Experience genuine
You saw us on TV during X Games 2023 as world-class athletes soared through the air with our palm trees as the perfect beach backdrop. But nothing feels as good as real life. Experience genuine outdoor adventure. Bike and hike from the mountains to the beach or explore mesmerizing sea caves at the Channel Islands National Park. It’s your turn: enter to win.
Ventura
Channel Islands National Park
Hilton Waikiki Beach is waiting to share the spirit of
with you!
Located just steps from the world famous Waikiki Beach, International Market Place, the Honolulu Zoo and some of Waikiki’s finest shopping, dining and nightlife
NEW Recreation Deck
Our new Recreation Deck features a larger pool, spa, 9-hole mini golf course and The Hang-10 Bar. Lounge in a private cabana or catch the rays in our comfy deck lounges.
Paradise Awaits
Admire city or ocean views from your private balcony. Spacious rooms and suites feature island decor and well-appointed bathrooms.
LBLE Lounge
Unwind with a cocktail, bite or tropical concoction in LBLE, our Lobby Level bar boasting the LARGEST TV in Hawaii. Come by and catch your favorite team.
Take in our vibrant California Coast exhibit and help us restore biodiversity for a thriving California— and planet. Because every visit supports our mission to regenerate the natural world.
For tickets, buy online at AAA.com/calacademy or visit your local branch.
Editorial
EDITOR Whitney Phaneuf
MANAGING EDITOR Katie Henry
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mandy Ferreira and LeeAnne Jones
Design + Production
DESIGN DIRECTOR Monica Ewing Jensen
PHOTO EDITOR Maggie Perkins
Digital
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST Amy Mackey
Advertising
ADVERTISING MANAGER Natasha Alcalá
Change of address Allow four weeks’ advance notice. Contact AAA at (800) 922-8228.
Manuscripts and photos Query first; Via assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material.
Reprints from Via Contents copyrighted 2023 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. No part of Via may be reprinted without written permission.
Contact Via Editorial Address all mail to Via, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623, or viamail@via magazine.com. Your input may be edited and published in print or online.
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→ Answer (from page 50) Dalton Highway, Alaska.
‘Tis the Season for Science
November 17, 2023 - January 7, 2024
Celebrate the season with falling snow, festive activities, and more!
A great blue heron braves the cold at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Page 20.
FEATURES
30 Modern Marvels
Cruise the West Coast on an architecture road trip through Arizona, California, and Nevada. by alec scott
36 Why We Van Life
AAA Members reveal the perks and potential pitfalls of living on the road. by josh sens
42 Where to Dock Your Rig
Cool spots to spend the night, from wineries to golf courses and all types of venues in between. by laura
kiniry
DEPARTMENTS
8 To Our Members
Finding new and innovative ways to better serve our Members.
11 Smart Life
Prepare for winter; plus, how to buy a security camera, what’s ahead in the EV market, and tips on viewing the aurora borealis.
19 On the Road
Members’ favorite hot springs; a drive through Bitterroot Valley, Mont.; a day at California’s Tolowa Dunes State Park; and a weekend in Sonoita, Ariz.
46 Annual Meeting Notice
The annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah will be held January 4, 2024.
50 Where in the West
Frozen trees dot the landscape in a far northern region of the U.S.
THE COVER Skip and Nanci Williams enjoy an afternoon in camp on a road trip in their beloved Volkswagen Westfalia. Page 36.
photograph by James Bueti
Finding new ways to serve you
As 2023 comes to a close, I’d like to thank all AAA Members for continuing their journey with us. Whether you’re new to AAA or have been a lifelong Member, you deserve to get the most out of your Membership—and we’re focused on making that easier for you. This year, we’ve made enhancements to our digital tools, added ways for you to request service, and invested in our team so they can provide the best service possible.
This year, we launched innovative solutions in a number of digital areas to make your AAA Membership easier to use, including updates to our AAA Mobile App and the introduction of our new digital Membership card. The app puts your Membership at your fingertips, making it faster and easier to get roadside assistance from your mobile phone. You’ll even have the ability to track a AAA tow truck on its way to you in real time. Also, the AAA Mobile App now integrates with Apple CarPlay, allowing you to view your Membership information, see a map of local gas prices, and locate EV charging stations. In addition, the app lets you download your AAA Membership card to your Apple or Google Wallet, so it’s always with you anywhere you go with your mobile device.
Another emerging product we’ve designed for our Members is the Smart Home Security service. AAA Smart Home Security brings legendary AAA service from the road to your home, providing 24/7 protection and security, as well as tools to let you manage your home from the palm of your hand. Members use the Smart Home App an average of five times per day to check who is at the front door, view their yard, keep an eye on pets, close their garage door, adjust their thermostat, and more. As the list of connected devices in our homes grows, there are even more ways we can make managing your home safer and easier. If you haven’t checked out the ways AAA Smart Home Security can help protect your home and family, now might be the time: AAA.com/smarthome.
Another example of how much we appreciate our Members and the journeys they take with AAA by their side is in your hands right now. For the first time ever, Via has AAA Members on its cover! A paramedic fireman based in Ukiah, Calif., Skip Williams loves taking long road trips across the western U.S. with his wife, Nanci, in their beloved 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia. Read more about Williams and two other adventurous, van-life-loving AAA Members in the feature story on page 34.
As always, thank you for allowing us to serve you, have a wonderful holiday season, and take the time to embrace all that the New Year has to offer. Cheers! ba.
Smart Life
5 things to do in
winter
Recycle your Christmas tree, donate gifts to kids, and test your battery to prepare for the chilly season.
1 Review new EU travel requirements. Beginning in 2024, U.S. travelers will need authorization to visit Europe. In an effort to increase security, travelers to 30 European countries will need to get approval through the European Travel Information and Authorization System, in addition to having a valid U.S. passport. The pass is good for stays of up to 90 days. If you’re dreaming of a European vacation, apply early.
2 Check your car battery’s health. When temperatures dip, ensure your battery is in peak condition; a weak battery will have more trouble starting in the cold. AAA roadside experts offer battery testing and diagnosis. Learn more at AAA.com/battery.
3 Repurpose your Christmas tree. Curbside pickups for tired firs are common in most neighborhoods, but other options could give your tree a second life.
Contact your local department of public works to see if they will collect, then chip and shred your tree to make mulch for use in community yards. Or do so on your own—and add fresh covering to your garden.
4 Consider a winter car kit. Be prepared for chilly weather by assembling a seasonal car kit. Handy items could include an ice scraper, a folding snow shovel, tire chains, and a bag of sand or cat litter for adding traction. Members save 10 percent on most parts and accessories at NAPA Auto Parts. Access at AAA.com/napa
5 Donate unwrapped gifts to families. Embrace the season of giving by helping families in need make their children’s dreams come true. Toys for Tots has been leading national toy drives for 76 years, but check with local crisis nurseries and shelters to see how you can aid families in your community. via editors
How to buy a home security camera
Five questions to help you decide which option is best for your household.
With dozens of products competing for your attention, it’s hard to know where to start when choosing a security camera for your home. Here are some key questions to ask yourself as you contemplate what your home needs, guided by an expert at AAA Smart Home Security, Director of Product Management and Residential Operations Lindsay Gutierrez.
Are you installing the camera indoors or outdoors?
The most foundational question about your new security camera is where you will place it: inside or out. Outdoor cameras are designed to be weatherproof. “When you have 31 straight days where it’s over 110 degrees, like in Phoenix, you want to make sure the cameras aren’t melting,” says Gutierrez.
Outdoor cameras can also be used inside, but you’ll save money with indoor-specific cameras. And indoor cameras are commonly freestanding units.
24/7 home security
AAA Smart Home Security can supply the best cameras for your space, plus AAA Members save up to $60 per year on monitoring. Learn more at AAA.com/smarthome
How are you going to power the camera?
