Thanks for responding everyone...here it is...
Traveling Dates:
June 20-June 24, 2002
Travelers:
Shontell - This is MY story and I'm sticking to it! - Age: Not going tell you, but I'll attach a picture so you can guess.
Ron - He would tell a different tale, but he knows who's boss. Age: Somewhere in his 30s if you go by birthdays, still a child if you go by behavior.
Background: I'm the outgoing, athletic type who loves any kind of adventure, so the ranch idea really appealed to me! Ron is the outgoing, athletic type who loves anything with an engine, be it boat, plane, car, etc. He also loves electronics - including the TV. The only way I convinced him to go to the ranch was because he also loves mountain biking.
Location:
Tanque Verde Ranch, Tucson, AZ
Weather: To save myself saying this over and over: HOT & DRY. They hadn't had rain at the ranch in 86 days and were about the break the record for most days without rain.
Temperature: I'm not sure about the lows, because they were still high, but I think the highs were 104-106 degrees daily. I will say that being from Florida, the temperature didn't bother me because it is dry heat which is much more tolerable than Florida Humid Heat.
DAY 1
We arrived in Tucson at 11am on Thursday. We pre-arranged a pickup from the ranch. (If you stay 4 or more days it is complimentary.) Jeff greeted us and we loaded up in the van. We stopped by Walgreens on the way up. Jeff informed us that if we wanted any "munchies" or "alcohol" it would be best to get them before arrival. Once you are at the ranch, you pay extra for any soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. Meals are set 3 times a day with only fruit and danish available in between. We had already packed our favorite wine, so we just grabbed some libations, along with some snacks for the room. Chocolate is a must on vacation!
The outside temperature was hot, but being from Florida, it didn't phase us too much. When we arrived, we checked in at the main location and found out our unit was right behind the main office. At check-in we found out they would be filming throughout the day for the Travel Channel who was there to do a special feature on the ranch, if we wanted to participate we could, and would probably have to sign a waiver. The ranch has approximately 74 units, all are different and they are all spread out over the ranch. Normally, Jeff would have driven us to our unit, but since we were so close it wasn't necessary. At the front of our room, we were greeted by a gilamonster, pronounced "heel -a - monster". It's a bigger than average lizard that is native to the area. It was like being home in Florida with all the chameleons! I took a picture of him and he ran away when we got close, but I guess it would be like Mickey greeting us at Disney!
The accommodations I chose included a one bedroom unit with fireplace (as if I needed it!) and a private porch. It was 196 points for 4 days. The room itself had a separate bedroom with a fireplace, a living/sitting area with a daybed and couch. A mini fridge and wet bar were there as well. The porch attached to the living area and had a spectacular view of the desert and mountains. None of the units have televisions, but a radio alarm clock and phone are in each. (Ladies will need to bring their own hairdryers, btw) Everything had the rustic cowboy theme. It's obvious the units are old, but maintained well and they provide the perfect atmosphere for the ranch.
We had already looked at the schedule, so we knew we wanted to grab lunch and get to the beginning horseback ride at 2pm. All the food is included when you book with your points. The dining room is a large room with family style seating and it overlooked the pool area. We had the choice to dine alone or with other folks each time we went. Lunch was always a buffet with a variety of cold and hot items, including your typical salad fare, some seafood and pasta cold salads, hot items included pork, chicken, fish, pasta, and vegetables. The dessert line had everything from sugar cookies to miscellaneous pies and cakes (and chocolate covered strawberries the last day!!!). We grabbed a quick bite and then headed to the corral for our first ride.
We signed up and took the Basic Horsemanship lesson. Rob was our wrangler. It was just the two of us in our first lesson. Ron had never been on a horse before and I had only ridden twice in my life, so it was all new to both of us.
Note: Almost every time we rode we had a different horse - or the choice of one we had ridden before if it was available. We found out the ranch has over 200 horses and I found everyone seemed to "adopt" a favorite while there.
Rob showed us how to mount the horse, where to put your feet in the stirrups, how to hold the reigns, basic handling, how to sit in the saddle and how to sit the horse going up and down hills. We rode around in the corral area and went up and down a small hill they had. The lesson took maybe 15-30 minutes total. I rode Sterling and Ron rode Sonny.
After the lesson, we dismounted and waited for the rest of the groups to reconvene for the "walk ride". Since the Travel Channel was there, they took about 7 of us around for just a few minutes of filming. I don't know when it will air, but we were at the end of the line if you ever catch the ride. (Please e-mail me if you see it!) This time I rode Hercules and Ron rode Marteen.
