Spring 2011

2010 marked the first summer we remained open, after many years of discussion and few false starts. To our delight, the summer went quite well and the guests who joined us had many good things to say. 

We changed the riding schedule to accommodate the summer temperatures, with riding early in the morning and late in the afternoon. The "time off" in the middle of the day allows guests to choose other activities and sightsee without missing any riding. The new schedule offers 3 fast rides daily as well as the slower rides to explore the desert and relax.

We also added a Sunset Ride (summer schedule only) and changed our Wednesday Cookout Hayride to a Happy Hour Margarita Hayride with Prickly Pear Margaritas and Salsa. Prickly Pear Lemonade for the kids and those who do not wish to imbibe are also served!
By being open year round we have been able to expand our international market, so Michael added two more flag poles to display a flag for every country represented!

Another exciting change on the Ranch is the installation of solar panels to produce over 100 Kilowatts of power - about 35% of our total usage. This project was made possible by some incentives from our local utility company. Our goal is to create an on-line monitoring system that guests can view. We replaced 8 of the conventional water heaters with state of the art "on demand" systems to further conserve our energy consumption. The air conditioners in the west rooms were all upgraded and provide 40% more efficient service to our guests.

A bit of bad luck resulted in our losing half of our three teams this past year. We found replacements in a Brabant Stallion who rides and drives, two teams from Amish farms and a pair of Palomino geldings who needed to be rescued.  They are all doing quite well and we are happy to have them working.

David finished his first semester at the University of Arizona and is off to Northern Arizona University to continue his college years. Steven is in his senior year at Cornell and continues to play varsity polo. Russell handed over the President's Buckle in January as he ended his second term as President of the Dude Rancher's Association. Michael and Kristin's generosity knows no bounds, as they treated their niece and nephews to another summer adventure last year. They took them on a cruise to the Caribbean and spent a few days in the Bahamas. Then they all returned to ranch to help out.  

Gratitude is something that we have an abundance of here on the ranch. Yes, we are fortunate to have jobs we love and believe in, but it is You, our guests that provide the opportunity to do this work. Loyalty comes to us in so many ways; some guests visit monthly, some annually, some every three or four years, some post photos and reviews that introduce us to new guests, some refer their family and friends and some share candid observations that help us see the ranch from your point of view. Be assured that we appreciate all of it and thank you sincerely.

It will come as no surprise to any of you that we are a bit slow on the uptake concerning technology - we take a "wait and see" approach to most new developments.  And it seems this attitude has paid off - we eventually adopt the ones that have staying power.
Wireless Internet is a good example, our Facebook page seems to be another and TripAdvisor has exceeded our wildest expectations  - so, who knew?  
We do not want to trade our personal, direct contact with you for faceless technology - but we can appreciate the convenience that technology offers you. Having said that, please don't hesitate to call us when you have questions - hospitality and personal service are what we believe in!