Cameras need electricity to operate. Historically, most are wired, which means you’ll need to locate them near a power outlet or deal with an extension cord. This can get tricky, as few homes have outdoor electrical outlets near the eaves of the roof. Users often must run a cable to an outlet inside the house—which requires drilling through the wall— or have an electrician add one.
For these reasons, cameras powered by battery could be more enticing. These batteries must be periodically removed and recharged. This eliminates a cord, but if your camera is out of reach, it can present challenges. For those who cannot easily access the camera, Gutierrez recommends a plug-it-in-and-forgetit option.
Will it work with the rest of your security system?
If you already have a smart home system, there’s a good chance the brand sells a companion camera that is designed to work with it, which means you only need one app to manage your alarm, unlock doors, control thermostats or lights, and manage video. Cameras sold by AAA Smart Home Security can do this, conveniently working within the AAA Smart Home Security app.
Where are videos stored, and are they secure?
Security cameras store video in one of two places: on a storage card inside the camera or in the cloud.
Onboard storage is safe, but if someone takes the camera or the card, you can lose your footage. On the other hand, says Gutierrez, “if you lose your Wi-Fi connection, the camera can still record and save videos.”
Cloud-based storage means video is uploaded to the internet, which makes it less prone to loss. But cloud storage usually requires paying a fee. And while it is commonly encrypted, concerns about the safety of cloudstored video have also been raised.
What other features are you getting?
It’s in the fi n e print that security cameras really prove themselves, says Gutierrez: “Resolution, color representation, the quality of the hardware.”
Motion-detection is also a critical consideration. Look for detection with a long operating range and the ability to set detection zones.
Flexible alerts are another key feature. With AAA Smart Home Security cameras, Gutierrez says, “you can choose the size of an object to monitor,” which means you can limit clips to capturing your pets or only humansize interlopers. christopher null
Style and Disney Go Hand in Hand
Only Disney’s Mickey Mouse has that extra special charm to bring a bit of magic to everything he touches. And he de nitely makes fashion more fun with a designer-style handbag original from The Bradford Exchange!
Our “Forever Mickey” Handbag is expertly crafted of black and red faux leather with a custom all-over print reading “Mickey Mouse 1928”. The contrasting red trim includes twin handles, a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap, and a Mickey Mouse signature luggage tag that hangs from one strap. This fashionable bag features classic artwork of Disney’s Mickey Mouse and a drawstring closure plus a snap closure on the inside to keep your belongings secure, while an outside pocket on the back of the bag keeps your phone readily available.
FUN IS IN FASHION WITH DISNEY’S MICKEY MOUSE
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SMART LIFE
Quality
What’s ahead in the EV market
Three trends that make buying an EV more enticing.
The electric car market is riding a wave of innovation. Industry improvements in charging infrastructure and performance are giving drivers more choices and the experiences they’ve come to expect from traditional gas-fueled vehicles. Here are three trends to look for in the coming year and beyond.
Expanded charging options
This year, Ford, Volvo, General Motors, and Rivian announced they will be adopting Tesla’s charging interface, the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, in new versions of their electric vehicles. This collaboration opens Tesla’s charging stations to a broader range of vehicles.
At the same time, automakers including General Motors, BMW, and Honda are working to expand networks of charging stations, which will feature NACS and CCS (Combined Charging System), the other dominant EV connector.
Upscale charging experiences
It’s not unusual to find drip coffee and doughnuts at a gas station, and so far, EV charging networks can’t compete. New plazas from Electrify America (a Volkswagen subsidiary) aspire to be more like frequent flier lounges than gas stations. Their next-gen charging stations include
a variety of new features such as lounge areas, solar panel canopies to provide shade and power, improved security, and convenient locations near shopping centers.
Enhanced power and performance
EVs have proven their value as commuter workhorses, but the current generation offers upgrades in performance, too. The Mach-E jumps to 60 mph in under six seconds; GMC’s Hummer EV packs the equivalent of 1,000 horsepower.
“The new cars are fun to drive,” says AAA Director of Membership Innovation Sloane Morgan. “They’re super zippy. Take the Ford Mach-E: That’s a classic American muscle car for the 21st century. It’s the most exciting time in the automotive industry in 100 years or so.”
Learn more about EVs and take advantage of exclusive charging station discounts at
6 tips for viewing northern lights
Head to Alaska to catch this natural wonder in its peak season.
Think of the northern lights as nature’s fireworks. Also known as the aurora borealis, this spectacle occurs when particulate remnants of a solar storm travel from the sun into Earth’s atmosphere. When these particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen, they result in spectacular displays of colorful light in the night sky.
If you’ve been considering a trip to chase aurora, the time is now. The northern lights will be especially intense over the next two winters, getting brighter and more frequent as the current solar cycle increases in activity, peaking around 2025. Because it’s dark around the Arctic Circle for most of the winter, Alaska is a great destination for spotting the aurora. Here are six viewing tips from Alaskans in the know.
1 Select a location wisely.
Darkness is important for maximizing viewing conditions. While you can see the northern lights from downtown Fairbanks or even Anchorage, you will view them better without light pollution. Don Hampton, research associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, says northern exposure is preferable, away from urban centers: “You want it pitch black.”
2 Burn the midnight oil.
Peak viewing occurs around what experts call “magnetic midnight,” usually sometime between midnight and 3 a.m. Some visitors sacrifice sleep for the experience and make an adventure out of staying up all night. Others stay at hotels, such as Alyeska Resort in Girdwood and Borealis Basecamp near Fairbanks, where staff will ring your room when the aurora is active.
3 Build in wiggle room.
The northern lights can be fickle and unpredictable. You’ll want to give yourself a few nights of viewing opportunities to improve your odds. Geophysical Institute data suggests visitors who come for three nights or more in winter have a 90 percent chance of seeing aurora. Some cruises even offer guaranteed view-
Book a trip
AAA Travel has excellent options for viewing aurora borealis, including tours, cruises, and activities. Learn more at AAA.com/northernlights
ing; Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express voyages come with a promise that if you don’t see the northern lights, you’ll receive another comparable cruise free of charge.
4 Leverage technology.
Solar storms, like storms here on Earth, can be tracked with the help of technology. According to Hampton, the best place to monitor them is the Aurora Tracker from the Geophysical Institute. This website displays the KP Index, a scale that measures aurora strength, and provides a forecast of potential activity. The app My Aurora Forecast accesses the same data.
5 Consider a guide.
While anyone can witness the northern lights, it’s often best to experience the phenomenon with a guide who can provide context and scienti fi c ally sound information. At Borealis Basecamp, owner Adriel Butler and his staff offer digestible facts and capture portraits for visitors to take home.
6 Don’t forget your smartphone.
Cameras aren’t just good for capturing images of the aurora—they can actually help you see them more clearly, since an open aperture registers more light than the naked eye. According to Butler, what appears on camera can be more vivid and colorful, but, he advises, “It’s also nice to put down your camera and experience the aurora all by yourself.”
matt villano
On the Road
Hot springs
↘ Soothe your spirit with a soak surrounded by nature.