Note: Ron took his camelback and found out you are not allowed any type of backpack on the horses because it could snag on something and pull you off the horse. The next day he put it under his shirt and they let him keep it, I was jealous because my bottled water was always hot 15 minutes into a ride. Water is vital here. Drink it whenever you can, as anyone can dehydrate quickly in 100 degree heat. I took my cell phone thinking I would only be a phone call away from my clients - wrong. They took it and said it might spook the horses. I was FORCED to relax....can you imagine?
After a couple of "takes" for filming, we went back to the corral and the few folks who were there just to be "stars" left. Herb, our wrangler then took three of us for a "walk ride". We went on the Cotton Grove trail. There was some shade, a couple of small lakes, tons of cacti, and a few houses scattered throughout. We saw some mule deer and cows along the way! We also saw the house owned by Paul & Linda McCartney, where she passed away. Herb said Paul has only returned once, since she passed. Since there were only three of us at this point, Herb asked if we wanted to "trot" a little bit, so we did. (I didn't realize what a treat this was until later in the trip) The horses were SO well behaved, they just responded to little kicks and the "follow the leader" concept very well. (This wasn't always the case, as you'll read later.) The ride lasted for about an hour before returning to the corral. Despite the heat, and my lack of horsemanship, this was one of my favorite rides.
We headed back to our room to change clothes and get in a workout before our evening hike. The workout facilities are adequate, but since I love free weights, I was a bit disappointed to find an all-in-one machine, a couple of bikes, an elliptical and a treadmill. I'm sure for most folks the room is plenty, but Ron and I would have been happier with free weights and a bit more space for stretching, crunches and the like.
Next, we changed and got ready for our pre-sunset hike. This was also one of my trip highlights, even though I am typically more of a "fast-paced" exercise person. We met Anne, our hostess and nature Guru, and discovered we would be the only hikers that evening, which was so nice - but, we had to do some filming for the Travel Channel before the official hike could begin. She provided us with water and backpacks before leaving. We walked over to an area to meet the film crew which also happened to be the "watering hole" for the birds. We saw humming birds drinking from the feeders along with some other native birds which I can't remember the names of (forgive me, Anne). But, the most adrenaline pumping moment came when Anne said, "Let's see if our snake is around. Oh, sure, there he is -." At which point she pointed out the DIAMOND BACK RATTLESNAKE - eeeeeeeeek!!! He was curled up by the water waiting for doves to come by so he could eat. What I found incredibly amazing was that nobody (we were joined by a few people at this point) seemed to mind the snake. Everyone was nonchalant about him. I guess they are accustomed to seeing them and aren't phased by the danger that was eminent in my "city" mind. After filming, the three of us walked through the ranch. We learned about some of the native plants - Cottonwood being the most prevalent tree. There are quite a few variety of cacti. We learned the Barrel cactus always grows towards the Southeast, so it can assist in direction if you ever get lost. We saw plenty of birds, including doves, turkey buzzards, and a red cardinal. Upon entering one of the lakes we encountered a herd of cattle. Because of the water shortage, Anne told us the ranch owner had been forced to bring down cattle from one of his ranches higher in the mountains to make sure they were getting enough to drink. Apparently a lot of critters were coming down the mountains, as signs were posted at the ranch to be careful if you spotted any wild bears, cattle, deer or mountain lions and to leave them alone. We took some pictures of the cattle and walked along one of the aquifers located there on the property. On the way back Anne told us to stay away from any Javelins if we saw them - little pigs that looked like boars - apparently they were in the area as well. We ended the hike at the dinner BBQ which was just about to start, but we needed showers desperately so we headed back to our room. Anne really made the hike pleasant. She knows more about nature and wildlife than I will learn and forget in a lifetime. If you are into nature - she's the person to hang out with while you are at the ranch!
