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By Chuck Woodbury Now that I have quit roaming the American West as editor of Out West, I think it's appropriate that I share a few tips about other regional magazines that cover the same neck of the woods (or desert). While there are many regional magazines published, most focus on a particular state. I'll get to those in a minute, but first, a magazine that covers it all. SUNSET MAGAZINE Arizona Highways: Perhaps the most beautiful of all the Western magazines is Arizona Highways, featuring some of the best scenic photographs published anywhere. Many people who have never visited Arizona believe that it's all one big, ugly desert. One look at Arizona Highways proves otherwise. Arizona Highways is most famous for its beautiful photos, taken by America's top scenic photographers. Subscription information Nevada Magazine is published by the state of Nevada, and it's right near the top of my list of favorite Western magazines. When non-Westerners this of the American West, they often think of cowboys, cactus, sagebrush and wide open spaces. Well, Nevada qualifies. With only two big cities, Las Vegas and Reno, it's mostly a huge, rural expanse of beautiful desert, valleys and mountain ranges populated with free-roaming cattle and mustang horses and soilitary coyotes. Nevada is the most mountainous of all the 50 states with more than 200 mountain ranges. The magazine covers things to do, places to see, state history and personalities, and includes a comprehensive events calendar about what's going in all the major casinos as wel las in the casinos. Subscription information. Reading Alaska Magazine is the best way to learn about our last frontier. The colorful magazine is filled with travel features and profiles of interesting residents. There are a zillion ads, but in this case they enhance the reading value of the publication. Learn about great hideways to stay a day or a season, fishing trips, tours, Alaska videos and books, and camping areas. This is the best magazine in the world to see pics of a moose — which populate the state in huge numbers — or grizzly bears. The only problem with reading Alaska Magazine is that it will make you want to visit. But that's not so bad, because it's one of the most magnificent, unspoiled areas of North America, and very accessible by car, plane or Alaska state ferry. Subscription information. RV Journal is aimed at RVers. It covers the far West with an emphasis on upcoming events. Each thick issue contains hundreds of short articles about festivals and other upcoming celebrations, from lizard races to chili cookoffs to sporting events. There is a lot of advertising, but it is very RVer-specific and so is generally of high interest to subscribers. This is the best RV magazine with a focus solely on the Amercian West. Subscription information. Here are some other Western Magazines the we enjoy: New Mexico Magazine: We love the regular feature "One of our 50 is Missing," where the editors reprint excerpts from letters from out-of-staters who mistakenly think New Mexico is a foreign country. Hilarious! Plus travel, food, history and more. New Mexico Magazine is the oldest state magazine. Montana Magazine: A glorious state and a magazine to match. Articles focus on history, natural history, outdoor recreation, communities and people, contemporary issues of statewide interest, “armchair traveler” places and events, ecology and conservation and unique businesses. South Dakota Magazine: A good magazine about a very rural state. Not as energy-packed as other state magazines, but for anyone interested in South Dakota, a very good read. AAA Magazines: The Automobile Club (AAA) publishes fine magazines in most of the states where it operates. The California editions are particularly good. If you are a member of AAA, then you automatically receive the magazine for your area.
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