You know how perfect this ranch is? Many of the workers I met there had left jobs that paid three times more for this lifestyle instead. ...And most had been guests of the ranch previously.
An initial glance at the price may look a little steep, but once you factor in that it includes airport transfer, accommodation, three giant meals a day, all-day snacks/refreshments/coffee, a swimming pool, game room, entertainment room, spa, free Internet, and all the horseback trail rides you can fit in, the rate is a complete steal. More than once, guests and I began whispering to each other, "How can they afford to do this? This is fantastic!"
I love my room, #35 in a colourful orange adobe guest house. The outside patio is decorated with giant cactus, barrels, wagon wheels and the inside is brightly southwestern-Mexican inspired.
Giant meals--dinners of roast beef, steaks on a huge barbecue, lasagna, soup, green beans, baked potatoes with chive, cheese, bacon, and sour cream, and apple pie for dessert. Lunches with giant platters of grilled cheese and Reuben sandwiches. The breakfast menu has about 100 items--everything from French toast to blueberry pancakes, sausage, bacon, hash browns, eggs any style, Texas toast, bagels, yogurt, fresh fruit.
Besides all the fantastic things to do at the ranch, people are really here for the horses! The ranch has one of the largest herds in Arizona and I couldn't even begin to count them all. ...200? ...300? So, they'll definitely have one the right size, skill level, style, and temperament for you. I was given an 11 year-old white and gray gelding (castrated male), named "Mesa", and we bonded instantly. The wranglers (cowboys in charge of the horses) try to pair you up with a horse that works for you and if you get along well, you get to use that horse the remainder of your stay. After only one day of riding, I wanted to take Mesa home with me. ...But I couldn't get him to fit in the car. (Dammit!)
Trail rides change every day and you get to choose which ones you want to do--slow rides, mountain rides, fast rides, all-day rides, flat rides, breakfast rides, cactus field rides... And there's no need to worry if you're a beginner, these horses know what they're doing and where to go; all you have to do is hang on. No trail rides on Sundays because the horses need a day off too.
The first night we had an outdoor bonfire singalong with a cowboy who knew all the oldest songs in the West . He gave anecdotes and histories of the tunes. What a magical moment to be sitting under the stars listening to those ballads. The second night, the Tucson Astronomy club brought out a high-powered telescope and we got to see Saturn, Jupiter, and the craters on the moon. The last night was a brilliant lasso, gun-spinning, bullwhip performer named Loop Rawlins--one of the only guys in the world with loose enough marbles to do flaming lasso tricks.
As I drive down the dusty road to leave the ranch on my last day, I can feel my throat swallowing, working to choke back tears myself. Oh yes, I will be back. ...Very soon.