“Chena Hot Springs in Alaska, northeast of Fairbanks, is gorgeous in the wintertime. And it’s even possible to see the northern lights, which is an unbelievable added bonus. This place is a must-visit.”
ron batchelder
“Fountain of Youth in Niland, Calif., is very clean, with two pools (one freshwater, one salt) and five hot tubs. The RV community there is friendly, with lots to enjoy.” patti kraft
“David Walley’s Resort in Genoa, Nev., offers a way to indulge in natural mineral water in well-established surroundings. Indigenous peoples consider this spot sacred and the waters healing. And Mark Twain used to be a frequent visitor! The restaurant on the premises, 1862 Restaurant & Saloon, is a spot not to miss. Plus, there is live music on Fridays and Saturdays.”
igor a likhatchev
“Our favorite place to relax is Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Ariz. When staying at this boutique resort, guests have unlimited access to the natural flowing hot springs in pools of varying temperatures.”
tina newman
“Grover Hot Springs State Park in Markleeville, Calif., is a decent 3.5-hour drive from Modesto, or there is a very nice campground for spending the night in the park. Another hot spring we stumbled upon on our many travels is Sol Duc Hot Springs in Port Angeles, Wash. There are three hot pools and one with fresh water. It’s gorgeous country up there.” christine bryant
“My favorite spot is Harbin Hot Springs in Middletown, Calif. It’s a fantastic getaway in a very peaceful sanctuary.”
michael robbins
“Yellowstone Hot Springs in Gardiner, Mont., is different from other hot springs— alcohol isn’t allowed and there is no loud music, just peace and beauty. You might even see elk or bison in the distance using binoculars. It’s close to Yellowstone National Park, too.”
kathleen rakel
“Floating in Indian Springs’ Olympic-size mineral pool is heaven on earth. A Calistoga, Calif., landmark, the hotel’s pools are fed by steaming on-site geysers. There’s also an adult pool, lots of lounging spots, and an excellent spa featuring mud baths.” albert mathias
“For a beautiful setting in the middle of town, and surrounded by mountains, visit Pagosa Springs, Colo. A dozen or so pools are kept at different temperatures, and people from around the world gather here. It is always clean and has access to many activities such as hot air ballooning. It is a great place.”
richard gammill
“Twenty minutes south of Jackson, Wyo., Astoria Hot Springs in Hoback features spectacular views of the Snake River and surrounding mountains. The quiet, laid-back atmosphere draws couples and families alike to the six natural-water pools, including one children’s pool and a cold plunge. Bring a picnic to make a day of it.”
beatrice parkin
NEXT QUESTION
Where is the best place to experience public art in the West, and why?
Email us at otr@via magazine.com. You may be quoted in a future issue.
ON THE ROAD
Bitterroot Valley, Mont.
↘ Those in the know treasure the valley as a place to relax, explore, and refresh any season of the year.
The word is out on Montana. People justifiably come here from all over the map for a Big Sky Country experience, but spectacular places have avoided the fanfare. Consider the Bitterroot Valley, a history-rich stretch of small towns, large ranches, highpayoff trails, and big Montana views along the untamed Bitterroot River. As snow piles up on the Bitterroot Mountains to the west and the Sapphire Mountains to the east, the valley shifts into winter, a time for snow-gazing, shopping, and soaking.
Missoula to Lolo
A university town and unofficial capital of Western Montana, Missoula (population 73,000) is the obvious jumping off point for a Bitterroot journey. Stop by Bernice’s Bakery for freshly made huckleberry Danish or a bag of sugar cookies for the road. If you have time to linger over a big plate, try the biscuits and gravy or steak and eggs at the always-open Oxford Cafe.
From Missoula, it’s a 10-mile drive on Highway 93 to Lolo (population 4,400), a mountain town with a history of visitors. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery paused near Travelers’ Rest State Park on their way to and from the West Coast. On Saturdays from January through early March, speakers carry on the winter storytelling traditions of the Salish tribe with talks at the park. Modern explorers will be tempted to plunge into the indoor and outdoor pools at Lolo Hot Springs. Water naturally heated to 102 to 106 degrees—perhaps combined with a tiramisu hot chocolate from the bar—will melt away any winter chills.
Lolo to Stevensville
Less than 10 miles from Lolo, Highway 93 drops into the northern edge of the Bitterroot Valley and the riverside towns of Florence and Stevensville (population 2,100), a favorite stop for treasure hunting at the Creamery Antique Mall and other Main Street shops.
The Mission Bistro in Stevensville is a reservation-recommended destination dining spot serving locally sourced racks of lamb, bison burgers, and huckleberry cheesecake.
To help make room for dessert, you can take a peaceful winter walk at the nearby Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, where deer tracks crisscross the snow along the riverbank and northern pintails and green-winged teals jostle for space on open patches of water.
Stevensville to Hamilton
The views of the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains continue to inspire along the roughly 20 miles from Stevensville to Hamilton, with the
SWEET STOPS
Fall colors along the Bitterroot River. right: Feast at Oxford Cafe in Missoula, Mont.
CHINA BEFORE COMMUNISM
Just What You’ve Been
“A marvelous program! The ancient Chinese wisdom it conveyed will not only benefit the Chinese people, but also the whole world.”
—Ted Kavanau, founding senior producer of CNN Headline News
“I feel like the healing was inside. The purification... mental detox from all the chaos in the world.”
Dimitri
Khawly, graphic designer
“It’s a very enjoyable way to educate... it just makes people here more culturally aware.”
—Pamela
Ty, law firm founder & president
Throughout history, artists in almost every culture looked to the divine for inspiration. Art was meant to uplift, bringing joy to those who created and experienced it. Today, Shen Yun Performing Arts pays homage to this tradition, weaving the wisdom and virtues of Chinese civilization with ancient legends and modern heroic tales on stage.
Shen Yun brings to its audiences a whole new experience, revealing a China untainted by communist rule. Be prepared to traverse time and space and be mesmerized by the action, humor, and beauty of five millennia. It’s an experience that will uplift your spirit and touch your heart.
JAN 8–9
small towns of Victor and Corvallis along the way. The pines and snowcovered peaks don’t exactly evoke wine country, but the Hidden Legend Winery in Victor sells bottles of sweet and punchy meads made with local fruits and honey. In winter, the Teller Wildlife Refuge just outside of Corvallis teems with ducks, coots, and even tundra swans making the most of the free-flowing Bitterroot River. Hamilton (population nearly 5,000) has restaurants, shopping, and activities befitting the “big town” of the valley. If you’ve somehow made it this far without getting full, consider a burger with kimchi slaw at Bouilla or a classic Montana meat pie at the MineShaft Pasty Company. The Ravalli County Museum houses a collection of pioneer-era farm tools, clothes, and artwork as well as artifacts from Salish, Nez Perce, and Kootenai tribes.
If you have the urge to get closer to the mountains, the Blodgett Canyon trail outside of town will take you past a tumbling, icy creek and sheer granite rock faces with only minimal elevation gain. On most winter days, you can walk miles on the packed trail
without snowshoes. Lake Como, a beautiful mountain lake south of town that hums with activity in warm months, becomes a quiet spot for cross-country skiers in winter.
Hamilton to Sula
The final stretch of the Bitterroot Valley goes through Darby, a timber town that’s home to the Ranger Station Museum—a good spot to learn about forest service history while getting local tips for exploring the valley—as well as the fun and fudgey Old West Antiques & Candy Store. Fans of the hit TV show Yellowstone will recognize key location “Dutton Ranch” located just down the road. The highway continues to Sula (population less than 100), the southernmost town in the valley, where weary travelers stop at Lost Trail Hot Springs, another popular spot for staying and soaking.
Highway 93 proceeds south into Idaho, but if you turn around and head back to Missoula, you’re bound to see sides of the Bitterroot that you missed the first time. It’s a valley of many parts, and it’s all Montana.
chris woolston
Ski out to Lake Como, which offers serenity in the winter.
How can a rechargeable hearing aid that ts inside your ear and costs only $14 999 be every bit as good as one that sells for $2,400 or more?
The answer: Although tremendous strides have been made in Hearing Aid Technology, those cost reductions have not been passed on to you. Until now...
The MDHearing™ NEO uses the same kind of technology incorporated into hearing aids that cost thousands more at a small fraction of the price. Satis ed MDHearing customers agree: High-quality, digital, FDA-registered rechargeable hearing aids don’t have to cost a fortune. NEO is a medical-grade, digital, rechargeable hearing aid offering sophistication and high performance; and works right out of the box with no time consuming “adjustment” appointments. You can contact a licensed hearing specialist conveniently online or by phone — even after your purchase at no cost. No other company provides such extensive support. Now that you know...why pay more? PLUS... It fits inside your ear.
Tolowa Dunes State Park
With more than 4,000 acres of coastal and forested dunes that bask in the wind and waves, Tolowa Dunes State Park has one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in California. A place of profound significance to the Tolowa people, inhabitants of the Smith River coastal plain for millennia, the park welcomes visitors who seek quiet beach hikes, birding, horseback riding, and a deeper connection with the history of this serene place.