After cleaning up we headed back to the BBQ for dinner. It was almost dark and as we rounded the corner guess what we saw hanging out by the watering area? Javelins! We took a picture and they freaked out and ran when the flash went off. It was pretty neat to see them since Anne had just "explained" them to us earlier. There were also some more mule deer there as well. The food at the BBQ was decent: choice of NY strip, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, various slaw/salad dishes and two desserts, apple pie and brownies. (There probably was more, but I was pretty tired at this point and my memory is foggy.) Tom Chambers was the singing entertainment that night. He played guitar out there under the stars and sang cowboy songs. It was very "authentic" in feel and had I not been exhausted, would have stayed longer and enjoyed it more. As it was, the first day was our busiest. We left shortly after dinner and "hit the hay" by 9:30 (which was 12:30 EST - and our "body" clocks knew it). I want to note here that Ron tells me he has "had a good time so far, but can't see myself coming back". I'm appalled because I think we have accomplished so much and I've loved every minute of it, but figure, to each his own.
DAY 2
Rise and shine was at 6:30am in order to be at the Breakfast Ride at 7am. Pretty much everyone at the ranch goes on these rides when they have them. I rode Buck this time and Ron rode Marteen. We learned on this ride that it is best to get there early and try to be at the front of the line so you aren't breathing everyone else's dust. The ride itself took about 45 minutes and goes to the Homestead. When you arrive, the smell of bacon greets you amid the dust. Everyone hops in line for blueberry or regular pancakes, being grilled personally by the ranch owner, Bob Cote, no less. Additionally they had ranchero eggs, sausage, ham, biscuits, jelly and all the coffee, tea, juice, and water you could drink. My only complaint was I couldn't wash my hands before eating - the wranglers laughed at me and Herb wiped his hands on his jeans to demonstrate the only "sink" I was going to get. Note: Bring wet naps if you are germaphobic. I have a friend who would have starved before getting off a horse and eating. The view is spectacular and we took some great photos here. You get a great view of the units at the ranch and how they are spread out.
After the ride we headed back and took a 30 minute break before our Intermediate Horsemanship lesson. We ended up back on the same horses we had for the breakfast ride, Buck and Marteen. There were 6 of us for this lesson and it lasted for an hour and a half. A larger group would not have been good. This is where Shontell becomes frustrated and Ron becomes a cowboy. Rob was our wrangler again for this class and he lead us to a small empty arena for "practice". He gave us some instruction on handling the horses: kicking means "go" to a horse, pulling the reigns means stop, continued pulling means back up, and applying pressure with the reigns on either side gives them direction for turning. Sounds easy, right? Riiiiiiight. Each horse has it's own personality and this is when it became evident to us all. We started by following Rob along the outside rail keeping a horse length between us. We did full and half circles into the ring, then stopped and did it all over again in the opposite direction. Then we gathered together and he told us how to trot. We then took turns individually trying to trot our horses around the ring, do some circles and return. Ron went first and his horse seemed to respond very well. Ron told me later that he watched Rob during this whole lesson and learned so much. He shortened his hold on his reigns and "checked" (gentle tug on the reigns) the horse before every command. It really made a difference. When I went, Buck had a mind of his own. I was kicking and prodding and kicking and yelling and clucking and getting more and more frustrated and Buck did not want to listen to me. We finally did our lesson, but I was NOT happy with Buck. After trotting, we tried to do some loping in the same manner. Everyone took their turns and Rob would offer advice to each of us after we went. Again, Ron and Marteen had no problems while Buck and I battled for control. The lope is definitely the most fun gait, but Rob said it is the most dangerous as the horse can throw you off easiest at that pace. For those of you who think horseback riding is a "lazy" sport: Think again. You are actively handling the horse from the moment you step on to the moment you step off. It is great exercise for your stomach muscles, legs, arms, not to mention your tushy. I was physically and mentally tired after this lesson thanks to Buck. Meanwhile, Ron was as happy as a dog with two tales.
After lunch we headed to the pool for some fun. They actually have two pools, one indoor, one outside. We chose to get out and work on our tans. The outside pool has a waterfall and we became two kids when we saw the diving board! We had developed friendships with a few guests at this point (you see the same people pretty much the whole time) and Ron and I started doing dives. People on the side lines started "judging" us and the competition began. Lucky for Ron, I was exhausted and chose to not compete with his flip, but stuck to a back dive to let him win. Hehehe. We hung out at the pool most of the afternoon just chatting with other guests and relaxing. While we thought we had traveled the farthest to get there, we soon met a couple from England who took that prize. Apparently the ranch is a popular destination for Europeans. The ranch has a board where they post all the guests names and where they are from. We saw names from almost every area of the US. After a while, we left the pool and went by the gift shop and recreation desk to grab a chess set - they had plenty of games to check out. We took the set out on the front porch and played for a couple of hours before returning to the room to get ready for dinner.
