| Page Views: 966 Last Visit to Tucson: March, 2008 | Tucson, Arizona by starship - last update: May 31, 2008 |
~ Tanque Verde Ranch ~ | Riding the trail (postcard from ranch) |
After a hiatus of several years, we had the great fortune of once again returning to visit Arizona in March, 2008. This was our third visit, and the previous two had given me a "taste" for the state and so I was happy we had the opportunity to visit again, this time in the Spring and to a different part of the state.
Our first trip to Arizona focused on Phoenix, Scottsdale, and the Grand Canyon and a ride through Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon. The second was just a few days around Christmas in Phoenix. For this third visit, we flew into Phoenix, stopped briefly in Old Scottsdale, but then headed southeast to Tucson where our final destination was the "Tanque Verde Ranch."
On this trip I noticed something that I didn't remember from previous trips to Arizona: the people here are genuinely friendly and easy going! Everyone from room attendants to the airline check-in people at the airport! It was very refreshing! |
|  | Tanque Verde Ranch, has an official Tucson address and therefore, I have placed all my information about our visit here under the "Tucson" heading. (However, there will be some points of information concerning other sights we visited around Tucson itself.) Tanque Verde Ranch has been a dream destination of mine for sometime because of one fact: the ability to ride and be around horses about 14hrs. each day. However, I came to love Tanque Verde Ranch for other reasons too! The combination of its extraordinarily beautiful natural setting, absolutely wonderful accommodations and amenities, and all the outdoor activities and events were unexpected pleasures and real bonuses which made me a very happy camper. The campfire cookouts, desert hikes, mountain biking, pools, the La Sonora Spa, sports, the "Dog House Saloon", the fantastic food, the nature talks & nature photography walks, etc., etc., etc., were all fantastic. WARNING: don't expect a TV in your room!! No one comes to the ranch to spend time indoors!
It should have come as no surprise that Tanque Verde Ranch is so popular with some families that they return year after year -- the guest list revealed one family who had visited Tanque Verde Ranch 14 times; I understand this fixation with the ranch perfectly! The ranch also seems to be popular with Europeans as well, particularly the British.
Tanque Verde Ranch was all I hoped it would be and more!! |
| The stunning Saguaro National Park |
| | ~ Tanque Verde's Roots ~ "Tanque Verde" literally means "green tank" in Spanish, which was a reference to the algae in a large and prominent stock water tank in the area in the late 1800s. Tanque Verde is name shared by the community of Tanque Verde (northeast of Tucson settled in 1860 by ranchers arriving in the westward move across the country); the Tanque Verde Valley; and a creek which is usually a dry wash but which rages in the rainy season; and mountains.
Tanque Verde Ranch was founded by Rafael Carillo in the 1880's as a working cattle ranch. But by the 1920's it had already become a "dude ranch." Today is owned by the Cote Family who does an absolutely marvelous job of offering something special for nearly everyone who visits the ranch.
Tanque Verde Ranch, which sits at about 2,800 ft., is closely surrounded by the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north and the Rincon Mountains and Valley to the east and the Saguaro National Park to the south. The large city of Tucson itself is to the west. All of this is land is part and parcel of the Sonoran Desert. Any land that is not developed is a veritable garden of cacti and mesquite, cut through with trails and dry washes. This is not to say that there are no houses, they are some---most of these have spreads with horses! |
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| Pros: | "Beautiful natural setting, wildlife, cacti, horses!" | | Cons: | "Intense heat in summer, cacti thorns, poisonous critters!" |
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 Comments for starship about Tucson | | | | |
scottishvisitor Thu Oct 22, 2009 22:56 UTC
Sounds like a great adventure with horse riding and all = your food tips had me drooling! Thanks for the share! | aussirose Wed Sep 2, 2009 23:13 UTC
Wow! This place looks fantastic!! Gee....and the food too!! ;o) Enjoyed the read Sylvia. Cheers, Ann :o) | DennyP Sat Aug 22, 2009 02:07 UTC
Hi Sylvia. This place is a "must"to visit, being a military history "buff" the"boneyard" is high on my list to see..your informative tips are extremely well written with great pics..These are the type of pages that make VT such a great site..cheers Denny | mvtouring Mon Jul 27, 2009 22:24 UTC
Watched a travel programme on Tuscon over the weekend. Found it fascinating '-) |
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