| OCR Text |
Show Souvenir Edition 25 The Kanab Area Vacation Guide Med Mock Made Peats Yoaa ana tHae Saddle By Dixie Brunner Everybody dreams of being a cowboy and riding the open range. The Red Rock Ride offers folks the opportunity. The seven day adventure leads guests through three national parks, as well as some of the most spectacular scenery in the entire nation. Seven days in the saddle may sound unappealing to those accustomed to modem conveniences, but with the amenities the Red Rock hosts provide, cowboys have never mules and handsome wranglers. Together, they knew they had something special to offer people seeking western adventure. Red Rock riders, who come from all over the world, are picked up on the first day in Las Vegas. Zion National Park is their first stop where they meet their wranglers, hosts and horses. The dramatic, white sandstone mountains of Zion give participants their first glimpse of the stunning scenery to come. Campers are fed hearty meals, and sleep under the stars that night, giving many their first big sky experience. I never knew there were so many stars, said one woman from Aus-- . tralia. I was awestruck that first night when I looked up at the sky, free from pollution or city lights, and had it so good. Ive never had a holiday this great, said David of England. Ive seen places that Ive only dreamed of. The Red Rock Ride was the brainstorm of the Houston and Mangum families who wanted to share their hospitality and pride in southern Utah with folks around the country. The Houston family, long known for their superior food catering abilities in their restaurant and on location fires, could provide the food and sleeping arrangements. saw all those stars. The pinnacles, spires and buttresses of Bryce Canyon National Park provide the backdrop for the second day of riding. The riders thread through the jagged spires on small mountain trails. While most participants have ridden horses before, the The Mangum family, which has guided horse riding tours through the national parks for over 20 years, could famish the horses, narrowness of the mountain trails cause even the most rienced a racing heart. expe- The longest leg of the journey on day three takes riders down through the Box of the Paria. Red Rock Riders get to travel on the same narrow passage that outlaws, rustlers and cowboys used decades ago. Camp that night is at the Paria town site, an old ghost town where many Hollywood westerns have been filmed. Unlike their cowboy predecessors, Red Rock Riders get a break on bums (as the their saddle-weai- y English riders referred to it.) While their horses, tents and food are being trailered across the Arizona Strip, the riders get to visit Kanab to shop and have lunch at Houstons Trails End Restaurant. They are later driven to the Grassy Knoll Camp, and taken for a evening ride to view the splendor of a sunset at S.B. Point overlooking the Grand Canyon. Day Five leads riders from Gump Tank across the Arizona Badlands to the head of Toroweap Valley. Historic Mount Trumbull is the campsite setting for the riders last two nights. Riders are awestruck by views from the Lava Falls overlook, a very remote access to the Grand Canyon. Red Rock participants are beginning to sadden-knowin- g that their western adventure is soon to be over. Some opt to ride for several more hours before returning to camp. The Houston and Mangum families make the last night a time of laughter, song and celebration. A candle-ligh- t dinner is served beneath the brilliance of the vast western starlit sky. The Red Rock Wranglers of Cedar City sing and entertain the riders with western folklore. The eyes around the campfire speak volumes of the moments emotion. Saddle-weai- y riders listen as host Robert Houston thanks the group for spending the week on the Red Rock Ride. tear-brimm- ed After hugs and tears, riders say goodbye to their hosts and each other on the seventh day. A plane picks them up and after a spectacular flight over the Grand Canyon, returns them to parting connections in Las Vagas. Hearts are heavy as the urban cowboys bid farewell. The Red Rock Ride has been more than a vacation... it has been a experience. once-in-a-lifeti- EXPRESS 9 Hole Golf Course Central to 7 Natl. Parks Cable TV & Monuments Heated Pool & Jacuzzi Complimentary Breakfast Bar For Reservations Call: 435-644-88- iric. 88 815 East Hwy 89 Kanab, UT 84741 Western Movie Sets Step Back in Time . . . Western Show Gifts & Souvenirs Saloon Western Museum Costume Rental Dutch Oven Dinners Frontier Photography C-- C Home Style Cooking Steaks Seafood Pasta Sandwiches Health Food Sandwiches Indoor Outdoor Dining Daily Specials Cold Beer 644-829- 5 1 98 r S 100 East Kanab i Ranch House Cafe Featuring Steaks & Buffalo Burgers Cowboy Cookin' t Call for Dinner OPEN DAILY Reservations Beer Licensee 297 West Center 6445337 Itanab, Utah |
