Jenier M.
Yelp
This place had me the moment they told me "City Slickers" was shot here. There are certain movies that are cannon to filmmakers, and when it comes to comedy, "City Slickers" is definitely among them. As a matter of fact that entire decade of Billy Crystal's filmography, which includes "The Princess Bride", "When Harry Met Sally", and concludes with "Analyze this" And "Monsters' Inc".
So I walked into the ranch with an already gleeful expectation. The beauty of it all is that I wasn't at all disappointed. The moment you make the turn from hwy 84 into Ghost Ranch, the first thing you come across is the cabin they used as the set for the movie, and what a beautiful sight it is. It's still preserved exactly as it appeared in the film. The mountains in the back still look just as beautiful. They are also recognizable for more recent films among them "Hostiles" with Christian Bale (the section where he's taking the chief from NM into Colorado).
In addition to the film aspect of the ranch, it serves as a wonderful and quiet retreat for those looking for a more spiritual connection with the world. Here, you can spend days or weeks hiking, riding horses, meditating, and observing the night sky which opens wonderfully at 7,800 feet above sea level.
No wonder this is the place Georgia O'keeffe chose to spend most of her life painting. I can see how the colors inspired her. How the layers in her paintings could very much be the layers of each mountain. What I can't still see if how the mountains inspired her to paint flowers that look like vaginas, or vaginas that look like flowers, but that's beside the point. Lol!
What should be highlighted is how wonderful this place is. How full of history it is. I was informed by one of the guides that it used to be called - El Rancho (or cajón - alluding to The Valley encased by mountains) de las brujas - the ranch of the witches - by superstitious native locals who wouldn't venture in ancient times into these lands because they thought they were haunted. He also told of how one of the owners won the 160 acres land grant in the 1800's over poker. How his wife put the deed in her name so he wouldn't gamble it away, and how she, after his death and while going through economic hardship decided to renamed it "Ghost Ranch" to appeal more to Northern tourist and not scared them away with the legends of the natives.
Overall, this is a place that must be seen. A place that must be experienced. A tranquility that must be enjoyed. So if you ever find yourself in NM, don't forget to stop by. Like the guy said: "New Mexico is not the state of enchantment as its motto states. It's the state of entrapment, for once you step in it and admire its beauty, You'll be back again." I can certainly say, "Ghost Ranch" And Abiquiu for that matter has a lot to do with that!