Among the network of trails crossing through various ecosystems in the park, two hikes that originate from the Pala Road parking lot in the north part of the park are not to be missed. A short trail crosses through the Yontocket Slough to a historic cemetery where visitors can pay their
respects to the original stewards of this land. A second hike, the East Pond Loop, proceeds from the cemetery via a sandy trail next to a meadow. Hikers can choose to head further along the Ridge Trail or onward to enjoy water views, wildlife, and excellent birding at a series of ponds and wetlands.
The southern part of the park offers impressive dunes plus lakes and marshes that provide pleasant year-round rambling. From the parking area at the end of Sand Hill Road, take the Sweetwater Creek Trail for a 2.5-mile round-trip hike through forested dunes to the beach. Here, you can view the restoration work by the Tolowa Dunes Stewards.
To experience the diversity of the Tolowa Coast as a whole, mount a horse for a guided ride with Crescent Trail Rides, which operates all year.
For vast ocean vistas beyond a protected marine reserve, head south of the park to Point St. George Heritage Area. From the bluffs, on a clear day you can catch a historic lighthouse six miles offshore. Take your binoculars for the views and for spotting migrating gray whales.
jennifer burns bright
Meander along the dunes on a guided horseback ride.
Sonoita, Ariz.
↘ Southern Arizona’s savannas entice visitors with welcoming wineries, humming wildlife, and rich culture.
Arizona’s original wine country is intoxicating, even if the only thing visitors are drinking in is the view. Sonoita’s golden grasslands, rippling mountain ranges, and endless blue skies mesmerize the mind. Its small but sparkling food scene perks up the taste buds. Pair that heady blend with an Audubon Society–designated Important Bird Area, and you have an ideal recipe for unplugging and reconnecting with the bounty of life.
● Opening in late 2022, Los Milics Vineyard was named one of the top three new winery experiences in the country by USA Today. Beloved restaurateur Pavle Milic, whose program at Scottsdale’s FnB earned two James Beard Award nominations, poured his heart into this estate winery. Visitors stroll through a steel Stonehenge-
esque installation to a glassy tasting room overlooking the Mustang Mountains. The award-winning wines are a mélange of popular grapes and daring varietals such as tannat and teroldego. Chef Ana Borrajo blends Southern Arizona’s bounty with flair from her native Granada, Spain, in her seasonal tapas, such as salad of shaved fennel, pickled beets, and Manchego cheese or pintxos with jamón serrano and garlicky tomato spread.
● An oldie but goodie, Dos Cabezas WineWorks debuted in 1995 and continues to win over wine lovers with its spicy-fruity reds and citrusy whites, which combine characteristically Arizonan grapes such as garnacha, graciano, and malvasia bianca. Recently, the winery started slinging wood-fired Pronghorn Pizza from its crush pad.
Order a pie loaded with atypical toppings that could include garlic confit, Oaxacan cheese, or fermented poblano peppers. Then lounge on the plant-filled patio, cooling off with a can of carbonated rosé or a thymeinfused sparkling water.
● When locals aren’t hanging out at the wineries, they gravitate to The Cafe for scrumptious burgers, sandwiches, and salads as well as its community-minded ethos. Chef Adam Puckle sources his ingredients from nearby farms and features beef from Vera Earl Ranch, which cares for the region’s grasslands, wildlife, and waterfront areas through sustainable grazing practices. Breakfast options are thin on the ground in tiny Sonoita. So, if you’re headed to nearby Patagonia for bird-watching
A grand entrance at Los Milics Vineyard. right: A perched broadbilled hummingbird at Paton Center.
Introducing the lightest folding power chair in the world
The Journey Air Elite features the latest carbon fiber technology for the ultimate in portability and performance
Mobility issues affect over 1 in 5 Americans. These individuals, and their loved ones, know how decreased mobility can result in loss of independence, pain and falling hazards. They are often stuck at home, missing out on a variety of activities, in a vicious cycle that diminishes their quality of life. In the past, mobility devices like scooters and power chairs were too heavy and bulky to transport easily. Now, carbon fiber material invented for the aerospace program has been used to create the ultimate mobility device. It’s called the Journey Air Elite … and there’s nothing else like it on earth.
At only 26 pounds*, the Journey Air Elite combines lightweight portability with world class performance. It’s simple to use joystick and powerful dual-motor drive system enables you to zip around quickly and safely. It’s easy to maneuver, never tips, fits easily through doorways, and can go right up to a table or desk. Once you are done, just one pull on the seat handle folds it up. There’s a folddown back to make it even easier to stow and store. It features flat-free tires and rear anti-tippers for added convenience and safety.
• Comfortable and easy-to-operate
• Pulls right up to desks and tables
• 8-mile range on a single charge
•
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Just imagine how this chair can improve your life and make it easier for loved ones and caregivers to accompany you to activities and events you would have missed in the past. Don’t spend another day stuck at home. Call today, and a helpful, knowledgeable consultant will help you get a Journey Air Elite of your very own. Don’t wait – call now!
Folds flat in seconds
ON THE ROAD
and beach play, fuel up at Gathering Grounds with locally raised pork chorizo and eggs or a Mexican-influenced vegan veggie scramble.
● A short drive southwest of Sonoita in verdant Patagonia, grapevines give way to gray hawks, violet-crowned hummingbirds, and bobcats. Over 250 bird species have been spotted at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, a free nature preserve where you can commune with technicolor winged creatures from bluethroated mountain gems to a meadow full of butterflies. A one-mile hike or short drive away, the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve protects a lush waterway that ripples through a rare riparian forest of Fremont cottonwoods and Goodding’s willows. The area provides a home for endangered fish, yellow warblers, and dozens of other species.
go on a guided bird walk or hike the 1.5-mile Overlook Trail for a hawk’s-eye view of the glistening lake and purple mountains.
● Nearby, two popular nature preserves form an Audubon Society–designated Important Birding Area. At Patagonia Lake State Park you can enjoy the sandy beach, fish for bass, and rent a canoe or pedal boat to spot great blue herons stilt-walking in the reeds. In neighboring Sonoita Creek State Natural Area,
● Get a taste of Southern Arizona’s ranching tradition at a rodeo or livestock show at the Sonoita Fairgrounds. Check the calendar for chances to watch wranglers ride bucking broncos, race horses between barrels, and show off their prize-winning steeds. Then kick up your boot heels with live music and line dancing. Also keep an eye out for seasonal events such as Sonoita Small Town Christmas in December.
● Since the 1970s, Steve and Gail Getzwiller have cultivated relationships with Navajo weavers who preserve ancient rug-making methods and often work with traditional materials such as wool from onceendangered Churro sheep. The Getzwillers sell these works of art, many of which have hung in museums, at Nizhoni Ranch Gallery in Sonoita. Open by appointment only, this homey Southwestern spot beautifully showcases antique and contemporary rugs, Native American basketry, turquoise jewelry, intricately painted pottery, and more. keridwen cornelius
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modern
marvels
Cruise the West Coast on an architecture road trip.
by alec scott
The story of how the West
was won over to a distinctive architectural style starts at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, which sits on a hill in a park in the East Hollywood area of Los Angeles. In terms its Hollywood neighbors would understand, the home he created for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall in 1921 is a prequel, introducing some key characters and storylines.
Breaking away from the popular European-influenced beaux arts and Spanish colonial styles of the time, Wright drew inspiration from the Mayan pyramids, evident in the home’s inclined upper walls and colonnades, and the statues in Central American temples, evoked in abstract figures carved on the exterior and interior walls.
Working on the building were two young Austrian men putting wartorn Europe behind them, Richard Neutra and Rudolph M. Schindler, apprentice architects who would go on to produce key midcentury modern buildings, responding, in part, to Wright’s work.
