Cowboys and girls can saddle up to several resort activities, including the ever-popular riding program. Ranch wranglers have spent countless hours training their 180-horse herd for all levels of expertise. Choose from a leisurely stroll through the desert on horseback, learn the fundamentals of being a true cowboy, groom the equestrian beauties or oversee professional horseshoeing. (Tip: Private lessons and rides are available upon request.) Up for an adventure in the saddle? The riding program’s group activity, called team penning, is a hilarious interaction among ranch guests where groups attempt to herd cattle from one end of the horse corral to another. Think it sounds simple? We’ll let the wranglers be the judge of that.

Other action-packed outdoor offerings include nature walks, tennis, swimming, hiking and mountain biking. The ranch, in conjunction with onsite bike guide Brian Buchanan, recently added a pump track to its mountain bike excursions. This intensive thrill-seeking adventure allows riders to maneuver through endless loops of rollers and berms.

Between the day’s adventures, break for a bite to eat. The main dining room serves American-style buffet breakfast and lunch, while dinner is ordered off a menu. In addition, themed weeknight dinners offer variety like Mexican fiesta night, complete with live mariachi music and a barbeque cookout at the Cottonwood Grove. While there, snuggle fireside and listen to Tom Chambers’s one-man band. Afterward, enjoy a nightcap at the Doghouse Saloon, where bartenders mix up some of the best prickly pear margaritas this side of the border. In fact, the ranch harvests its very own prickly pears onsite. We bet you can’t have just one.