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Thank you to White Stallion Ranch for hosting our stay at your beautiful luxury family-friendly dude ranch in Tucson Arizona. All opinions and photographs of the property are ours.
Day three at White Stallion Dude Ranch started with riding horses of course!
On Sundays, the horses rest, so we were all excited to get back on the saddle, literally! Pete, Ashley, and Emmy went for a 7 am ride and then took a lesson mid morning to make sure they were ready for the afternoon fast ride up the mountain.
Emmy is too young for the fast ride, so she just enjoyed the lesson while Pete and Ash fine tuned their riding and passed the skill test for the fast ride. The lessons are one of the only things not included in the all-inclusive price, along with some drinks (like alcohol and soda) and spa treatments. However, they are a bargain at only $20 a person, paid directly to the Wrangler.
They had worked up an appetite, and were happy to see a vegetable stir fry waiting for us at lunch!
In the early afternoon, Pete and Ashley went to CrossFit, so I took Emmy to the pool, and then I let her do something I used to love doing on family vacations to Yosemite. I let her play in the dirt for over an hour. I’m one of those people that (tries) to keep their kids clean and dust free. But at a dude ranch, there is dirt everywhere, and I finally let it go. She wanted to get all dirty and play with the pebbles and just be a kid. I honestly forgot how much of my childhood I enjoyed doing the same thing. She never once asked for an electronic device, except for me to take a picture of her so she could remember this forever. I can’t imagine a better way to spend the afternoon.
The evening crept up on us quickly, and it was time for our 5 pm ride. This was a ride we all had been waiting for. We rode out through the desert and up the mountain a bit. It was pretty steep at times and definitely an adventure. Emmy, Maddie, and I took the slow ride, while Pete and Ash took the fast ride. The only difference is that they went faster going to and from the mountain while our horses walked the whole time. They LOVED the fast ride and thought it was really fun.
We got back just in time for dinner.
We went back to our suite and freshened up (Emmy tried to get some more dirt play time in) and enjoyed dinner!
I can’t get over how gorgeous the views are. While Emmy was playing earlier, I just stared off into the distance. Arizona really is beautiful!
After another great sunset, we followed flashing red lights over to the star party.
The star party is lead by a local astronomer, who brings a large telescope and his knowledge to the ranch of the planets and stars. We gazed through the telescope and saw craters on the moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. The ranch has enrichment and entertainment activities each night, and they rotate so that there are no repeats during the week. This was a great way to spend the evening.
Emmy was asleep within minutes of getting into bed. I’d say that is a good indication of the great day we had!
This looks amazing. I’ve never been to Arizona and have always thought of just cactus and thorns but I would certainly be up to stay ing at this dude ranch.
Planning a vacation to Arizona next year you took lot’s of great pictures. Kids look like they had a blast.
It looks like your girls had such a lovely time! Arizona looks like it is a BLAST!
What a great day! So much to fun! I think it is funny that of all the things you all did, that your daughter was just happy to play in the dirt as to ride a horse!
Oh my goodness, what total fun. My family went on a family vacation to a dude ranch once and it was so much fun. This would be the perfect family vacation, as it is so different than what we normally do. Thanks for the idea.
Such gorgeous photos. It looks like a blast. emmy seems to be really enjoying herself, which I can see why. What an amazing time you all must be having!
Looks like such a fun time to have! I love it.
This looks like you all had a blast! Thanks for sharing the photos, I really like them!
I totally agree! Those photos are lovely! I love the sunset shots. Haven’t been to Arizona, but I hope I can find time and resources to make a trip there.
I love horses. How fun does this look? You guys must be having a great time on this dude ranch trip.
This looks like so much fun! I’ve always to go horse riding, but can’t seem to muster up the courage. But you can’t go to a dude ranch and not ride a horse!
This looks like so much fun and a great family trip. I have always wanted to go horseback riding. I am going on a cruise in a couple of weeks.
This trip looks like a blast and that stir fry looks yummy! We are headed to some weddings this summer!
I’ve always wanted to visit a dude ranch. Looks like a lot of fun.