That night, we sat with another couple and their son from Atlanta. Ron had the prime rib and I had the pasta dish (can't remember, sorry). I do remember starting with the shrimp bisque - which was excellent. We enjoyed everything and Ron had ice cream for dessert.
They had an evening program almost every night, but we chose not to attend. Most were "horse talk" or "all about horses" type presentations and we preferred to play chess, walk around the ranch and talk with each other. We retired early again as we knew we were doing the mountain biking the next day.
DAY 3
Once again, up at 6:30 ish for the trail bike ride at 7am. Craig and Cathy were our hosts and we were the only two guests. As mentioned, Ron is an avid biker, while I am decent, but not the best at riding. The bikes they provided were awesome. Especially compared to the one I have at home which was good because the trail we went on was quite challenging for me. We literally went through the desert with cacti on either side most of the time. I had a few near crashes, but managed to keep upright for the entire ride. Craig was good about stopping to tell us about various spots as we rode and allowing us to drink water. We came upon two horses and their foals along with a herd of cattle during the ride. We saw Paul McCartney's house again and went by a graveyard that had sites with just a pile of rocks and no headstones. The ride lasted a little over an hour and we were hungry for breakfast by the time it was over.
Breakfast ended up being hilarious - we saw Herb the wrangler when we arrived and sat with him. Herb is hilarious and loves, I mean loves, to talk. Having not ordered before since we did the trail ride the day before, we had no idea about the portions. We ordered french toast, pancakes, eggs, ham, sausage and cinnamon toast from the kitchen, then went to the cold buffet while we waited for the hot food. The buffet had a variety of cereals, juices, fresh fruits, oatmeal, coffee cakes and milk. When the food arrived we had enough to feed an army. We blamed it on Herb for not warning us....the portions are normal, so take it easy if you go. You can always order more. All the food was really good.
We relaxed with more walking and chess then took a nap. We woke up at 1:50 - having slept through lunch and about to miss the afternoon horseback ride! Ron went down to the corral while I opted for the pool. Ron came back thrilled about his walk ride, he said Dustin led the group and they did some high peaks where the horses were climbing straight up. He said going up was fun while coming down was a bit scary but exciting. He was amazed by the capability of his horse.
I decided I wanted a pre-dinner drink that evening so we went to check out the "Doghouse" saloon before dining. Stephanie made one of the best Cosmopolitans I've ever had! We chose to dine alone and I opted for the prime rib while Ron tried the lamb. My dinner was great, but Ron sent the lamb back because it just wasn't suitable to his palette. It wasn't bad, he just doesn't care for lamb. We asked them to box some cheese and crackers for us to take back to the room because once dinner is over, you are only able to get fresh fruit and danish from the coffee room. She brought a huge "to go" box filled with goodies for us.
After dinner we headed back to the Doghouse for another Cosmo. I let Ron beat me at a few games of pool (too many to count) and he let me win one. We met the director of food and beverage, Kevin, while we were there and enjoyed his company. We also found out that the owner's birthday was the next day. After a couple of drinks another couple, Dave and Lori, from Arizona came "riding" in on one of those stick ponies that "nays" and makes noises. They were having a great time and we found out she was celebrating her birthday. They brought champagne and we all toasted and just relaxed with good conversation. They close the bar at 10:30, but it was 11 before we realized we had to let Stephanie go home. The four of us were having such a good time we decided to put on our suits and head to the jacuzzi. We went by their room and saw their accommodations which would have slept 6-8 people, had a jacuzzi tub and was HUGE. If you have a large party or family, this would be the room to stay in...it was great. The hot tub was outside by the pool and we really enjoyed being out there with just the stars and the moon. No other guests were around at the time. We called it a night around midnight and planned to see each other the next day on the Breakfast ride.
DAY 4
Ron set the alarm for 6:30, but when he had moved the clock earlier in the day and reset the time, he set it an hour ahead. Needless to say, when the clock went off neither of us felt like getting up and decided to skip the ride. We found out when we got up at 9am that it was really 8am. Oh well! We grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed down to the corral for the 10am walk ride. Rob was our wrangler, Ron got Scout (his final favorite) and I got Buck again (no comment). I ended up liking Buck after this ride because we asked for "cruise control" horses. Neither of us felt like actively riding that day so it was nice to just sit back and let the horses "follow the leader". Ron told Rob he wanted to go up some hills, so Rob took us up to Sunset Ridge. We had the Best Ride!!! We got to the top of the ridge and you could see all the way to downtown Tucson. We took some great pictures and really enjoyed Rob's company. He talked with us more this ride than any other and we felt like we got to know him better. The horses did a fabulous job of maneuvering up the small trails on the hill and then down again. I was awestruck by the whole experience. We had rented a car for the day and planned on going into Tucson early, but since the ride was so great, we changed our plans and decided to do the afternoon ride before heading into town.
