My Favorite Place For Horseback Riding In Phoenix

Riding a horse in Arizona is as close to "iconic" as you can get.  The term cowboy was coined in the late 1800's and the era was short lived; but it's a defining trait of the West . . .riding a trusty horse through rough terrain, sleeping on the earth and looking up at vast starry skies.  But what about today?  The horse was replaced by cars and ATV's, by PlayStations & Wii consoles.  Is there anything worth doing on a horse anymore?  And if so - where could one go to live the dream?

Well, the answers are short & sweet, but require a bit of disclosure.  I lived on a farm in the 80's and we did a lot of work off the back of a horse; we drove cattle, we hunted and basically considered our horses a main source of entertainment.  Then I became a mountain biker - almost the antithesis of horseback riding.  Seeing the Arizona landscape from the back of a horse immediately conjures images of being a cowboy.  It's almost natural to look out over the horizon and wonder if there is an Apache raiding party out there. . . but when you ride a mountain bike you're more concerned with breathing & not crashing.  At least that's one of my concerns.

With that said, my opinion comes from someone who has a lot of experience in both saddles and I know firsthand how nice it is to ride a horse without mountain bikers zooming by . . .

If you were to ask me where I'd ride a horse my answer would always be "outside town somewhere".  What this means to someone that doesn't live here is that while there are some great mountain parks within our city limits, I'd prefer to ride where the masses don't frequent.  Places like the Cave Creek area, or even further out.  The desert just north of the metropolis is a bit higher elevation than in or south of the city; this leads to more biodiversity.  My absolute favorite place to ride is in the Tonto National Forest just north of Anthem, near Black Canyon City.

When you finally get out into the middle of nowhere the true impression of riding a horse is magnified.  You won't have to compete for trails with other users as the further out you go the fewer people there are out there.

If you're visiting Arizona then there are a few things on the MUST SEE/DO list.  The Grand Canyon is certainly on the list, but horseback riding should be too.  Riding in the American West today is as dramatic & awe inspiring as it was when the cowboys ruled the ranges.



About the Author: Bruce Leadbetter is the consummate adventurer and owner of 360 Adventures.  When not horseback riding in Phoenix, he can be found scaling canyons or riding the beautiful Arizona trails on his mountain bike.

Photo credit: David

Eliana's

If you're tired of the usual Mexican chain restaurant fare, try Eliana's.

Oh. My. God.

Eliana's is a family-owned restaurant featuring food from El Salvador. Our server was the owner, father of the namesake Eliana, and an amazing salesman. (Be prepared for the upsell on drinks, appetizers, desserts - and do what he says. He knows what he's talking about.)

We started with pupusas, grilled masa (corn) patties stuffed with cheese, grilled bell peppers, and optional pork. It's a little oily but absolutely delicious. I could easily have a few of those as a meal and leave very satisfied. We also tried platanos con fritos, fried plantains served with refried beans and sour cream. The combination of the slightly sweet platanos with refried beans and sour cream is different, but surprisingly good.

The special of the night was rice cooked with chicken, shrimp, peas and carrots (possibly called arroz de valencia, my meat-taster can't remember). They also had a fish dish that brings the fish out whole, something my friend who spent a semester in Mexico was brave enough to try. At a table of 16 attendees, every single person was happy with their meal. Impressive.

We were all so full of pupusas, platanos and entrees that we skipped dessert entirely. Kind of disappointing - I was looking forward to the sweet platanos fried and served with ice cream, or to try the flan and see if it was different from the Mexican version I'm used to. But I'll do that the next time - this is definitely a place we'll be going back to.

Find it! - Eliana's, 1627 N. 24th St., Phoenix; north of McDowell on 24th St. (602) 225-2925.

McAlpine's Soda Fountain

First off, McAlpine's has a big orange sign outside that's kind of hard to miss. (Other than the Suns, I don't know who uses that much orange.) It says "coffee shop" then has antique furniture on the walk in front, just off 7th Street. Walk inside, and you're in an old-style soda fountain that's been in the same spot since the 1920's.

When you walk in, you feel like you're in the 1920's. Jukebox, soda fountain, old Coca-Cola ads adorning the walls. The menu has a story about the restaurant on the inside cover, including the rumor about Wayne Newton getting his start there and stories about other famous Phoenicians who ate there - almost an "I knew them when..." story. For the restaurant. That's longevity.

The back flap of the menu has old-time drinks too - malts, phosphates, egg cremes. It also includes their dessert menu, which features Thrifty ice cream. Does anyone else remember the Thrifty ice cream carts inside Osco's? When I was a kid, it was a big deal to get a scoop. So now, I'm a sucker for any place that serves Thrifty ice cream. The Thrifty ice cream arrives as malts, banana splits, floats, sundaes, or in a simple cone. I'm happy.

The menu is fairly standard fare - burgers, hot dogs, egg salad sandwiches, that sort of thing. Couple exceptions: tonight, their daily special was a pulled pork sandwich, which my friend said was good; also, they don't have french fries. Their potato salad - which normally, I'm not a fan of - is delicious. It's made fresh with red potatoes, and definitely taste like it's cooked in small batches, not the bland version you get at grocery store delis. But for me, the culinary draw is the Thrifty ice cream.

To add to the old-time feel, McAlpine's also plays host to an antique store. Like most antique stores, it's got an eclectic mix of old furniture, scary-old Coca Cola in bottles, and assorted Budweiser collector beer steins from the '80s. Fun to look at, but probably not a place serious treasure hunters would go antiquing. (Is that how you spell it?)

Find it! - 2303 N. 7th St., Phoenix, (602) 262-5545, open 11am-7pm Sunday-Thursday, open 11am-8pm Friday and Saturday.