Wickenburg, AZ

This historic Arizona all-inclusive dude ranch about 70 miles northwest from Phoenix welcomes families with horseback riding, nature trails, a swimming pool, and inclusive rates. The sprawling ranch covers 20,000 acres, with more than 100 horses for exploring the Sonoran Desert landscape. Mom and dad will appreciate the 18-hole championship golf course and the luxury spa, while kids ages 5 to 12 can meet other youngsters during the complimentary daily kids’ program.

Rancho de los Caballeros (“ranch of the cowboys”) is open seasonally, from October to mid-May. If you’re arriving by plane, fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and rent a car to drive about 1.5 hours northwest to the ranch. Or, you can be met at the airport by a ranch shuttle driver for $150 per vehicle.

Various room configurations accommodate different sizes of families, and many can be adjoined for extra comfort and space. If you're traveling with just one child, Ranch Rooms have one double and one twin-sized bed. Larger Sunset Rooms have two queen beds, while Hermosa Rooms offer either a king-size bed or a double and a twin. Families might also consider booking a Bradshaw Mountain Rooms with two queens for the kids, while adults can stay in a connecting king bedroom. The most luxurious accommodations are the Maricopa Suites, which have a private bedroom as well as a living area with Murphy bed, wet bar and Kiva fireplace.

All rooms are decorated in Southwestern style with handcrafted furniture. Amenities include refrigerators, coffee makers, televisions with DVD or VCR players available on request, air conditioning, iron, hair dryer, complimentary wireless and a private sun patio.

The ranch's children's program is for kids ages 5 to 12, and runs in the morning and evening, with a break in the afternoon. Kids meet with staff for breakfast at 8 a.m. Then, children ages 8 to 12 can ride with trained wranglers on the ranch's trails, while children 5 to 7 have a "ring ride" and learn horsemanship skills. Next is arts-and-crafts, swimming, tennis clinics or scavenger hunts until supervised lunchtime.

While the kids are entertained each morning, adults can take grownups-only, beginner, intermediate or expert trail rides. Afternoons are meant for families to spend together, whether on a family trail ride, at the pool, along the nature trail or on the tennis court. Skeet shooting, jeep tours and mountain biking are also available for families to enjoy together.

There is no teen program, but a unique activity they might enjoy is something called team penning. Guests form teams of three or four, and each group is assigned a cowboy. Twelve yearling steers are put in the arena and as a team you must herd them to the other end of the arena, and get them into a 12' by 12' pen.

Rancho de los Caballeros is also known for its 18-hole championshipgolf course - American Golf named it one of America's Top 75 Golf Resorts.

Off of the ranch property, you can visit the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in the town of Wickenburg. This is also the place to pick up Western-themed souvenirs and art.

All meals are included in your room rate. Breakfast and lunch are buffet-style, with the option to eat lunches poolside. Dinner is a la carte, and the menu changes nightly, with different options for soup or salad, entr�e and dessert. Gourmet items include their signature Tortilla Chicken Soup, Lobster Salad, Lamb Chops, Desert Quail and New York Strip. Jackets are required for dinner. The children's menu at dinnertime includes kid-friendly items like pizza, chicken fingers and burgers, but they are also welcome to order off the main menu.

If you like, your children can dine with the kids' program staffers at 6 p.m. so you can enjoy an adult meal on your own later in the dining hall. Participation and meals with the kids' program is optional. Children can be supervised until 9 p.m. nightly, so parents can relax over dinner and drinks.