Home on a Utah ranch
Rockin’ R Ranch is a “real, breathing, working cattle ranch,” said Josh Noel in the Chicago Tribune. Many tourist traps claim to offer a true cowboy experience, but this 40-year-old ranch in the “low, green hills of central Utah” is the real deal. Four hours south of Salt Lake City, Rockin’ R is tailor-made for families and anyone “looking to roll up their sleeves” and learn the ranching life. After I restored my “riding chops” on a white, 7-year-old mare named Mouse, I was off on a cattle drive, helping wranglers in “tight jeans and wide hats” move 100 head from a “vast green field to a dusty pen.” I joined kids from a nearby Navajo reservation in barrel racing—a game that involves making nimble half-turns on horseback around three barrels—and spent my last day watching the branding of 30 calves. It was a “noisy and jarring” experience—and as authentic as you can get.
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