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| Old school house. Still contains stuff including a piano and chalk board |
- Trail: Vulture City Ghost Town
- Miles: 5.2
- Riders: Self - Cindy and Dave Crandall
- Horses: Jack - Jimmy - Smoke
Notes: I avoid large group rides for the most part. It can be a cluster on several levels. However, I do have a quirky fondness for riding into abandoned old towns...ghost towns specifically. The owners of the now privately owned ghost town, "Vulture City" - put on a trail ride/BBQ and theatrical performance.
Vulture city was the larges and most profitable gold mine in Arizona, founded by Henry Wickenburg. It was deemed "non-essential" during WWII and operations ceased. The gold mine today is again actively being worked. The town itself was purchased by some folks from Canada who have painstakingly restored it and turned it into a living museum. Vulture City has been featured on several shows spotlighting the paranormal and it is believed to be haunted.
I've toured VC many times since moving to Arizona. I always see something new as the owners do a fantastic job of switching things up through new additions and renovations. When they posted this would be their first attempt at putting on a trail ride - I signed up!
They sent folks out in three groups of 10-15 riders. We opted for the last group. I can't speak for the other groups - but ours was great! The horses were quiet and well mannered. I've never been in a large group where at least one horse didn't lose it's mind and cause a domino of ejected riders.
It was a fairly short ride at just over 5 miles. After the ride, they fed us BBQ ribs, potato salad and beans. Dave bought Cindy and I a margarita. All margarita's are not created equal. I took a big swig thinking it would be the margarita like experience I'm accustomed to here in the south. My face about fell off. All tequila, no mix. I didn't want to hurt Dave's feelings so I handed mine back to the bartender (who happened to be the owners) when he wasn't looking and said not to tell anybody I didn't drink it. The lady asked me how it was...I said it was a little strong for my taste. She asked if I had any suggestions; I suggested they might put a little mix in it for the folks that aren't accustomed to drinking straight moonshine with their noon meal. We giggled about it and she blamed her husband, who later tracked me down with a second attempt. I'm happy to report that while still a tad stiff - my face remained intact.
After lunch - the theatre group: "The Wickenburg Marshals" performed several original scripts and entertained us with music and comedy. I secretly think it would be fun to be in a theatre group. I'm not sure how the audition would go, though: "No...I can't sing. I don't play a musical instrument, sorry. I played the clarinet in the 8th grade but mostly I faked it. No...I can't dance, either." Well Ma'am...what entertainment type talents do you posses? "Hmm....well, after 3 or 4 margarita's I can sing a unique medley of Marty Robbin's classic: Seven Spanish Angels in El Paso. I goes something like this:
"Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican...guy
Nighttime would find me in Rosa's Cantina
Music would play and Fernando would whirl
One night, a wild young floozy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind...blah...blah..blah blah
In anger, I challenged her right for the love of this Mexican vaquero...blah blah...blah blah blah blah
Down went her hand for the gun that she wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat
The floozy young stranger lay dead on the floor
Later I got shot and blah blah blah...and then there were these...Seven Spanish Angels
At the Altar of the Sun
They were prayin' for the lovers
In the Valley of the Gun ...blah blah blah...
I think Marty would approve, don't you?
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