Been through the Desert on a horse...

We traded in the iron horses for a day and scored a great Groupon deal to Fort McDowell Adventures https://www.fortmcdowelladventures.com/, about an hour's drive away from Casa Grande. As we got close to the ranch, we could see the adobe buildings come into view, giving off an Old West vibe.

We were greeted by staff as they saddled up the horses standing in the paddock, waiting to take us out on our desert adventure. After an initial sign-in and signing of waivers, we were given a cool bottle of water and directed to line up outside the paddock. There was a small group among Bill and myself. One by one, we all mounted our horses, with a quick lesson in steering and stopping, and were given small drawstring bags tied to our saddles to carry our water and phones. I was last in our group to mount up on my tan-colored steed named Yogi, and it felt good to sink my rump into the saddle, bringing back an old familiar feeling of riding days long past.

Off we all went single file, Bill and I someplace in the middle, with one guide leading and one guide bringing up the rear. The adobe buildings that moments ago greeted our welcome now disappeared behind us, and tall saguaro cacti came into view, dotting the barren land. We wound our way through the desert, our guides making conversation with each of us, learning more about where we were all from. We came to a waist-deep stream and made our way across, instructed not to let them drink or stop, or we'd find ourselves going for a dip with horses rolling over to enjoy a cold water plunge taking us with them. Thankfully, we all made it through still dry and upright. I found myself feeling relaxed, looking out over the desert, warm sun on my arms, the sound of hooves hitting the ground, and my body rhythmically swaying along with the movement of Yogi, and in my head, America's "Horse with No Name" played... LOL.

Yogi wasn't as zen as his name would lead one to believe, and I was warned he likes his space between the horses, but we managed to get through the day together without any incident.

After a 90-minute ride, we arrived back at the paddocks and dismounted our horses. We thanked our guides for a lovely day, explored the grounds a bit, and took advantage of getting some shots with my Nikon.

Earlier during our ride across the land, in the distance, we could see some kind of water geyser spraying up into the sky and were told that it was the fountain in Fountain Hills, so we made our way over to see what kind of lunch spot we could find. We landed prime front-row seats to the fountain on an inviting outdoor patio at All American Grill. I enjoyed a cold red sangria and Bill a cold beer on tap. As we ate our lunches and were treated to the fountain spouting high into the sky, which only runs once an hour on the hour.

After lunch, we took a short stroll along the fountain before making our way back to our RV site. It was a fun day filled with making new memories and seeing more of beautiful Arizona this time by horse back.

Happy Trails,

Bill & Cat