Best of the High Country
Best of Shopping 2005

Best Boutique

Gorsuch Ltd., Aspen, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Vail, Colorado A timeless sense of style has endeared this upscale mountain boutique to shoppers worldwide. It’s full of fashionable ski and resort attire, fabulous jewelry and home accessories with a Tyrolean flair. Shop online or visit one of their four Colorado locations. (800) 525-9808 or gorsuchltd.com.

Jackson Hole Clothiers, Jackson, Wyoming Men and women looking for luxury Western wear will consider this mountain boutique a goldmine. An extensive display of Double-D Ranchwear and other name brands offers unique coats, clothing and jewelry.  (307) 733-7211 or jhclothiers.com.

Ezmaralda Gordon Jewelers, Ketchum, Idaho Queen Sofia of Spain, Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John have worn designer Ezmaralda Gordon’s jewelry. Her boutique showcases every gemstone imaginable.  (208) 725 0120 or ezmaraldagordon.com.

OTHER FAVORITES: Golden Bear, Vail, Colorado; B. Ella, Ashland, Oregon; Park City Clothing Company, Park City, Utah; Canary in a Clothesmine, Breckenridge, Colorado.

Best Places to Buy Land Now
Ranch at the Canyons, Terrebonne, Oregon, canyonsranch.com.
The Powder Horn, Sheridan, Wyoming, thepowderhorn.com.
The Pine Canyon Club, Flagstaff, Arizona, pinecanyon.net.
Bridger’s Cache, Winter Park, Colorado,  terraverdearch.com.
Saratoga, Wyoming. saratogawyo.com.
Lake City, Colorado, lakecityco.com.
solvang, California, solvangusa.com.
Las Vegas, New Mexico, lasvegasnm.org.
Photo by David Foxhove

Best Bookstore

Hamlet’s Bookshoppe, Breckenridge, Colorado Housed in a charming Victorian in the heart of Breckenridge, Hamlet’s carries everything from the classics to regional Colorado selections. The children’s book room offers contemporary titles and time-tested favorites. (970) 453-8033 or hamletsbooks.com.

Ex Libris Bookstore, Sun Valley, Idaho Located in the village, this fine bookstore features a friendly, well-read staff that loves to help with title recommendations. Ex Libris owns the largest children’s book section in the Wood River Valley, and the selection of new releases can’t be beat. (800) 576-0633.

Changing Hands, Tempe, Arizona Changing Hands offers new and used books, as well as a place for independent minds to find the resources they desire. The store’s varied subjects run the gamut. Many collectables and first editions can be found here. (480) 730-0205 or changinghands.com.

OTHER FAVORITES: Paulina Springs Book Company, Sisters, Oregon; Collected Works Bookstore, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Explore Books, Aspen, Colorado.

Best Places to Shop Without Leaving Home
Napastyle.com For hard-to-find food items like gray salt and tangerine olive oil as well as handcrafted furniture (a wine-barrel clock or coffee table made from old grape vines) and unusual stuff like vintage, reconditioned black bakelite wall phones.

Leevalley.com For wood-working tools and rose shears and things like collapsible vases, books of Latin for gardeners and Badger Balm for chapped hands. Sahalie.com For butter-soft microfleece shirts and jackets, shearling earmuffs and authentic Cowichan sweaters.

Highcountrygardens.com For more than 280 perennials, shrubs and grasses that do well in the mountains, including 31 new plants for 2005.

Best Art Gallery

Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico Housed in a Spanish Pueblo-style adobe in historic Santa Fe, this gallery is recognized as one of the most respected dealers of 19th- and 20th-century art. Representing the estates of some of the country’s top collectors, the gallery’s special interests include classic Western art, naturalism and vintage and contemporary photography. There’s also a sculpture garden, research library and bookstore. (505) 954-5700 or gpgallery.com for additional information and locations.

Sardella Fine Art Gallery (formerly the Duval Smart Gallery), Aspen, Colorado Known for its early endorsement of the American Studio Glass movement and its pioneering artists, this contemporary art gallery still represents Dale Chihuly, William Morris and Bertil Vallien. Its showcase of outstanding contemporary art in a variety of media has endeared this gallery as an Aspen favorite.  (970) 925-9044 or sardellafineart.com.

Stremmel Gallery, Reno, Nevada  This well-established fine-art gallery’s diverse representation of cutting-edge contemporary paintings, sculptures and drawings by mid-career and established artists has earned it a place among Nevada’s top art destinations.   (775) 786-0558 or stremmelgallery.com.

OTHER FAVORITES: Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, Colorado; Legacy Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming; Hibbard-McGrath Gallery, Breckenridge, Colorado; Visions West Gallery, Livingston, Montana; Overland Gallery, Scottsdale Arizona.
Photo courtesy Fighting Bear Antiques

Best Antique Shop

Fighting Bear Antiques, Jackson, Wyoming If you’re looking for rustic 19th-century American furniture, look no further than Fighting Bear Antiques. The shop also has an impressive array of Navajo textiles, mission oak and authentic Thomas Molesworth furnishings. (307) 733-2669.

The Shaggy Ram, Edwards, Colorado French and English antiques are the specialty of this shop, located in the heart of the Vail Valley. Items range from fringed lamps to crystal decanters to elegant desks. (970) 926-7377.

Mary Corley Antiques, Santa Fe, New Mexico Shoppers can browse for imported French and English antiques, beautiful dried-flower arrangements, custom furniture and pewter reproductions. (505) 984-0863.

Red Hen Antiques, Napa, California  With more than 70 dealers, Napa Valley’s longest-established antiques mall is a treasure trove of art and collectables. Plan to spend at least an hour hunting through the mall’s vineyard-style setting. (707) 257-0822.

OTHER FAVORITES: Fetzer’s Antiques, Aspen, Colorado; Ski Country Antiques, Evergreen, Colorado.   

Editor's Pick

Rugs & Jewelry
Turkey Mountain Traders, Scottsdale, Arizona - You’ll find serious museum-quality Navajo textiles and jewelry cheek by jowl with Iroquois beaded bags and whimsies. Whether you’re a buyer or an interested-in-learning looker, the Begners (Tom, Deborah and their son Steve) always take time to show, explain or chat about their passion—antique American Indian art. (480) 423-8777 or turkey-mountain.com.

High Time for Wine
The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, Cañon City, Colorado ­Once a  Catholic boys’ boarding school, the Holy Cross Abbey is still one of Cañon City’s most recognized landmarks. The playing fields have now been converted to vineyards that produce award-winning Chardonnay, Riesling and Merlot. Visit the tasting room (call 719-276-5191 for hours) or shop online at abbeywinery.com.