call it a trip. Instead it’s made me terrified to a degree I haven’t felt since childhood, focused on the road like a tightrope walker bridging skyscrapers.

Did I do something to piss of Niltsi, the Navajo god of wind, that I wasn’t aware of?? What blasphemy had I pulled the night before in Vulture City, the ghost town we camped overnight in, I wondered. What sacrilege had I committed? Had I pulled a Greg Brady and unwittingly taken some sacred totem (Google it, kids)? What the shit?!

Of course this terror has nothing to do with the Chief — the ride is fine. Better than fine, it’s actually a wonderful carrier of the American V-Twin Cruiser standard. 

During our ride we’ve hopped around all three styles (Chief, Bobber and Super Chief) each in standard and premium trim (Dark Horse for the first two and Super Chief Limited for the latter), and enjoyed every one up till now. So all I can do to defuse the mental anguish and ease myself a bit amid this impromptu tornado is choke the handlebars like they owe me money and think of happier times.

Times like only the day before, when I took flight from the orange sandstone of Sedona on the Super Chief Limited, taking the smooth roads to Jerome only occasionally broken up by long lazy corners at mid-speed. 

That Super Chief was the perfect bike for the day; what I wouldn’t give for the Limited’s 23.8-inch windshield to subdue exposure to the death-fortifying winds of the current Gale Force Ride. And its shiny, upgraded “116 cubic-inch engine’s 120 lb-ft of torque not only added speed, but would’ve come in handy battling these malevolent forces of nature.

Or later that day climbing the backside of the Black Hills on a Chief Dark Horse, snaking our way up the switchbacks towards Mingus Mountain some 7,700 feet above sea level, and back down toward Verde Valley. On these endless hairpins the Chief’s mid-mounted pegs — the other styles have forward-mounted pegs — allowed for better control and a more agile seating position. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2nzgcLXLT

While a big bike at around 650-lbs, the new gen shaves some 120 pounds and more than 4 inches from the body of the last gen Chief, lowering center of gravity and making for a surprisingly agile bike for a midlevel Cruiser. Sure there were plenty of foot peg scrapes on the ride down the snow-dusted mountain road, but the Chief Dark Horse never felt lethargic or ponderous.

I suppose the standard Bobber I had on this overlong Gale Force Ride would be OK on most days, but this was not most days. Maybe its standard ‘111’ engine — largely unmodified from the previous Chief — and its 108 ft-lbs of torque was underwhelming, but honestly the conditions were too ruthless to fairly judge it. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNfcoWeARqo

Regardless 90 percent of the three days of riding was everything I’d hoped from the Big American Twin Cruiser category — this 2022 being the first major update to the model in a decade, one crafted to celebrate 100 years of the Chief moniker.

Suddenly the wind blasts the sun visor clean off my Bell helmet, unsnapped and sent flying high into the frigid desert air. I gather my focus; think positive thoughts. My mind traces back to the evening before, when our small ad hoc motorcycle club rolled into the dirt road that takes you under the gates and into the Vulture City. There to that open fire, eating mash potatoes and grilled New York strip, toasting s’mores and slamming copious cans of MoonJuice Galactic IPA. 

I recall with a wisp of joy sitting with an old friend and veteran motorcycle journalist and clinking a glass of High West Rendezvous Rye — we cheered to Indian for bringing us here. That memory keeps me sane as Niltsi does his best, playing his wily games on my bike, and I can’t help but smile even through this goddamn hurricane. 

Steven Seagal’s secluded desert mansion is headlined by features you’d expect from a seventh-degree aikido black belt who spent the late-80s and 90s kicking ass in action-fueled flicks like Under Siege, Hard to Kill, Above the Law, and Driven to Kill. 

Built into a scenic hillside overlooking the Phoenix metro, the sprawling 5-bedroom, 5.5-bath estate resides on 12 acres at 3,000 feet above sea level in tony Scottsdale, Arizona. 

The exterior is accented with natural stone, bulletproof floor-to-ceiling glass, and natural copper, with a maze of meandering patios and balconies that provide multi-directional scenes of the cacti-populated desert.  

Inside is an open “Desert Contemporary”-style interior with four bedrooms, a home theater and several “flex” (multipurpose) rooms. A fifth bedroom, full kitchen, and living room are located on the mansion’s guest home. 

Decor includes natural stone pillars, hewn copper accents, and naturally, samurai sculptures. Provided photos also show a jacuzzi and infinity pool with unimpeded views of the landscape below. 

As a bonus, purchase of the property includes full membership to Desert Mountain Golf Club, which boasts six Jack Nicklaus Signature courses and a new 54-par championship course. 

According to BroBible, Seagal purchased the 9,000-square-foot home in 2010 for $3.5 million and has been trying to sell since 2012, when he initially listed it for $4.25 million. The property is currently listed for $3.4 million on Realtor.com. 

Because it’s the year 2020 and Mother Nature is a relentless, angry witch, the same August weekend that saw Fire Tornado Warnings in Northern California also brought record-setting heat in a place already noted for being intolerably hot, Death Valley National Park in California.

Death Valley already held a record of 134 degrees Fahrenheit, but that occurred in 1913 and has been attributed to “observer error.” This time the temp was 130 and there was no doubt about it. This was “walk outside and burst into flames” hot.

