my boyfriend and i booked the jesse james sunset dinner tour on april 27th. while the folks we met were wonderful people, the excursion was not as advertised and we were quite disappointed! from their website, i expected:
Upon arriving at the ranch headquarters the guests are warmly greeted by cowboys and cowgirls eager to share their way of life with these special guests. A trip to the gift shop finds some real cowboy hats and a few other western memorials. Now its time for the riding lesson and to mount up on these beautiful horses, ready to hit the trail? Riding through this serene country you can actually feel the reverence the Paiute Indians have for this land. The ride winds through the canyons, hills and flat lands. There goes a Jack Rabbit! And I hear a coyote howling! Look at that sunset! There is nothing prettier than a Nevada Sunset. Riding for two hours in the saddle gives you a real taste of the ol' west. Speaking of taste, what is that wonderful aroma? My steak cooking! Boy, I am hungry! The guest hurry up to a flickering campfire with good food on their minds and good food they get! Apple pie for dessert! Oh did I forget the main course? How about steak, salad, corn on the cob, a huge baked potato, rolls, butter, and grilled chicken for those that don't eat red meat?
-- http://www.sagebrush-ranch.com/tours/dinner.html
what we got was not what we expected! we had to rearrange our plans for the day to accommodate a different pick up time. the van was not marked and had definitely seen better days - smelly, poor temperature control, shaking and making all sorts of noise on the highway.
we stopped at a gas station in a shady area of the city for a bathroom break (only the brush would be available to us once we got to the trail???)
we did have a beautiful sunset ride leaving from behind a construction site but there was no ranch or gift shop that we saw. (perhaps for the best after reading the other reviews?)
we were told that due to wind conditions we wouldn't get to experience the campfire, but would have dinner at the hosts' dining room table instead - a bummer, but understandable as it was quite windy.
after getting on the horses, our photos were taken and we were told we'd get to view the pics and have the opportunity to purchase an 8x10 copy at dinner. we were also told that our guide would provide plenty of opportunities for photos and would take pics of us with our cameras, too. during the ride, not once did the guide stop for photo opportunities, nor did he offer to take photos for us. (i ended up pulling out my camera and trying to get some pictures myself on our way back once i realized we were not going to stop for the opportunity!)
when we got back to the construction site, our ride and the horse trailer were no where to be found. we had to wait 15 minutes for them to arrive. not a big deal, but an annoyance considering this wasn't the trip we expected.
our ride took us to what appeared to be our guide's home. no ranch. no gift shop. my boyfriend and i were both uncomfortable with the situation - and the other 3 guests appeared equally uncomfortable.
i don't like red meat yet grilled chicken wasn't an option as advertised. the food was cold, the steaks were overcooked (medium rare is supposed to still be pink inside, right?) and tough. three strikes.
all-in-all it was a disappointing experience and i wish i had read these reviews before i booked and booked one of the other horseback tours available instead.
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