At lunch the staff brought out a cake and a silly hat and we all got to sing happy birthday to Bob. It was fun to be there. You can tell everyone at the ranch respects and appreciates him. He works just as hard as the rest of the crew, apparently, as we saw him every day we were there. That respect says a great deal to me about how he does business and runs his ranch.
After lunch we headed out for our last ride. Ron got Domino this time and I had Cherokee. Both turned out to be great rides for us. Rob was our wrangler and one of the other guests requested going through the Cotton Grove, so that was where we headed. It provided more shade than any other area and we enjoyed Rob's company again, along with the other guests. We had about 12 horses on this afternoon ride which was the largest non-breakfast group I had been in. One treat along this ride was seeing a red-tailed hawk. We heard before we saw him, he was making that piercing screech you may have heard on TV before. Very fascinating to hear and see one of these gorgeous birds in the wild!
We said goodbye to the horses and went back to clean up and head into town. Budget gave us a map and Rob had recommended El Charro for an authentic mexican dinner and given us directions. We wanted to see Lilo and Stitch, so we went to the closest mall, Park Place, to shop and check out the movie. We both enjoyed Lilo and Stitch, and the mall was big. We could have spent the whole day in town without thinking twice. We headed towards El Charro, found it, and they slammed the door in our faces and told us they closed at 7:30! I couldn't believe it - it was 8pm. We asked for the next closest mexican restaurant and they told us to go to El Minuto Cantina. Upon arrival, we walked in and low and behold there was Rob with his wife, Cathy!!! They invited us to join them, and we found out they too had gone to El Charro not knowing it closed so early and wound up there. We had a great meal, their company was great and the evening couldn't have been any better. It was the perfect ending to our trip.
DAY 5 & SUMMARY
We had hoped to get one last morning ride, but decided our time would not permit. We just got up, walked down to the corral to thank Rob and say Goodbye, then had breakfast. The doorman was waiting on us at 8:30, as scheduled, and we loaded up and went to the airport.
We had a great trip overall. The downside was the heat, the highlights were the horseback riding and the great people we met. On a side note, each wrangler had his own unique story: Rob was born and raised in AZ, but has traveled all over the US and even worked in Yeehaw Junction, FL which is about an hour and a half from where I live now. Herb is a retired businessman who just does the wrangling for fun (I think he just likes to talk to people and needs an outlet
) , Joe has been at the ranch since 1976, is a second generation cowboy and although I didn't get to ride with him, learned the other wranglers have an immense respect for him. Nick is originally from Scotland, but I never heard an accent so I guess he's been in the US for a long time. I'm missing a couple but didn't get to meet all of them.
I didn't mention it, but there are loping rides and loping lessons that we weren't confident enough to try in the short amount of time we were there. If you are an expert rider, you shouldn't be lacking for anything.
I don't think I would return in the middle of summer unless I just needed a break, as the heat was pretty intense and limited the activities. Apparently they offer all day rides, evening rides and more biking and hiking when the weather is better. Although we only saw smoke from one fire way off in the distance, the national parks were closed and inaccessible due to previous fires this year. For those of you with children, I asked one of the Moms about her level of satisfaction and she was very happy. They dropped the kids off at 7am daily and picked them up at 3pm. She said most of the time the kids were having so much fun they didn't want to hang out with the parents.
Other features I didn't mention, or get to enjoy are the nature center, the tennis courts, and the indoor jacuzzi and sauna. Hopefully I'll find time to enjoy these on my next trip!
And did I mention that after the first day Ron didn't want to go back? Now he thinks he's a cowboy and can't wait to return! There is always hope for those diehards in your life!
Thanks for reading! Any comments/questions are certainly welcome! For pictures, go to:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/dvctalk/lst and click on the "Tanque V" link.
Have a great one!
Shontell
PS The link to the ranch's site is
http://www.tvgr.com
I'll be sure to remember your tips if we decide to go one day.
