Arizona, Rancho de los Caballeros

I visited Rancho de los Caballeros with my husband and two children. After a seven-hour drive across the desert from the Los Angeles area, Marina, ten and Niko, eight, were thrilled to see the tetherball at the children’s playground.  They let loose some of their car energy hitting the ball around until they were whisked off for the evening to join other children.

The Caballeros Kid’s Program has been around for 55 years and generations of families have participated. The program allows parents to have some adult time while the kids enjoy activities geared specifically to their age group. The Kid’s Camp counselors were very friendly and well trained (first aid and CPR).  Our kids loved the kid friendly dinner menu and the evening arts and crafts. 

The Ranch also offers excellent morning and evening children’s programs for kids 5-12 years of age which include riding, swimming, hiking, games and arts and crafts. The counselors meet the children at eight am for breakfast. After a hearty meal the group heads to the corral. Children eight years of age and over enjoy a daily trail ride. (There is a charge for horseback riding.)

The younger guests, eight years and under, enjoy a ring ride in the corral where basic horsemanship skills are covered. Then it is off to swimming, tennis clinics, hiking, scavenger hunts or arts and crafts until it is time for lunch. After lunch the children return to their families.

From two until six it’s family time at the Ranch. Enjoy a family horseback ride, a jeep tour, mountain biking, trap & skeet shooting or a dip in the pool. The counselors meet the kids again at 6pm for dinner. The evening is filled with games, arts and crafts, or perhaps a marshmallow roast around a campfire. The program ends at 9pm nightly just in time to tuck everyone in bed for a good night’s rest! Babysitting is available for younger children and is extra.

While our kids were happily engaged, my husband and I dined in the Ranch Dining Room.  Rancho de los Caballeros prides itself on its exceptional cuisine.  It offers three meals a day under the American plan. 

Dinner is served at reserved individual tables. Sport coats or western vests are required for men and appropriate dress for ladies.  There is a full bar.  My husband I enjoyed fabulous dinners.  We highly recommend the Caesar Salad and Tortilla Soup.  The Juniper Planked Wild Salmon entree was out of this world. My husband fully enjoyed the Smokey Prime Ribs of Beef.  We finished with a Rancho de los Caballeros signature dessert, a Cajeta Sundae, and a Crème Brulee-just wonderful. Breakfast and lunch are equally delicious with daily specials and home baked desserts.  They are served more casually, buffet style, in the ranch dining room. Lunch is also served at the golf club. You will never go hungry at the Ranch.

On many nights the Ranch offers live entertainment in the Saloon. We were on the tired side so after dinner we picked up the kids and headed to our room to settle in for the evening. The rooms at Ranch de los Caballeros are very comfortable.  We had adjoining rooms in one of the original Ranch buildings with true southwest flavor.  The rooms were large and comfortable with handcrafted furniture, fabrics and artifacts.  There are also larger more spacious suites.  Each room has its own large outdoor patio.

The next few days at Los Caballeros were filled with adventures and events that will be remembered always.  Rusty Gant, owner, and Jeff Deming, general manager, along with all the staff of Rancho de los Caballeros, make you feel as if you are family.  It is important to them that you have a great time and as a result, you will!

We took a scenic jeep tour through the desert, up into the hills, and into the Hassayampa River bed  The kids loved the open jeep and the rugged terrain. Our guide was native to the area and stopped frequently to educate us about the plants and wildlife of the desert.  Amusing quizzes and visual aids added to the fun.  We even won little prizes for our participation.

We saddled up and went for a desert trail ride on horseback.  Our guide led us on narrow desert paths up and down the gentle sloping terrain.  He told us about the birds, cactus, wildlife and geography of the area.  We all learned quite a lot about the desert.  Our guide was very good with the children and included them in every discussion.

The day culminated with a fun hayride to a Cowboy Cookout impressively arranged around a big campfire in the desert away from the resort.  As the sun set we enjoyed a rib cookout with all the fixens.  After dinner we sat under a blanket of spectacular desert stars and sang around the campfire.  Our cowboy accompanist played guitar and knew just about every song the group requested.  He was fabulous and funny too. 

The next day we tried skeet shooting.  The kids came along and learned how to target shoot.  Our instructor was extremely knowledgeable and very safety conscious.  I felt we were in good hands.  The skeet shooting proved to be more challenging than I expected.  I don’t think shooting is our sport, but the kids sure had fun. 

Team penning was probably the highlight of the trip.  Everyone gathered at the corrals, saddled up, got placed on teams and then competed to see which group of riders could pen the cattle fastest.  Owner, Rusty Gant, was the Master of Ceremonies.  The event was exhilarating.  It’s not easy to herd cattle with big horns into a pen from atop a horse.  Just when you think you’ve got it, they charge off in different directions.  The crowd roared and the Master of Ceremonies kept everyone amused.  Although our teams did not win, I think the kids will remember this event for a lifetime. 

My daughter discovered the running of the horses back to pasture at sunset and their return in the morning at sunrise.  She woke my husband at sunrise to see the horses run and despite the fact that he is not a morning person, he could not resist the beauty of the event and her fascination with it.

Rancho de los Caballeros is a wonderful ranch with resort luxury.  The staff makes everyone feel at home and children are welcome and enjoyed. We’re planning a return visit. Next time we’ll stay longer!  

www.sunc.com