One of the best 2019 Christmas gifts was a 5-day trip to Tucson Arizona with a stay at the Tanque Verde Ranch. The guest ranch is located away from the hustle-bustle of town, nestled in the foothills between the Rincon Mountains and the San Catalinas. It is less than a mile from where Gary’s father had the headquarters for his cattle ranch many years before, so it was a reunion of sorts for us with memories of prior visits that we hold dear.

It is always a treat to spend time in the Sonoran Desert, with its constantly changing colors and its prickly plants. Riding out into that environment made us forget the mundane and appreciate the simplicity of an exquisite tapestry that unfolded with the sun’s changing elevations.

At Tanque Verde Ranch, we had an opportunity to relax, ride horses and mountain bikes through the desert (the bikes were new to us) and to enjoy some good cooking prepared by someone else. The photo montage below will feature some of the events as well as an evening cookout and a breakfast ride. You might notice the woman extracting cactus spines from Gary after he went headfirst into a prickly pear while mountain biking.

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