Ted Turner’s playground
At Ted Turner’s northern New Mexico ranch, “it is easy to feel like a 5-year-old who is filled with awe,” said Judith Fein in The Dallas Morning News. At 593,000 acres, Vermejo Park Ranch (vermejo-park-ranch.com) is thought to be the largest privately owned parcel of land in the U.S., and for four years, it has been open to visitors interested in viewing its teeming wildlife and rich cultural history. From the main lodge, guides lead varied tours. One day, you might walk among ancient native pit houses and the remains of an abandoned frontier settlement. Another day, you might carry your picnic lunch into the mountains to learn about five distinctive ecosystems. Everywhere, the wildlife astonishes. “Imagine this: As you drive along, a black bear sits 10 feet from your car,” munching on insects. Or you suddenly happen upon a herd of cow elk just as your guide hands you a scope to glimpse a group of baby bald eagles in their nest, their papa perched nearby.
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