You Won’t Find This Hidden Luxury Lodge on Google Maps. And That's on Purpose
At TERRA farm + manor, seclusion provides the foundation for a weekend getaway.
You will not find TERRA farm + manor in North Central Arizona on Google Maps — by design. A location pin may show up in the general vicinity of Prescott National Forest, but it will disappear when zoomed in on. Instructions on how to get there are provided in a welcome packet the day before your arrival. The directions are reminiscent of what you’d receive when traveling on horseback — go past these exact coordinates for a very specific amount of miles, turn on this dirt road, make sure to rendezvous with Cooper, the ranch manager, at high noon.
Cooper will escort you the rest of the way, down several more miles of dusty and twisty turns, until finally the graceful stone and wooden lodge appears.
Keeping the location a secret hidden until you’re on the way there is completely intentional, according to TERRA’s chef and owner James Porter. “Everyone loves a little intrigue,” he tells me. “It keeps life interesting.”
Like most resorts, TERRA generally caters to couples and groups of friends looking to get away from it all for a few days. But beyond that, Porter hopes to provide the kind of experience that leaves his guests looking at their food, this region of Arizona, and maybe even life differently, with the hope that some of that perspective will stick even after your stay.
A couple of hours from Phoenix, TERRA farm + manor is tucked into the high-desert hills, surrounded by trees, scrubby bushes, and occasional cacti, away from neighbors and about 30 minutes from the bustling town of Prescott.
This particular part of the state runs rampant with memories from its Old West past. As such, TERRA’s eight upscale rooms offer just the right amount of Western charm, with rustic decor, no televisions, and beds easy to sink into with Pima cotton sheets. Across the courtyard from the rooms is the lodge, which offers two dining rooms where Porter serves meals he makes in the sumptuously designed, sunny kitchen. In the main room, there are numerous plush chairs and couches to curl up in with a glass of wine and one of the homemade cookies that are always plentiful. “The concept of TERRA stems from a connection to your food, simplicity, and being off-the-grid without the distractions of everyday life,” explains Porter.
Porter has significant bona fides in the Scottsdale culinary scene, but most crucially, he’s an Arizona native. Because sometimes it takes a true local to remind the rest of the world that State 48 is more than a metropolitan city with an arid climate and bad traffic. The north-central region is particularly easy to overlook in favor of places like Sedona or Flagstaff. But the isolation of TERRA’s location, the surrounding views that blend Arizona’s distinctive climates together, all amongst a tranquil farm setting, create an unmatched stay.
And again, Porter and his staff are there to help guests be more involved in what they eat and how they see the world around them. His cooking classes mix culinary education with ingredients plucked a few feet away, and a courtyard kitchen allows guests to watch Porter work his wood-fired magic. It’s not enough to provide fresh, organic meals with seasonal ingredients from TERRA’s farm and livestock ranch either. Porter wants you to get your hands into the dirt that the vast array of peppers grow in, snap off cherry tomatoes in the greenhouse, and see how many eggs have been laid in the chicken pen.
To that end, the farm animals on the property are partly there for guest edification; a weekend itinerary often includes a tour, letting guests learn about why the meat of Iberico pigs is so desirable or why the Icelandic sheep that roam around are such a good fit for the local climate. Herbs abound as well, ready to be plucked for the three curated daily meals, whether it’s sage for a butternut squash pasta or basil on an open-faced egg-and-tomato sandwich. “Most people don’t know how food is grown, the people behind the growing, or the efforts good food takes,” says Porter. “We lay it out there for them to see the full circle.”
While culinary education is central to a stay at TERRA, that’s not all there is. Roping skills can be practiced, massages can be booked, and horseback riding can be arranged. Meanwhile, a library is stocked with Arizona-focused periodicals and books that chronicle the history of the state to further your understanding of the area. The Prescott National Forest surrounds the sprawling grounds as well, providing plenty of options for self-guided (or TERRA-staff-guided) hikes. You can also simply explore the 100-acre property — for instance, past the hills where a previous vineyard sat and remnants remain or around what’s left of the original homestead buildings. It’s a hidden piece of Arizona, one that doesn’t seem to exist unless seen by your own eyes.
After dinner, guests often congregate around the large outdoor fire, where Porter usually sits and conversation flows. Glasses are kept filled while talk meanders from topic to topic, with occasional lapses to admire the crackling of the fire under the silent sky. “Our seclusion helps reset people so they can truly relax and focus on the now,” Porter explains.
Spending a weekend at a place you can’t find on Google Maps with minimal cell service? Now that’s the real luxury.