Mielke Family Fun: Trail Ride at Cherry Creek Lodge

We love Groupon and when we found a groupon for Cherry Creek Lodge horseback riding, we were all over it. Cherry Creek Lodge is truly a hidden gem in Arizona - I use the word hidden as in "you have to look hard and know where you're going to find it". It is well off the beaten path -- well, maybe it's along the beaten path but once there, very well worth the drive on the beaten path. Cherry Creek Lodge is located in Young, AZ...25 - 30 miles off Hwy. 260. 20 of it unpaved. Once we arrived in Pleasant Valley (which has a history that makes my Allmaras-horse-thieving relatives look very tame!), where the ranch is located, it was amazing. This is a real working ranch with I can't remember how many head of cattle, about 30 horses and a very beautiful lodge that is a Bed and Breakfast. Sort of a dude ranch feel where people can come and ride, shoot (not cattle), help with a cattle drive and I don't know what else. Gorgeously nestled in a valley with the Tonto/Sitgreaves National Forests all around -- untouched by any previous forest fires.

We arrived about 7:30 a.m. (don't even ask what time we left our cabin in Heber...OK, well, since you did, we left at 5:30 a.m.) and Shelly was just pulling cookies out of the oven. She had me at "You get to try these! I just made them!" You know me and cookies! and fresh from the oven....they were yummy so of course I asked for the recipe....many odd ingredients in them: Fritos and potato chips are all that I remember. We signed our paperwork, got water bottles, put on one last round of sunscreen and moseyed on down to the corral where our horses were saddled and waiting. Yes, they could tell we were city slickers with our shorts, baseball caps and me in a sleeveless top...and no hat. We had to switch Elyse's shoes and I did ask for a hat....but didn't get one. It was hot when we weren't shaded, but we all managed to come back with no sunburn and no scratches.