When you go to Patagonia, don't miss the nearby grasslands of the San Rafael Valley. These wide open spaces are mesmerizing and calming. Stark at first, the grasslands will grow on you.

From morning 'til evening, the land will change from cool whites and beiges to warm yellows and oranges. And then there are the sunsets . . . .

For more information about how the grasslands are protected in part by a conservation easement, see › A Conservation First for Arizona in the High Country News.