Horseback Riding on the Tonto National Forest

 Thursday, 24 May & Monday, 28 May 2012

Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Price: $99.00 per person
Limits: 25 person minimum, 230lb max weight requirement Feel the West come alive as knowledgeable wranglers guide you on a 90-minute ride through the panoramic vistas of Arizona's most famous desert.

As you venture along desert trails winding through towering saguaro cacti, mesquite groves and other desert plant life, your guide will talk of the abundant plant and animal life. Arizona's desert is home to multiple species of rattlesnakes, deer, owls, javelina, gila monsters, rabbits, coyotes, eagles, hawks and more; many of which are often seen during the ride.

You will learn of the famous and often nameless cowboys, soldiers, pioneers, outlaws, and Native Americans who crossed many of the trails you will be riding. At the end of your journey, the owners of the horse ranch will talk about their experiences being a "rancher" on the edge of the second fastest growing population in the state. Individuals of all levels of riding experience will enjoy this ride.

Includes:
90-minute guided horseback ride, bottled water and soda (based on one each, per person), Private chartered transportation based on 4 hours, all taxes and gratuities

The Ancient Art of Communication: Petroglyph Hike             

 
Sunday, 27 May 2012

Time: 9:00am - 1:00pm
Price: $80.00 per person
Limit: 25 person minimum - 25 person maximum

Hidden in the Sonoran Desert in the foothills of metropolitan Phoenix are hundreds of petroglyphs created by the Hohokam who inhabited the Salt River Valley thousands of years ago. The signs and figures that cover rock faces in the canyons of this mountain range attest to the reality of a former, vibrant society. Your expert guide, a member of the Choctaw Nation and a resident of Arizona for the last 30 years, has a degree in Plant Sciences from Northern Arizona University and will speak of the ecology of the Sonoran desert, native plant uses and conservation issues along this gentle hike. He is also a petroglyph artist producing modern renditions of petroglyphs and pictographs in the traditional manner using a hammerstone, ground mineral pigments and yucca paint brushes. Come, discover the ancient Hohokams' fascinating legacy; see some petroglyphs in one of the unlikeliest areas you can imagine!

Includes:
Estimated 3-hour geological tour with expert guide, bottled water/soda, private chartered transportation, all taxes and gratuities.