TUCSON SPA RETREAT

Allegiant passengers can pamper themselves at some of the state’s best spas while visiting Tucson

By Teresa Bitler

Surrounded by the cactus-studded Sonoran Desert and blessed by 300-plus days of sunshine, Tucson has been a refuge for those seeking health and wellness since its earliest days. While wellness retreats allow guests to unplug for several days, Allegiant passengers can also escape for a few hours at one of many popular Tucson spas.

SPAWELL This new spa at the iconic El Conquistador Tucson resort boasts views of the Pusch Ridge from the spa’s lobby and its outdoor pool. But even the view becomes a faint memory as masseuses work their magic inside the spa’s eight treatment rooms.

Popular treatments include the Custom Alchemy Bar experience, which begins by creating a custom body butter, and the Pusch Ridge Desert Escape, which ends with a sound bowl session. Before or after their treatment, guests can linger by the adults-only pool or in the salt therapy lounge. hilton.com

HASHANI SPA The award-winning spa at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort takes its name from the Tohono O’odham word for saguaro cactus, and uses local ingredients in its treatments, such as copper, prickly pear, sage and aloe.

Although spa-goers can enjoy a relaxing Swedish, deep tissue and therapeutic massage, Allegiant passengers may want to indulge in the Cactus Blossom treatment, which uses a blue corn scrub to polish the skin and shea body butter to soften it. The rest of the day can be spent unwinding at the spa’s private saline pool, cabanas and hot tubs. marriott.com

Guests can spend the day lounging at Hashani Spa at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort

SpaWell at El Conquistador Tucson boasts a new salt therapy room

The Spa at Hacienda was recently expanded to six treatment rooms on the historic property

SPA AT HACIENDA Located in the historic Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, the recently-expanded Spa at Hacienda has six treatment rooms where guests can treat themselves to some of Arizona’s most luxurious spa experiences. The 100-minute Hacienda Sommelier Ritual begins with your “Sommelier” offering you a flight of botanical essences, includes the Crushed Grape Body Scrub, full body massage, facial massage and finishes with a glass of sommelier-selected wine.

Meanwhile, the CBD Customized Massage combines warming analgesics, including clove, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon, for deep relief of sore muscles and joints. Following treatment, guests can relax in the property’s hot tubs and three pools. haciendadelsol.com

DESTINATION LAS VEGAS

WHILE YOU’RE HERE...

Indulge in culinary art from

Las Vegas’ top female chefs............................................. 20

See the hottest headliners in town .............................. 28

Check out the newest in

Las Vegas entertainment.................................................. 38

Visit Downtown’s fantastic museums .......................... 40

ONE ROCKIN’ RODEO Miranda Lambert’s new residency is sure to become one of Las Vegas’ hottest tickets

By Heather Turk

Over the years, some of country music’s biggest stars have launched their own headlining residencies in Las Vegas, including Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn and Keith Urban. This fall, the Entertainment Capital of the World will add yet another acclaimed country music artist to its mustsee music residency lineup when the most decorated artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music Awards, Miranda Lambert, kicks off “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency” inside Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Miranda Lambert’s clothing and cowboy boot collection, Idyllwind, is sold at Boot Barn stores nationwide, including its five Las Vegas locations.

Photos by Robert Ascroft; appearance styled by Tiffany Gifford; hair by Johnny Lavoy; makeup by Moani Lee Scheduled for 24 performances through April 9, 2023, “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency” premieres in September. The production promises to give fans of the 37-time Academy of Country Music Awards winner an up-closeand-personal opportunity to experience many of her chart-topping hits and beloved album cuts live like never before.

“This will definitely be a one-of-a-kind Miranda Lambert experience,” Lambert teased when promoting the production to the press back in April. “That’s the point of Vegas. So, I’m trying to figure out the puzzle pieces, and trying to get from Kerosene (Lambert’s debut studio album, released in 2005) to Palomino (Lambert’s eighth studio album, released this past April) in the most artistic and fun way. The idea that we could take it up a few notches for production is exciting to me and scary, because I usually just keep it pretty much about the music. I’m from Texas, though, so bigger hair and more sequins — don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Lambert noted that she’s had fun designing her sets, merchandise and clothing and boot lines in the past, so she’s looking forward to tapping into her creative side even more with the new residency. Before she could do that, though, she needed a name for her show, and luckily “Velvet Rodeo” came to her right off the bat when the residency came to the table.

“I think it feels feminine, but it also says rodeo,” Lambert stated. “So, that’s like

Continued on page 18

feminine and bad-ass, and that’s kind of what I built my career on. That’s a nutshell of my catalog, really.”

Known for such hit songs as “If I Was a Cowboy,” “The House That Built Me” and “Bluebird,” Lambert has had a storied career that’s included more than 70 prestigious awards, including three GRAMMY Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards. Additionally, she is the youngest artist ever to serve as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Artist in Residence, joining a legendary list of predecessors that includes Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, Tom T. Hall and Jerry Douglas.

While music plays a big role in Lambert’s life, UPROXX’s “queen of modern country” is also a huge animal lover. During a recent interview with People magazine, Lambert shared that she and her husband, retired NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin, have six horses, five dogs, two cats, two goats, two miniature horses and a handful of chickens at her Nashville-area farm. Not surprisingly, $1 from every ticket purchased to see “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency” will be donated to Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation, which promotes the adoption of rescue pets, supports animal shelters across the country and assists with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster. Since its inception in 2009, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $6 million.

Tickets to see “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency” start at $79, plus taxes and fees, with VIP Table packages also available that include a bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial to enjoy during the concert. Show time is at 8 p.m., with upcoming performances scheduled for Sept. 23, 24, 28 and 30; Oct. 1, 5, 7 and 8; Nov. 26, 27 and 30; and Dec. 3, 4, 8, 10 and 11.

“It’ll be so different and I think it’s gonna be a new energy for me,” Lambert concluded. “I think it’s gonna hopefully breathe new life into my process. It’s Vegas — you need to bring your A game. There’s everything you ever wanted there and a lot of it, and I want to be one of those things people want; I want to be one of the things on their list.” ticketmaster.com/mirandavegas