Here’s more from CBS News:

[Experts] say the hottest temperature ever “reliably” recorded on Earth is 129.2 degrees, from 2013 in Death Valley. That is, until now. Assuming no abnormalities are apparent, Sunday’s reading will likely be accepted. It seems the reading is not suspect, but if there is reason for skepticism, the National Weather Service or World Meteorological Society may choose to conduct a review.

The current heat wave is certainly not limited to deserts. Record-breaking heat extends from Arizona to Washington state. Throughout the coming week, more than 100 temperature records are expected to be challenged.

The heat sparking all this wild weather is expected to subside a little later in the week, but not enough to really help the Southwest, where cities like Phoenix, Arizona have endured more than a month of daily highs in the triple digits.

CBS reported that the only other place on Earth ever known to get this hot was Tunisia, but the record of 131 degrees set there in 1931 has long been questioned by historians. 

Death Valley’s unimaginably scorching hot weekend may ultimately go down in the books as the true record-breaker.

Though it’s hard to figure out how much such a record really matters to humans—once the thermometer hits the 100s it all adds up to unbearable, no matter what. 

The best residents around Death Valley can hope for is the next hot day not being accompanied by fire tornadoes.  

The last private residence designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright is going up on the block with Heritage Auctions on October 16.

Wright is widely considered the greatest architect of the 20th century. Some believe he was the greatest architect in U.S. history. He gained fame with his uniquely simple style, which he used to design over 1,100 buildings throughout his career—including the iconic Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater.

The Norman Lykes Home, also known as the “Circular Sun House,” is in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the last of 14 circular homes Wright designed and the very last residence of his storied career.

The home was designed by Wright in 1959 and like so many of his residential structures, it was meant to blend in and be fully integrated into the natural desert landscape surrounding it.

The project was overseen and completed by his apprentice John Rattenbury shortly before Wright passed away in 1967.

The house is built of colored concrete blocks that seamlessly blend in with the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, and the entire lot has 1.3 acres of land with a gated driveway.

It has 3 bedrooms and 3 baths spread across 3,095 square feet, and the entire home boasts incredible views of the Palm Canyon and the valley from almost every room.

The master suite has panoramic windows and a balcony overlooking the canyon.

Even the spacious bathrooms have wide windows that allow endless amounts of natural light to filter in.

A private second-story office has sweeping panoramic views, and the home comes fully decked out in mid-century modern furnishings and lots of built-in features constructed from handcrafted Philippine mahogany.

Outside, there’s also a striking garden terrace pool lined with mother of pearl.

The home’s position on the edge of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve gives it a birds-eye view of the changing light patterns as the sun moves across the canyon.

Learn more about the auction right here.

Colin Kaepernick and the Flag are in the news again, but not in the way you might think. 

Kaepernick, a Nike athlete, objected to a new Air Max sporting the so-called “Betsy Ross” version of the American flag. Now Nike is reportedly removing that shoe from stores and has taken it offline without explanation, and in retaliation the state of Arizona is removing financial incentives it was set to offer the athletic wear giant to open a factory there.

Kaepernick famously became the face of Nike’s “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign in 2018. The ads featured the former 49ers QB, who hasn’t worked in the NFL since he began protesting racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem.

The “Betsy Ross” flag, which features stars in a circle representing the original colonies, was long considered the original American flag, though modern historians have disputed the story behind its creation. But inaccurate history isn’t the problem, as the Wall Street Journal reports.

For one thing, sources familiar with the situation tell the WSJ that Kaepernick “reached out to company officials saying that he and others felt the Betsy Ross flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of slavery.” And Kaepernick is also far from the first person to make note of issues attached to this symbol:

In 2016, the superintendent of a Michigan school district apologized after students waved the Betsy Ross flag at a high-school football game, saying that for some it is a symbol of white supremacy and nationalism, according to Mlive.com, a local news outlet.

While the flag’s use isn’t widespread, the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said at the time that it has been appropriated by some extremist groups opposed to America’s increasing diversity.

Naturally, this was an immediately polarizing issue, and one of the most visible responses came from the Republican governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, who lashed out at Nike in a practical way, issuing a statement via Twitter which read in part:

Today was supposed to be a good day in Arizona, with the announcement of a major Nike investment in Goodyear, AZ. And then this news broke yesterday afternoon. Words cannot express my disappointment at this terrible decision. I am embarrassed for Nike.

Nike is an iconic American brand and American company. This country, our system of government and free enterprise have allowed them to prosper and flourish. Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism. It is a shameful retreat for the company.

American businesses should be proud of our country’s history, not abandoning it.

Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here.

Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history.

It looks as though Nike will need to find another place to not make shoes with allegedly questionable flags on them. 

Social media reactions were intense all across the political spectrum:

https://twitter.com/SohrabAhmari/status/1145843750872244224

So far the impact on Nike isn’t easy to predict, though taking what appears to be a socially progressive stance by putting Kaepernick up as a face of the brand has worked to its advantage in the past. 

Will people begin burning their expensive Nike shoes and athletic gear anew, as they did when the company debuted its Kaepernick campaign? Given the intensity of social media reaction, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they did.