Looks like you guys had a great time there – looks like it was a LOT of fun!
That vegetable stir fry looked SO GOOD. Seems like you have had a great time!
This looks like a wonderful place for a family vacation. Your family certainly seems to be enjoying the atmosphere.
This looks like so much fun! WOW, I have never been to a dude ranch.
Riding horses out there must have been amazing. I love those views! The star party seemed like a great way to wind down.
I lived in Texas for many years growing up, but I never went to a Dude Ranch. It sounds like something we should all experience at least once in our lifetime!
This looks like an awesome vacation! I would love to take my family to a dude ranch! What fun!
I want to check out a dude ranch so badly! Hoping to take my kids to one soon.
It looks like you all had a wonderful time! You captured such sweet and beautiful photos as well.
I would love to experience a Dude Ranch some day. I bet that Fast Ride was a lot of fun too but, I would have gone slow with you!
Your kids look so happy, you all seemed to be having so much fun. My kids and I love dude ranches, riding horses is always a ton of fun (even though it hurts after!)
I just showed my kids this and now they want to go. Will definitely be checking this out!
My daughters would have loved this. They love being able to ride on horses. This would be the perfect place to go for them. Hopefully we’ll be able to go sometime!
This would be so amazing. I have always wanted to go to a Dude Ranch. I would love the horses. These are fantastic photos.
What an awesome ranch!! I would love to go to one one day to ride horses and see that gorgeous sunset!!
Sounds like you had a busy day! It’s so fun when you see the hubby and the kids having a great time, that makes the trip worthwhile! The ranch is such a nice place to go to for some extra quality time.
What a wonderful time for the whole family. I love that the ranch offers a lot of fun activities for everyone. I would love to go there someday.
Really nice place to spend a vacation. I love riding horses and this one with the convoy along a trail must have been a great experience for your kids!
This looks like it was great fun – I love your daughter’s boots!
The horses look real pretty!!
How fun! I’ve wanted to go to a dude ranch ever since I was little and saw a Mary Kate & Ashley movie about a dude ranch LOL Love all your pics!
We are going on a summer vacation in a couple of weeks!
The kids are going to ottawa and are going to be camping in Northern Ontario while the hubby and I are going to NYC.
Completely opposite of what you have done 🙂
Looks like you guys had fun though.
Looks so beautiful out there. Last i checked i was allergic to horses! 🙁
Maybe not anymore… I wanna go!
Your beautiful photos tell such an amazing story and just entice me to visit in the near future. Looks like you had a great time.
Growing up in the desert, there is something about the scenery that I will forever find so peaceful and comforting. This looks like a wonderful family vacation destination and I love that it is all inclusive!
Looks like you had a lovely time, horses are so fun!! I’d like to go there one day.
I have never been to a dude ranch, what fun! Not sure even if we have any here in Alberta but we must being such a horse province. Love this area though and would love to visit!
What a lovely place to visit. I bet this is so much fun. Love the photos
This looks like such a fun place to take the family for a getaway. I would love to experience some of this fun stuff!
That looks like so much fun. I have always wanted to visit a dude ranch and ride horses.
I read about your day 1 and 2 here. I love that white horse, your daughter is so brave.
You’ve really got some amazing shots everywhere there. I wish I can hop a horse as casually fun as you guys, my luck falls short whenever I try to do it. Boy, even the cacti look cool I’d hug them! Or not. Haha.
I haven’t been on a horseback riding trail in years. I remember it was so much fun. My kids would love this place.
Oh, she looks lovely. I like the white horse, I haven’t tried horseback riding for so long.
I would love to take a horseback ride out there! I love that terrain, and being on a horse would feel so right.
I would’ve been ready to get back in the saddle too, but it’s good to hear they give the horses a day off. This place looks like so much fun!
I want to go horseback riding. I haven’t done that since I was a little girl. I also want my kids to have the experience too.
That is so fun! I haven’t been horseback riding in so many years, I really need to go again. I miss being young and enjoying stuff like that on a regular basis.