From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip
Dinner at the Kay El Bar Guest Ranch
Forget the horse back riding, I’d come back to the Kay El Bar Guest Ranch for the food. I wasn’t walking out to the pasture to catch my horse, nor did I have to saddle up or clean tack, yet after several hours in the saddle, I found myself looking forward to hearing that dinner bell ring. And like Pavlov’s dog, I would start to salivate each time the bell rang. That’s right; at the Kay El Bar Ranch, guests can expect three squares a day of home cooking.
Our first night at the Kay El Bar found us gathering for cocktails at 6 p.m. in the great room, we then moseyed on over to the dining hall across from the lodge. Dinners are served family style with the chef taking any dietary restrictions into account. I’m not big on vegetables, but the chef made his veggies dance with a little creole heat and I’m not talking Sonoran desert heat! Home made desserts such as bread pudding, strawberry shortcake and chocolate cream pie sent us off to our beds with plenty of sweets to dream about.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes at the Kay El Bar Ranch
Rise and Shine Cowboy
Breakfast is served between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. allowing guests time to be on their horses at 9 a.m. A menu is displayed on the table with plenty of breakfast selections, including chocolate chip pancakes, served with hot chocolate, of course. Light eaters may opt for fruit, cereal or toast served buffet-style.
Gourmet Chili Dog at the Kay El Bar Ranch
Lunch was my favorite meal of the day. Was it the fresh baked cookies or re-capping our morning rides with the wranglers? Children and adults alike will enjoy drinking pure tasting Arizona well water or ice cold lemonade from a glass shaped cowboy boot. I imagine a boot or two get smuggled into suitcases and spirited off to city slickers homes in hopes of conjuring memories of their horseback riding vacation at the ranch. Heck, I’d have brought home the cook if they’d let me!
Kay El Bar Guest Ranch is a member of the Dude Ranchers’ Association. You can follow the ranch on Twitter or friend them on Facebook.
If you like horseback riding vacations, you can follow the Writing Horseback blog on Facebook, too. Thank you to the Kay El Bar for hosting my visit.
Photos courtesy of Nancy D. Brown
Kay El Bar Guest Ranch (800) 664-7583
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[...] guiding folks from the Kay El Bar Ranch on trail rides. I’m sure the fact that he is fed home cooked meals three times a day doesn’t hurt [...]
[...] Kay El Bar Ranch. Yes, Trisha. The Kay El Bar does, indeed, have a liquor license. They also have a top notch chef in the kitchen. You will not be disappointed with the quality of the food on your horseback riding vacation at the [...]