The house plays with shapes, featuring circular rooms, elongated corridors, and a lack of symmetry throughout—all rejections of the boxiness, regularity, and rectangularity of the past. “It feels both prehistoric and futuristic,” says Sam Lubell, author of the Mid-Century Modern Architecture Travel Guide, and that’s true of much of Wright’s Western work; this uncanny feeling is one reason so many of his buildings have been used as settings for science-fiction and horror films.
The ideas and aesthetics rooted here (in part) would go on to influence many important modern buildings on the West Coast, and you can view quite a few of them by car. This road trip, along an architecturally fertile crescent, takes design lovers through Arizona, California, and Nevada.
Built less than 20 years after Hollyhock, Wright’s winter home, Taliesin West, borrows, literally, from its site halfway up a mountain in Scottsdale. The trainee architects who studied here took yellow, pink, and
Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home. above: Wright’s influential Hollyhock House. below: Wright at his home in Spring Green, Wis.
brown desert rocks from the site and combined them with concrete for walls. Again, there’s the ancient-modern feel and some outside-the-box shape-play with triangular courtyards and a jagged roofline mimicking the mountain ridge above.
Wright’s pupil Paolo Soleri took this permission to embody a dream in another ancient-meets-modern complex, Arcosanti , roughly an hour north of Phoenix. An effort to live light on the land, Arcosanti is a dense village, built up around a communal space cupped by huge stenciled concrete arches—a modern, ecological take on an Italian hill town.
Wright’s son Lloyd helped his friend, the drugstore heiress and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, in the initial stages of planning another architectural wonder, the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, before it broke ground in 1955. Jutting from a massive cleft in the pink rocks that characterize the region is a red stone chapel, built around a 250-foot-tall structural cross, all carefully designed by the San Francisco firm of Anshen + Allen, responsible for many great buildings around the West.
Phoenix has such a glut of fine, often playful modernist buildings that the city inevitably becomes a backdrop to a fast-paced scavenger hunt for the architectural tourist. The crescent-shaped Chase Bank with its concrete mushroom-like shade structures—check; the old Revlon
Factory (turned indoor marijuana farm) with its streamlined, lipstick-red columns—check; 300 Bowl (Bowlero Christown), a bowling alley with a massive, upswept triangular roofline—also check. (The 300 Bowl building is a prime example of Googie modernism, which used new building technologies to create futuristic, three-dimensional shapes.)
A high-design respite after a busy day, the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale is a midcentury modern landmark in its own right. Leave time for concierge Ace Bailey’s Magical History Tour, in which she discusses the hotel’s design and its 1960s heyday as a hideaway for reclusive Hollywood stars and Rat Pack singers.
Across the Sonoran desert, in Palm Springs, Calif., Wright got a comeuppance. When department-store
Like father, like son: Lloyd Wright’s masterwork, the Wayfarers Chapel. below: Paolo Soleri’s village of Arcosanti.
The Wayfarers Chapel, with its elegant curves of wood tracery and a clear glass ceiling highlighting a canopy of forest, seems out of a J.R.R. Tolkien tale.
magnate Edgar J. Kaufmann went to choose an architect for his Palm Springs home, he overlooked Wright—he wasn’t a fan of Taliesin West—and hired his former apprentice, Richard Neutra. An essay in glass and steel, with louvered aluminum shutters to block the sun, the Kaufmann House is “a machine in the garden,” in Neutra’s words. In the book Palm Springs Modern, by Adèle Cygelman, scholar Beth Harris described it as “zen-like, not like the ‘martini modernism’ that sprang up here five years later” (in the 1950s).
Lovers of martini modernism should seek out the Twin Palms Frank Sinatra Estate (with its pool shaped like a grand piano), built for the singer by E. Stewart Williams, or the swank pad where Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymooned, the House of Tomorrow, with its look of a just-landed airplane. There are Googie pieces here, too—the Palm Springs Visitor Center, a former gas station sheltered under a big triangular canopy, and the old Coachella Valley Savings and Loan (now a Chase) on the main drag of Palm Canyon Drive, with its frontage of inverted parabolas.
Head over the San Jacinto Mountains to San Diego to check out the extraordinary First United Methodist Church, a dramatically arched midcentury cathedral made of white concrete and steel. Then head to one of modernism’s own high temples, the Salk Institute , a research center that Louis Kahn built for Jonas Salk, the man who developed a vaccine for polio. The brutalist-style center features two banks of concrete structures verging toward the Pacific, between them a narrow canal of water reflecting the sky. The building is impressive in photos, its fearful symmetry featured in many architecture coffee-table books, but being here is something much more.
Drive up the coast toward Los Angeles, but make one stop along the way. South of the city, in Rancho Palos Verdes, on a hill overlooking the ocean, stands the masterwork of Lloyd Wright (the son). Built for the nature-loving Swedenborgian Church, the Wayfarers Chapel has a clear glass ceiling highlighting a canopy of forest, the elegant curves of the wood tracery seeming somehow out of a J.R.R. Tolkien tale.
Proceed to Los Angeles to see many more glass houses. Don’t miss Neutra’s masterpiece, the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences , and the Schindler House by fellow Wright apprentice Rudolph M. Schindler, both open to the public. Another Wright disciple, John Lautner created a house shaped like an eye, the Garcia House (named for
his client) perched on a steep incline just below storied Mulholland Drive.
Farther up the coast, Santa Barbara provides a breather from modernism’s high solemnity. Just reopened to the public after nearly 70 years of lying vacant is another structure built for an heiress, Bellosguardo , a U-shaped stone and plaster mansion by Reginald Johnson, inspired by 18th-century French architecture. The more than 23-acre grounds offer a stunning view of the coast.
Move on northward to San Luis Obispo’s California Polytechnic State University and take a scenic hike to what students dubbed the Architecture Graveyard. There,
top: Twin Palms Frank Sinatra Estate with its piano-shaped pool. middle: Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. bottom left: Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, Calif. bottom right: Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.
generations of future architects have built follies, decorative structures that deploy modernist-beloved shapes— parabolic arches, geodesic domes, a floating triangle—with others trying out more original concepts. The trail starts at Poly Canyon Road.
Head north to Carmel-by-the-Sea, where ocean views unfold along Scenic Road, and you can’t miss Wright’s only oceanfront home, Walker House. It’s very similar to one of his ultra-horizontal prairie homes, small and spare, and it sold this year for a cool $22 million. Continuing up the coast, partway through the storied 17-Mile Drive, is the one-off Shell House in Pebble Beach. Designed by Wright protégé Mark Mills, it sits like an open scallop on the coast, nothing between its arched windows and the sea.
One-off houses cost, though. Many modernists wanted to build for the middle class, not just heiresses and department store tycoons, but most of their signature works were bespoke, constructed without much regard for expense.
Enter Joseph Eichler, a New York butter-and-egg company executive turned developer who sought escape out West. Inspired by his brief residency in a Wright home, Eichler teamed up with Anshen + Allen, the aforementioned San Francisco firm, and A. Quincy Jones, an architect well known for his modernist work in Palm Springs. Together, they created affordable, unpretentious glass houses. Few had garages, most only carports—a word invented by Wright—and they were usually unified by a central inner courtyard, the grounds as carefully planned as the interiors.
Snapped up in the post-war period, Eichlers have since become fetish objects. Famous clusters of them dot the San Francisco Peninsula and Marin County, but there’s also one well-preserved grouping in Sacramento’s South Land Park neighborhood, specifically on South Land Park Drive, Fordham Way, and Oakridge Way.
Eichler’s affordable, unpretentious glass houses have become fetish objects.
Over the Sierras, at last, to Reno, you come to the parabola-shaped Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center. When it was completed in 1963, Raymond Hellman’s building was the first with the ability to simulate both day and night inside, mimicking thunderstorms and rainbows, all while doing a planetarium’s core function of projecting the heavens on a dome within. It was, in short, a man-made marvel, a piece of can-do Americana and gee-whiz optimism.
This, perhaps, explains the enduring appeal of modernism—it speaks of what was, for many, a hopeful moment. As Jonas Salk said: “Hope lies in dreams… and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” ●
alec scott is an Oakland-based writer with work in the Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times
top: First United Methodist Church of San Diego. middle: John Lautner’s Garcia House near Mulholland Drive. bottom left: Wright’s Walker House. bottom right: Fleischmann Planetarium in Reno.
