Elvis is Alive at Wild West Town Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler
Mosey on up North in Arizona to the Wild West town of Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood, Arizona for an evening of fun, fantasy and food! We met this fun crew at the Verde Valley Wine Festival and liked their kind of weird. Then we found out Elvis was coming to town and it was on like Donkey Kong! And even better yet, they are adding on overnight stays in the covered wagons on this plush green property starting this fall so you can be completely immersed in nature and those funky Western vibes.
Just a 20 minute drive from Sedona, the Blazin’ M Ranch is a cleverly designed Western Frontier Town which includes a boozy saloon, shooting and shopping, wagon rides, axe throwing, bull riding, roping lessons, old timey photos and more campy fun. During normal show nights, the Blazin’ M Ramblers perform an hour-long Western show after serving up a chicken and BBQ rib dinner with all the fixins. They usually play an array of western hits, including songs by Chris Stapleton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogers, Bob Willis & The Texas Playboys, and a few of their own.
Frontier Town gates open at 5 p.m. sharp so don’t be late, ya hear! After a drink or three and after the shootout, the dinner bell rings and ya’ll mosey inside for some homemade food served cafeteria style in the chow hall. All included are biscuits, prickly pear coleslaw, baked potato, dessert, iced tea, lemonade and water. If you need something stiffer, some drink tickets come with the higher priced tickets or purchase a la carte during the show’s intermissions. Then at 7:30 p.m. when your belly is full, the lights dim and the Western stage show begins. We were in for a treat because I may be slightly obsessed with Elvis even before visiting Graceland and his impressive car collection. So image my delight when I found out Arizona has its very own Elvis impersonator. And that he is spot on too!