Soft Adventure

Mountain Biking Around Tucson
It's no secret why top athletes and savvy travelers place Tucson high on their list of favorite places to mountain bike. Southwest Trekking offers many diverse and fun adventures throughout the Tucson area on mountain bikes, from hammering the dirt hills in the Rincon Mountains to a leisurely ride through the serene Santa Ritas. Expert guides, bicycles, water bottles, helmets, and transportation to and from the course are provided.
Cost: $95/person
Attendees: 100 max.
Length: 4 hours
Contact: John Heiman
Southwest Trekking P.O. Box 57714, Tucson, AZ 85732, 296-9661, john@swtrekking.com, www.swtrekking.com

Cattle Drive & Cowboy Cookout
You've seen it in the movies, now here is your chance to experience the real cowboy spirit of the Old West. Be part of a cattle drive at a century-old working cattle ranch. The cowboys at Cocoraque Ranch will mount you up on a ranch horse and lead you across acres of unspoiled desert terrain. With some wrangler teamwork, help drive a herd of cattle from one pasture to another. The ranch hands and wranglers will teach you how to keep the herd together and provide the unique language of the open range (YIP! YIP!). Once the mission is complete, take a leisurely ride back to the ranch house, dust off your boots, enjoy some delicious cowboy grub, and maybe witness a spectacular Tucson sunset.
Cost: $95/person (without meal), $115/person (lunch), $125/person (dinner)
Attendees: 12 min./50 max.
Length: 3-4 hours, including meal
Sample Menu: Mesquite-grilled chicken and steak, homemade beans, corn salad, homemade salsa, homemade flour tortilla, seasonal beverages and dessert.
Contact: Jesus Arvizu, owner
Cocoraque Ranch & Pavilion 6255 N. Diamond Hills Ln., Tucson, AZ 85743, 682-8594, jearvisu@msn.com, www.cocoraque.com

Explore Hollywood in the Desert on Horseback
Tucson Mountain Park is a Sonoran Desert natural preserve housing the world's most spectacular saguaro-cactus forest. Within its boundaries is legendary Old Tucson Studios, the award-winning movie location and setting for more than 300 feature films and television Westerns. Experience both on this horseback tour. Begin early at Old Tucson Studios and ease onto the scenic trail, where you'll see native wildlife stirring as the sun rises over Golden Gate Mountain. After a 11⁄2-hour journey, your group of vaqueros will return to Old Tucson Studios for a hearty cowboy breakfast at the Grand Palace Hotel & Saloon. By now, the park will be open to the public and the streets filled with cowboys, who may be getting restless.
Cost: $40/person
Attendees: 20 min./50 max.
Length: 2 hours (plus time in park)
Times: Daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Reservations: At least two weeks in advance, with 50%-nonrefundable deposit.
Special Instructions: Package price includes the Sunrise Trail Ride and admission to the park, with action-packed stunt shows, mock gunfights, and musical revues, as well as the movie-memorabilia museum and gift shop. For $5 per person, group photos with a Western duo are available at selected settings, including the High Chaparral Ranch set, the Old Tucson Lines Stagecoach in Town Square, and the Reno locomotive engine.
Contact: Gilbert Laroque
Old Tucson Studios 201 S. Kinney Rd., Tucson, AZ 85735, 883-0100 ext. 264, glaroque@oldtucson.com, www.oldtucson.com

Trail Dust Adventures Jeep Tour
Enjoy the beauty of the Sonoran Desert as you venture into the mountain foothills via an open-air Jeep, hosted by Trail Dust Adventures. During this tour, experience the unique flora and fauna of the desert, learn about the history of Southern Arizona, see Indian petroglyphs, and visit a 1,000-year-old Hohokam habitation site.
Cost: $54/person (without meal). Additional price varies depending on meals.
Attendees: 2 min./500 max.
Length: 31⁄2 hours without meal. Add another 11⁄2 hours for meal.
Deposit: 50% deposit is required at least 48 hours in advance of program.
Sample Menu: Optional appetizer, breakfast, lunch, and dinner programs to fit any occasion. Dining in the Desert programs can be added to any Jeep tour, or can be events in themselves. Options vary from hot dogs on an open fire to a five-course dinner. Box lunches are also available.
Contact: John or Zelda Polaski
Trail Dust Adventures 1665 S. Craycroft Rd., Tucson, AZ 85711, 747-0323