Girlfriend Getaways – The Cowgirl Way!

Get your refresh on with the gals

Let’s redefine the girl’s getaway. The original girl’s getaway was leaving the husband or children or job at home and riding the range, wild with the girls, sometimes with a cocktail in hand, and always with grit and poise. This kind of true comradery defines how the old west was written.

Get back to the roots with the girls as there is a Western Ranch for every cowgirl’s Wild West dream.

Riders in front of mountains Rancho de la Osa
Photo: Rancho de la Osa – Scott Baxter Photographer

Winter & Spring in Tucson, Arizona

It’s dark early, the holidays are past and it’s time to get a little reprieve from your typical routine. Nothing is sunnier and drier than the desert in winter and early spring. Horseback ride through cacti in bloom, lounge poolside and add a spa treatment, enjoy farm-to-table cuisine, and don’t worry about the dishes or the evening chores. There’s plenty of ranch activity to keep you feeling productive and at peace with the girls this season. And, all three of these Arizona ranches offer four-night stays.

Plus, Tucson was named the Unesco Capital of Gastronomy making for loads of local cuisine to explore and new ingredients to try. The city is also home to the famed Sonora Desert Museum with all sorts of desert mammals and birds, including daily demonstrations and tours. Tucson also has the Saguaro National Park which is actually divided by itself into two parks, one with a stunning tram and easy hike down on a paved road.

Elkhorn Ranch

Miles from Tucson Airport: 51

This more remote Arizona ranch has been operating since 1945 with four generations of the Miller family. The girls will ride, in and around miles of state forest and land surrounding the legacy operation. There is also a horse breeding program onsite that draws in the guests with foals and mamas for their stunning beauty. Gals who love to photograph or work on social media will find the 70-plus horses on ranch exciting to capture.

When off the saddle, the girls can enjoy the Arizona sunshine, wintering birds throughout the grounds, tennis and swimming. There are hiking trails leading throughout the property and into the neighboring forest. Dine together at the Long House which also has a gathering room and bed down in one of 20 unique accommodations. The ranch has room for 32 total guests.

Photo by: J. Lee Photography

White Stallion Ranch

Miles from Tucson Airport: 21

The True Family’s home ranch, White Stallion, is located within Tucson city limits. The girls will never have enough time to accomplish all the onsite adventure and horse programming.

There are numerous horse-related activities from rodeo to rides and lessons, an extensive rock-climbing program, shooting, hiking, fat tire E-biking and other outdoor activity.

To rejuvenate and gather, enjoy the heated pool, redwood hot tub, tennis court, sport court, movie theater, game room and spa with exercise room, sauna and massage therapists. Meals are served outside on the enormous patio or inside the authentic ranch house. And, it’s not over with dinner. Evening programs include nature shows, art classes, cowboy singers, country/western dance lessons, and Loop Rawlins, a famous western trick roper, that will truly impress the group. The girls can choose from a variety of casitas such as singles and doubles, patios and more.

Circle Z Ranch

Miles from Tucson Airport: 61

This remote ranchland has thousands of acres of state and federal lands to explore; however; it’s Sonoita Creek that is the standout in winter and early spring. Surrounded by cacti, clear sky and amazing vistas, an onsite naturalist takes your group on tours to soak up the geology. Two miles of creek roll through the ranch’s property, a festivity for both horse and human. River crossings, splashes and ideal cool-offs in the desert make the stream the sweetest spring spot. Other rivers and creeks in the region lend to the area’s vineyards and popular wine tastings in area.

The ranch can accommodate up to 25 guests. A heated, outdoor pool and hot tub are always welcome after a day on horseback, as well as the elevated cuisine in the historic ranch house.

PS—There’s a cowgirl week in the 2022 schedule with an art and journal night, wine pairings, ‘horsewomanship’ clinics and more.