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member stories
Why we
van life
AAA
Members reveal the perks and potential pitfalls of going mobile.
by
josh sens
At 81, Mary
Halter is no stranger to life lessons. Among the things this AAA Member has learned is how she likes to travel. A turning point in that education came in 2020, during the early months of lockdowns, with summer bearing down on Halter’s home in Phoenix. In years past, Halter had escaped the desert heat by flying to the Midwest to visit family, but the pandemic dimmed her interest in getting on a plane. Instead, she bought a van, equipped it with a port-a-potty and a zero-gravity chair for sleeping, and motored on her way.
It didn’t take her long to see the upsides. Some were economic: After her initial investment, a few tanks of gas cost less than airfare. But the biggest perk for Halter was peace of mind. She loved the flexibility, the freedom to take detours, to leave or linger without the hassle of packing and unpacking. She was also drawn to the spirit of adventure, and the beauty and newness of what she encountered.
“When I got out on the road, it was almost as if any anxiety I had just melted away,” Halter says. “I realized that all my life, I’d been crisscrossing the country from the air, without seeing all the wonderful things in between.”
That first trip led to many others, which in turn inspired an upgrade. In 2022, Halter swapped out her van for a small RV, and she now roams six months a year. Though she travels solo, she is not alone.
Skip and Nanci Williams enjoy an evening in camp with their “Westy.” opposite: Mary Halter climbs aboard her Dodge Ram ProMaster.
Van life. Camper life.
Call it what you will, the nomadic option has moved from the margins toward the mainstream. While exact figures are hard to come by (one estimate puts the number of U.S. van lifers at upwards of 3.1 million, a 63 percent jump since 2020), those who have embraced it—part-time or permanently— represent an ever-growing stitch in the social fabric. Their demographics are as diverse as the locales they visit. Retirees. Millennials. Gen Xers with kids. In recent years, their presence has been captured in Hollywood films and countless social media posts.
But real life is not the movies or Instagram. For a fuller picture of the charms and challenges of life on the road, Via asked a group of AAA Members who have gone mobile about their experiences: the vehicles they drive, where they take them, the motivations behind their travels, and tips they’ve picked up along the way. Here are the chief lessons learned.
Test-drive the lifestyle
Prior to the pandemic, Halter had done enough car camping to know that she enjoyed it, which made it easier to take the leap of purchasing a van. The Ford Transit
Connect ran her $28,000, a relatively modest investment that provided her with invaluable intel. “I loved traveling in it, but in hot weather, I discovered that it was like sleeping in a tin can,” says Halter.
Her next acquisition was a Dodge Ram ProMaster, furnished with a fridge, a fan, a bed, and other creature comforts. Customized, the small RV cost her $110,000, but Halter didn’t blink because she knew she was committed to the lifestyle. Vans and campers come in myriad makes and models, at price points that range from a few thousand bucks (for a used one) to mid-six-figures (for a luxury rig). Options abound. But life on the road is not for everyone, Halter says. “Whatever you’re considering, I recommend you rent the vehicle first and take it on trips to a variety of places before you buy.”
Look at the big picture
If Heath Boomgaarden has learned anything from traveling with his family, it’s that less is often more. When the 41-year-old and his wife, Kristin, hit the road from their home in Mesa, Ariz., with their two children, ages 8 and 11, they do so in a 2018 Toyota Sienna, a seemingly compact ride to sleep four people. But Boomgaarden says the ben-
The Boomgaarden family travels almost anywhere in their van. top right: Heath and family in Glacier National Park. bottom right: Setting up camp with ease.
efits outweigh the drawbacks. The minivan gets 30 miles per gallon, greater fuel efficiency than a lot of rigs, and it allows Boomgaarden to navigate backroads and byways where larger vehicles would struggle or could not go at all. Plus, when your space is limited, you make the most of it: Boomgaarden brings along a two-burner box stove and a premium cooler that stores up to three days worth of food (they stop for ice and supplies along the way). He packs minimal cookware, and everyone brings only the clothes they need. At some point, Boomgaarden knows, the kids will outgrow it. But thanks to a clever bunk-bed setup, the van still feels more cozy than cramped. It also doubles as a roving classroom, stopping at historic landmarks and cultural attractions large and small. Broadening their children’s horizons was part of the allure of van life from the start. On their last trip this past summer, the Boomgaardens went on a 47-day excursion that took them through small towns and wilderness in Utah, Montana, and beyond. “Experiencing the kind of stuff that gets forgotten or taken for granted,” Boomgaarden says, “that’s something I want my kids to know—that it’s not the material possessions that matter. There’s a reason you’ll never see a U-Haul at a funeral.”
Enjoy the journey
As a paramedic firefighter in Ukiah, Calif., Skip Williams, 61, does urgent work. But when he isn’t responding to an emergency, he is not inclined to rush. A lifelong surfer, Williams is the owner of a 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia, a retro-chic camper he first acquired 17 years ago to shuttle himself—and his boards—to the ocean waves. In the decade-plus since, he and his wife, Nanci, have put their “Westy” to more varied use, taking lengthy road trips across California, Nevada, and five other Western states. Williams is handy, and with help from a mechanically inclined friend he has beefed up the Westy in all kinds of ways: better brakes, brawnier suspension, bigger engine, wider tires. Rooftop solar panels power a small fridge and heater and can charge cellphones and iPads. In the works is a Starlink satellite system, which Williams says will give him Wi-Fi if he strays from the grid. When he first bought the Westfalia, Williams was worried that a full tank could only get him so far, sometimes not even from one fueling station to the next. Carrying gas cans solved that problem. The Westy is equipped to go almost anywhere, and that’s where Williams likes to take it. Whatever travel plans he makes include wiggle room, so that he and Nanci can stay longer if they fall in love with a destination, as they did with Bend, Ore., some years ago. “We don’t drive five hours to get somewhere after dark and then pack up in the morning and head somewhere else,” says Williams. “A lot of van life is about learning to enjoy the moment. Focus on the journey, not where you’re going next.”
With cargo space within and racks on top, Williams’ Wesfalia is ready for adventure. above: Williams sits in his fitted-out Volkswagen.
Be safe, resourceful, and respectful
Mary Halter is hardly allergic to adventure, but as a woman traveling alone, she leaves only so much to chance. Most days, she gets rolling early in the morning—“Wherever I am, I want to see the sunrise,” she says—with a clear idea of where to stop. Her small RV can fit in a conventional parking spot, which gives her lots of options, including gas stations, truck stops, and various different parking lots. Van lifers often boondock, stationing their vehicles outside of designated areas on public lands, but for safety Halter never does. In a pinch, if she arrives after dark, she looks for a quiet neighborhood and parks under a streetlight, closing her blackout curtains. She does her best to be discreet. “I try to stay away from houses, never directly in front of them,” she says. “People don’t seem to notice me, because I’m not camping. I’m usually gone before they wake up.” No matter where she travels, Halter knows that resources abound in the form of websites, apps, and online forums devoted to van life. Her favorite is Harvest Hosts, a membership service that functions something like Airbnb, connecting travelers with campsites at wineries, breweries, and other attractions. There is no camping fee, but the expectation is that travelers will purchase something—a souvenir, say, or a bottle of wine—before they depart.
A lot of van life is about learning to enjoy the moment.
—
skip williams
Like most van lifers, Halter has picked up all kinds of hacks. She keeps a Planet Fitness membership so she can shower at any of those locations, though community pools and day spas are good for that as well. Laundromats exist for obvious reasons. Starbucks locations have bathrooms for customers. And when restaurants have happy hours, they tend to be sociable places that have the added perk of discounted food. Halter sometimes turns to them when she’s hungry for conversation.
On the rare occasion when the road becomes too much, when she’s weary of driving and can’t find a place to park, or simply craving sleep on a bed with a thick mattress, Halter is not too proud to stop at a motel.
