Ever Dream of Riding Off Into the Sunset? Here's Your Chance
You're Too Old to Spend the Rest of Your Life on the Couch: Let's Adventure!
Find the magic when you return to the saddle
Sunsets in Tucson are like taffy. If you’re lucky enough to have a few clouds, they go on forever. One moment you’re exclaiming how gorgeous it is, then moments later it’s even better. They go on forever, and ever, and ever.
Breathtaking.
When you watch them by horseback you’re spirited back in time, able to enjoy the spectacle in a way that no view from a balcony can match.
That was the end of my first day at Tanque Verde Dude Ranch, a sprawling piece of Arizona heaven, in early December. That sunset was ninety minutes of Southwestern perfection, watching the world light up for miles around, from the back of a calm, bomb-proof horse.
I was riding again after more than a year of surgeries. I grew up on horseback and it’s my primary sport. I wanted to ease back in, and this ranch was just the ticket.
Many of us of an age grew up riding, because our parents knew what a great confidence-builder it is to grow up around large animals. That’s why a visit to Tanque Verde works so well: for beginners, as well as for once-passionate riders who might need a little encouragement to start over.
It’s also perfect for experienced riders who just want the full immersion at a gorgeous location.
Tanque Verde Ranch is sixty-thousand acres of dazzling desert land, surrounded by the Rincon Mountains and adjacent to both the Saguaro and Coronado National Forests. Old Arizona, the real thing.
The ranch is steeped in cattle ranching history. The older cabins, where I stayed right across from the stables, speak to the history of the place.
Horses are are a window to the world like no other. So upon arrival at Tanque Verde, the first thing I did was toss on my riding gear and head out for the sunset ride. It had been more than nine months since I’d sat a horse, and I couldn’t wait.
A few quick steps in the direction of the stables and I breathed in the smells: the brisk, friendly scent of horse manure, the intermingled dust, the promise of smooth saddle leather under one’s backside.
If you grew up riding, there are no sweeter scents on God’s green earth.
Even better, if you’ve dreamed of riding, or dreamed of returning to riding, this is the perfect place to explore that joy.
Tanque Verde has two hundred horses here, and a solid staff of wranglers to take you out on the trails. I spoke to several, one of whom is close to my age (I’m 70).
“I’m living the dream,” he grinned, walking in that slightly bowlegged way of a man who has spent his entire life horseback. “I am spending my retirement doing what I love, being around horses,” he said over his shoulder as he tightened the girth.
I can’t think of a better way to retire. Even better, I can’t think of a better way to ride, surrounded by people who are that excited to help other folks get on a horse for the first time or the first time in a long time.
If there’s a problem with the ranch, if you can call it that, there’s a bit too much to choose from. It’s a dizzying array of opportunities to explore, engage or just rest.
There’s an abundant list of the activities, with something for everyone, child and adult alike.
There are lots of ways to interact with horses including lessons for you or for your kids, but it doesn’t stop there. For the non-horsey part of your group, or for when you want to brush off and take a break, you can swim, hike, mountain bike, practice archery, fish or even learn a bit about falconry.
Depending on how long you stay, you can dip your toe in a little bit of everything, including an education about Arizona’s venomous denizens.
For my part, it was all about the horses.
Before you’re allowed to do the lope rides (canter), you have to do a lope test. This morning run-through allows the wranglers to watch you in action and make sure you know how to sit the gait without causing issues for yourself or the horse.
As an experienced rider, I really appreciate this step. It protects the rider and the horse.
Not everyone passes. But if that happens, you can take it again. Or, you can choose any one of many rides during the day which allow you to immerse yourself in the Tucson desert, up close and personal, and maybe see some wildlife as well, but at more measured pace.
For those of you who grew up riding, we never stop loving horses. The sport never stops calling us back to it. For many my age, a gentle dude ranch ride can get rusty skills oiled and working smoothly again.
I prefer those ranches which have worked hard to retain as much of the original flavor as possible. Tanque Verde’s older cabins have window closings on them which are identical to those on the house my father built in 1947. The details are reminiscent of a much slower pace.
There are plenty of comfortable upgrades as counterpoints to the charm of the older details.
The West has a special feel to it. Being able to literally and figuratively ride into the sunset is something lots of folks dream, but not enough of us do.
Imagine being married on horseback against such a backdrop. Imagine honeymooning here, nestled in the saguaro-studded desert in a place set far back in time, but with all the amenities.
It might be time to find out what it feels like to be that romantic silhouette (or two), riding a fine horse into an achingly beautiful sunset.
In the movies, our heroes ride off to who-knows-where.
At Tanque Verde, it’s to a great meal, a comfortable room, and to wake up again for another day of adventures in the real Arizona West.
Let’s play.
If you enjoyed this journey to the American Southwest, great! I’ll be adding lots more stories to this adventure travel newsletter both for soft and more epic experiences. If you’re jazzed, please consider
If you know someone who might need a slight nudge off the couch and into the world, please also consider
Either way, I hope you get excited about what to do in this extraordinary world of ours. Time’s a wastin.’
OMG. I have to go there.
If there is ANYTHING from my past life I'd like to get back into, it would be horses.
As a teenager, I saved up all my babysitting money for a couple years to buy my own horse. When I finally got her, she bucked me off and broke my shoulder 😂 But after I recovered and got back on we were thick as thieves. We fully understood each other.
I was only able to keep her for a few years since my mom could no longer afford the cost of boarding. But man, do I miss the lifestyle of a country girl in the city ❤️ And I miss my little red dunn quarter horse.