A little bit of Arizona’s old west at Rancho de los Caballeros

If it’s a little bit of the old west you want while on vacation, then Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Ariz. just might be your answer. Rancho de los Caballeros is an historic ranch that opened in 1948 and features a little of something for everyone.

The resort has plenty of amenities, but is known for being a Dude Ranch, where visitors come and visit and take in the old west with horseback riding, outdoor campfires and more. The 100-horse corral gives the feeling of the old west along with horseback rides and trips to the desert for nighttime fires.

But the ranch is much more than that.

The Gant family opened the resort with 40 main guest rooms, a main living room, dining room, saloon, barns, corrals and the family home. The resort has become much more than that, with golf becoming a headline attraction when the Los Caballeros Course opened for play in 1979.

A swimming pool was hand-dug in 1947 and was the first non-rectangular shaped pool in Arizona. Interestingly, its pearl-shape caused concern among architects who thought the shape was too daring. Over the years, the shape has been duplicated at resorts and homes.

Lodging is a treat at Rancho de los Caballeros with 79 casitas including the resort’s Maricopa Suites. The rooms all have their own Mexican decor themes.

And there are plenty of amenities and outdoor activities to choose from starting with the horseback riding. Trap and skeet shooting are other options as well as hikes, ATV tours in the Sonoran desert, desert cookouts and a full service spa opened in 2006 to give the resort even more amenities for visitors.

The golf course is spread out on the resort and on the finishing holes you can see the horses gather in the corral as they race down a trail at feeding time.

See www.ranchodeloscaballeros for more.