“I don’t mind a little splurge now and then,” she says. “I just tell myself, ‘Think of all the money you’ve been saving by staying in your RV.’” ●
josh sens is a travel, food, and lifestyle writer and serves as a senior editor at Golf Magazine
Halter uses her compact exercise bike to stay fit on the road. right, top to bottom: Custom cabinets store it all. Small decorative touches make her van feel like home. A mini kitchen offers enough space to prep a meal.
Where to
dock your rig
by laura kiniry
Cool spots to spend the night, from wineries to golf courses and all types of venues in between.
The types of places where you can park a camper or RV these days are seemingly endless. Some boast breathtaking views overlooking the sea, while others provide access to on-site breweries or animal sanctuaries. Online resources such as Hipcamp, Campendium, and membership-based Harvest Hosts can give you the pick of the lot, but in addition here are five great places in the West to park your ride.
Dark Sky RV Park and Campground.
Longhorn Ranch Lodge & RV Resort
DUBOIS, WYOMING
Situated at an elevation of 6,917 feet along a nearly mile-long stretch of Wyoming’s Wind River, the Longhorn RV Resort offers a comfy respite from city life. Each of the property’s 50 RV sites (six of which can accommodate vehicles up to 100 feet long) are tucked among cottonwood trees that provide both shade and seclusion. Swing by the ranch’s general store to pick up fly lines, fishing flies, and everything else you’ll need for an angling adventure, or set out on a wrangler-led horseback ride (ranging from two hours to a full day) through the painted hills of the Dubois Badlands or the grassy lowlands of nearby Whiskey Mountain. The latter, which is part of the Wind River Mountain Range, is a good spot for hiking and will take you up open slopes scattered with sage and juniper. (Start early to avoid the sun.) Grand Teton National Park is an easy 56-mile drive northwest, with Yellowstone about 30 miles farther. The RV park is open seasonally from early May until October.
Dark Sky RV Park and Campground
KANAB, UTAH
Settle in beneath some of the brightest celestial bodies seen anywhere and enjoy a boutique van life experience in Southern Utah. Not only is Dark Sky RV park located less than 50 miles from Zion National Park and just a 30-minute drive from Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, its 40 acres offer plenty to do without ever leaving the premises. There’s a zip line and dig pit for kids, a central gathering space with a pizza oven and community fire pit, and panoramic views of the nearby Red Cliffs and Vermillion Cliffs National Monuments that could keep you staring off into the wilderness for hours. The park also offers rentable 4x4 vehicles and e-bikes to explore the area. There are 18 spacious full-service sites for larger vehicles and 10 electriconly sites for smaller camper vans. Each site boasts its own covered structure and furnishings for relaxing outdoors and includes access to the park’s 24/7 market, which is sure to cure any latenight hunger cravings.
Longhorn Ranch Lodge & RV Resort.
Dark Sky RV Park and Campground.
RENT A CAMPER VAN
AAA Members save 10 percent on rental rates at Outdoorsy, and receive a $100 credit. Learn more at AAA.com/outdoorsy
Thunder Mountain Alpaca Ranch
HEREFORD, ARIZONA
At this southern Arizona ranch overlooking the Miracle Valley, you’ll wake to the sight of animals, including llamas, sheep, and the stars of the show: Huacaya alpacas, a type of alpaca breed known for its soft fleece. Classes in spinning or weaving, farm tours, and walks alongside alpacas are all available by appointment, and the ranch’s Backyard Barnyard Boutique is your one-stop shop for hand-spun hats, scarves, and socks. The 80-foot driveway where you will park is perfect for one 38-foot (maximum-size) RV or two smaller vans, though be aware that drivers must back in or out around a 90-degree corner off a gravel road. The sites are available through Harvest Hosts or by contacting the property at least 48 hours prior to arrival.
Lake Shastina Golf Course
WEED, CALIFORNIA
Start your golf game extra early by bedding down right next to the fairway. A level parking area can accommodate up to three RVs of any size at Northern California’s Lake Shastina Golf Course, which sits nestled in the pines with 14,180-foot-tall Mount Shasta as its backdrop. Play varying combinations of 27 holes, including an 18-hole championship course and a 9-hole Scottish Links, then swing by the on-site bar and grill for brioche bun burgers and chicken parm sandwiches. The surrounding area is known for its hiking and climbing opportunities, though chances are you’ll spend the entirety of your stay working on your swing.
Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyard and Winery
LOWER LAKE, CALIFORNIA
Indulge in wine tasting, have a picnic beneath oak trees, or embark on a property tour aboard an all-terrain military-style vehicle when staying at this 4,300-acre spread, a dedicated nature preserve with a ranch. Twelve RV spaces are set aside for boondocking members of Harvest Hosts or Six Sigma’s wine club, and all have free access to the property’s hiking and biking trails. Free-roaming wildlife can be seen amid the ranch’s natural vegetation, so keep an eye out for deer, bobcats, and the occasional bear. Along with samplings of pinot noirs, cabernets, and sauvignon blancs, events such as Paella Night the first Wednesday of each month and guided treks during April are also par for the course.
JAMES
Six Sigma Ranch Vineyard and Winery.
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Annual Meeting Notice and Proxy Statement
November 20, 2023
To the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah: Please be advised that the regular annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah (“the Association”) will be held at 8 a.m. Pacific T ime on Thursday, January 4, 2024, at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, Calif. If you plan to attend the annual meeting, please register at AAA.com/registration no later than December 15, 2023. Members who do not register by this date will not be admitted to the meeting. Please bring your Membership card and photo identification for admittance.
MEETING CONDUCT
In fairness to all Members attending and to ensure an orderly and constructive annual meeting, please observe the following procedures:
1. Do not attend the meeting if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, including fever, cough, congestion, or shortness of breath.
2. We may be required to limit attendance at the meeting to comply with state and local laws and guidelines.
3. Recording the meeting is prohibited.
4. The Corporate Secretary and/or Presiding Officer will stop discussions that are: irrelevant to the business of the Company; in substance repetitious of statements made by other persons; personal claims or grievances, or proposals to further a personal interest.
5. Derogatory references to personalities or comments that are otherwise in bad taste will not be permitted and will be a basis for removal from the meeting.
6. If a technical malfunction or other signific ant problem disrupts the meeting, the Corporate Secretary and/or Presiding Officer may adjourn, recess, or expedite the meeting, or take other action that the Corporate Secretary and/or Presiding Officer determines appropriate.
Please comply with these rules, which are intended to benefit all Members in
attendance. Deliberate violation of procedures or an attempt to disrupt the meeting will be considered cause for expulsion from the meeting.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
The following candidates for election to the Board of Directors have been nominated by the Nominating Committee, per the Bylaws of the Association:
Robert Elliott , Arizona
Maria Hernandez , California
Don Smith , California
Paula R. Collins , California
Peter Calihan , Arizona
Nominees for 2024 director elections are not more than the number of directors to be elected, therefore pursuant to Section 9 of the AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Bylaws, no election of directors will be held, and the nominees within this notice are deemed and declared to have been elected.
GENERAL PROXY
The proxy form on the next page appoints the person(s) named on the form as your proxyholder(s) to vote and act for you on any other matter to be voted on at the 2024 annual meeting—or at any other meeting of the Members of the Association—during the term of the proxy. The term of the proxy will be three years, unless you indicate your wish to grant the proxy for a shorter term. Consequently, the proxyholder(s) will have broad discretion to represent you and will vote on your behalf on a broad variety of matters, which may include election of directors of the Association, and/or proposals presented for the approval of Members. As of today, the Association is not aware of any specific proposals to be presented to Members at the 2024 annual meeting or at subsequent Member meetings.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Before filling out the proxy form, please note:
• Every Member is entitled to vote, either in person or by proxy.
• You may attend and vote at any regular annual meeting or at any special meeting of the Membership, whether you have signed a proxy.
• If you now have a proxy in effect, you may substitute a proxy of a more recent date.
• You may revoke your proxy at any time by written notice.
• In the event there are more nominees than vacancies, we will continue to vote your submitted proxy unless you revoke it in accordance with procedures that will be established by the Association.
• Your proxyholder must attend the annual meeting of Members in person in order to vote.
PROXY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Print your name, your address, and your Membership number in the spaces provided on the proxy form.
2. If you wish for anyone other than Tim Condon (Chief Executive Officer) and Clay Creasey (Chief Financial Officer) to act as your proxy(ies), print their name(s) in the space provided.
3. Sign and date the proxy form on the lines provided. If the proxy is undated, your signature authorizes the Association to insert the date of receipt.
4. Your proxy can only be exercised at the regular annual meeting if it has been signed and filed with the Secretary before the polls open for the fir st contested issue, if any, at the meeting.
Mail your completed proxy form to: Corporate Secretary
AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah
P.O. Box 24502 Oakland, CA 94623
You may also fill out the form online at proxyonline.com/AAA . Forms must be received by January 3, 2024.
Kamili Moreland, Secretary
DIRECTOR BIOS
Robert Elliott
Member since 1974
OCCUPATION Owner and President of Elliott Accounting, Mr. Elliott has served as Chair of the Board for AAA NCNU and UNS Energy Fortis. Mr. Elliott has also served as the Chair for the Boards of the NBA Retired Players Association, Tucson Airport Authority, Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, University of Arizona Alumni Association, and Tucson Urban League. He has served as board member for the CSAA Insurance Group; AAA Auto Partners, Inc.; the University of Arizona Foundation; and the University of Arizona Eller College of Business.
STATEMENT OF VIEWS At AAA, we are committed to delivering the best and mostneeded services. It is a privilege to serve our Members and a responsibility we take seriously.
Maria Hernandez Member since 1974
OCCUPATION
President and COO of Impact4Health LLC, a healthcare consulting firm, Ms. Hernandez is considered a thought leader in advancing health equity and organizational strategies to advance wellbeing at work. A resident of Union City, Calif., she was recently inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame for her contributions in health care. Since 2014, she has served on the board of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. She has also served on the Member Value & Innovation and Governance Committees.
STATEMENT OF VIEWS AAA strives to be your trusted partner for smart home security and transportation needs. As one of the most trusted brands in the nation, AAA is your provider of home security, emergency roadside service, car care, car sharing, and travel assistance. Your safety at home and on the road is our priority.
Don
Member since 2012
OCCUPATION Retired CEO of CopperPoint Mutual, Mr. Smith spent 20 years in private industry with Continental Insurance Corporation followed by five years of service as Deputy Secretary for Compensation and Insurance in the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. He was named a Phoenix Business Journal Most Admired CEO in 2009. Mr. Smith previously served on the Board of AAA Arizona and currently serves on the Boards of AAA NCNU and CSAA Insurance Group.
STATEMENT OF VIEWS This is a special time to be part of AAA. After decades of excellence in serving our Members, we now face a changing world, requiring us to rethink how we meet their needs. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
Paula R. Collins Member since 1981
OCCUPATION
Founder and retired CEO of WDG Ventures Inc. and President of Portfolio Real Estate Consulting, real estate development and consulting firms in Northern California, Ms. Collins chairs the board of the National AAA Federation and has been a director since 1997. She is also a member of the boards of AAA NCNU, AAA Club Alliance, and the CSAA Insurance Company. She earned a BA with honors from Mount Holyoke College and an MCP degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a founding director of Presidio Bank, a former Chair of the board of the Presidio Trust in San Francisco, and is currently on the board of the Glide Foundation in San Francisco.
STATEMENT OF VIEWS AAA has emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever, with a continued resolve not only to serve our Members, but to expand our reach to younger and more diverse audiences. This intention fuels our success in innovation and collaboration with forward thinking partners across the world.
Peter Calihan
Member since 1980
OCCUPATION Retired President of HughesCalihan Corp., Mr. Calihan is also the past Chair of the Boards of Directors for AAA Arizona; AAA Auto Partners, Inc.; University of Arizona Foundation; St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center; PGA Tour Tournament Association; Business Product Council Association; and the Phoenix Thunderbirds. He has also served on the boards of the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Ariz.; Camp Fire; Arizona Town Hall; and Luke’s Men.
STATEMENT OF
VIEWS At AAA, we are committed to providing products and services that make Members’ lives more secure and fulfilling. In our more digital world, investing in innovative products will provide the highest level of service into the future.
Smith
Proxy
Please choose option A or B:
Proxy Option A—I wish to appoint Tim Condon (CEO) and Clay Creasey (CFO), and their respective successors as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah as my proxies to attend the annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, on Thursday, January 4, 2024, and any adjournment or postponement of that meeting.
Proxy Option B—I wish to appoint the person(s) named below as my prox(ies) to attend the annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, on Thursday, January 4, 2024, and any adjournment or postponement of that meeting.
I APPOINT:
NAME(S) OF PROXYHOLDER(S)
ADDRESS(ES) IF KNOWN
In the event that a proxyholder is not designated, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah will be deemed to be the proxyholders appointed hereby. Said proxies shall vote in their discretion on all matters which may come before such meeting(s). Each proxy shall have power of substitution and any one of them shall have the powers hereby granted.
You may revoke this proxy at any time. In the event there are more nominees than vacancies, we will continue to vote your submitted proxy unless you revoke it in accordance with procedures that will be established by the company. This proxy, unless revoked or replaced by substitution, shall remain in force for three years from the date hereof; but, if you wish this proxy to remain in force for only one year, check here:
Voting on other matters and at other meetings. I further appoint the person(s) named above my lawful proxyholder(s) to vote and act for me and in my name at all regular and special meetings of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, held during the term of this proxy, in transacting any business that may come before said meetings, including but not limited to the election of directors, as fully as I could do if personally present. Said proxyholder(s) shall vote at their discretion on all matters that may come before such meetings.
Hit the road and know you’re covered with Blue Shield of California and AAA
Now offering quality coverage you can use while on the go, Blue Shield’s Medicare Supplement Plan G Inspire1 gives you more. With us, you can have your Classic AAA Membership2 included, plus:
Over-the-counter items allowance3
Vision and hearing aid benefits4
Doctors on-call 24/7 by phone or video
Your journey to more coverage and value start here. Call (888) 279-4121 (TTY: 711). Visit us at bsca.com/roadsmart2
1 Available in select counties in Northern California.
Acupuncture services5, and more
2 One-year new or renewal Classic AAA Membership, included with your plan, annually upon enrollment. The value of the Classic AAA Membership is subject to change. AAA Membership provided by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah.
3 Two-time use per quarter allowance for eligible items. Unused allowance cannot be rolled over into the next quarter. Limitations may apply. See over-the-counter (OTC) catalog for details.
4 Vision benefits include coverage for costs that are not traditionally covered by Original Medicare, such as eye exam, frames, eyeglass lenses, or contact lenses.
5 Non-Medicare covered. Acupuncture benefits apply only to Plan G Inspire and Plan G Extra members. The company complies with applicable state laws and federal civil rights laws, and does not discriminate. For more information, visit blueshieldca.com/about/nondiscrimination.
© 2023 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. All rights reserved.
© 2023 Blue Shield of California is an independent member of the Blue Shield Association. A52396_0823
WHERE IN THE WEST
Frosty formations
Where in the West can you find spruce trees so packed with snow and frost, they look like mummies? Hint: Travel as far north as you can, and you’re likely to experience otherworldly sights like these. With only three towns along its route, this remote highway is one of the most isolated roads in the United States, built in 1974 as a supply route. The stretch shown here sees traffic made up mostly of oil tankers and Arctic Circle tour vans.
← FIND THE ANSWER ON PAGE 6.
Test your travel knowledge
Every Wednesday on Facebook and Instagram, our Where in the West series asks AAA Members to tell us the location of a breathtaking image. Join the fun at AAA.com/facebook and AAA.com/instagram
