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Arizona

Rancho de la Osa: Ranch Life on the Southern Border

Program No. 23771RJ
Experience life at the most historic ranch in Arizona. Enjoy tranquil trail rides near the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge, and learn grooming, ranch crafts and ancient history.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 4 - Feb 9, 2024
Starting at
1,799
Feb 18 - Feb 23, 2024
Starting at
1,799
Sep 22 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
1,799
Oct 6 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
1,799
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 4 - Feb 9, 2024
Starting at
2,289
Filling Fast!
Feb 18 - Feb 23, 2024
Starting at
2,289
Sep 22 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
2,289
Oct 6 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
2,289

At a Glance

Experience authentic ranch life, surrounded by the stunning landscapes of southern Arizona and the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge. Hop into the saddle of gentle horses to ramble along easy scenic trails where John Wayne and Pancho Villa once roamed. Learn skills from roping to caring for ranch animals, and study the rich history of the area. Get hands-on lessons riding horses, making tortillas and take part in a tequila tasting. Learn about Navajo Weaving and Native American Jewelry. Plus, choose an extra activity each day, from off-road UTV adventures to sport shooting. This ranch adventure that will give you a window into ranch life on the Southern border.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Riding horses and UTVs, getting on and off horses, walking up to a mile daily on unpaved desert terrain.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Take a field trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to discuss its historical significance its role in current events.
  • Explore the Presumido Ghost Town Ruins and Petroglyphs, and learn about the area’s 19th-century and ancient history.
  • Enjoy a variety of hands-on classes at the Ranch, from trail riding and roping to art classes, tortilla making and tequila tasting.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available. Select dates can be taken back-to-back with a sister program, “Ultimate Old West: The White Stallion Ranch Experience (#20193)”. Please check Dates and Prices of both programs for availability and then contact the Ranch directly to make arrangements.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Ute Vaughn
Ute Vaughan, originally hailing from Germany, is an artist and teacher who has studied art in Europe and the U.S. She is now based in Tucson, Arizona. Working primarily in watercolors and wall murals, her work is most often inspired by the colors, animals, and mysticism of the Southwest.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Ute Vaughn
Ute Vaughn View biography
Ute Vaughan, originally hailing from Germany, is an artist and teacher who has studied art in Europe and the U.S. She is now based in Tucson, Arizona. Working primarily in watercolors and wall murals, her work is most often inspired by the colors, animals, and mysticism of the Southwest.
Profile Image of Paul Bear
Being a native son of Arizona with family roots tracing back more than six generations, Paul Bear developed an early penchant for the history of the area. This led to a lifelong pursuit of knowledge about Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. The passion evolved into a career of restoring and repurposing historic buildings. His newest project is a ranch steeped in legend and lore. After two years of research into source material he has the keys to separate the fiction from the fact.
Profile Image of Gail True
Gail True received her first passport when she was seven months old. She spent most of her career working in Human Resources for retail organizations and hospitals. Gail has lived in Arizona, Northern and Southern California, and in West Africa during her time in the Peace Corps. Her travels have taken her to more than 30 countries with plans to visit many more. She looks forward to getting to know her fellow Road Scholars, and to sharing the history and beauty of the true West.
Profile Image of Jerry Freund
Jerry Freund View biography
Jerry Freund was born on the plains of western Kansas. He has explored the natural world and the world of Native Americans for most of his life. His love of Navajo culture and their weavings has intrigued him for more than 60 years. Though retired, Jerry continues to work in an art gallery of Western art that specializes in Native American art.
Profile Image of Diego Dunn
Diego Dunn View biography
Diego Dunn has extensive knowledge about the desert and edible plants, studying under Charles W. Kane and Peter Bigfoot. He is the owner of Desert Gatherings, which sells native desert seeds and makes products such as prickly pear syrup, hot sauce, and cactus jelly. Diego now uses his knowledge to teach others about the edible Southwestern desert.
Profile Image of Doris Evans
Doris Evans View biography
Doris Evans taught elementary grades in Tucson Unified School District and in a small school for park employees in Big Bend National Park, Texas. She also held environmental education positions at TUSD and as Curator of Education at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. She has published several natural history books and her photographs have appeared in numerous publications including Arizona Highways. Doris is now retired and volunteers with the Tucson Audubon Society and Pima County Parks Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation.
Profile Image of Janay Brun
Janay Brun View biography
Janay Brun is a former mountain lion and jaguar researcher. She spent 10 years roaming borderlands between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, in search of the big cats’ sign. In the field, U.S. border security rhetoric became her forced reality as she encountered not only big cats, but also immigrants and law enforcement pursuers. Border wall construction forced jaguar conservation to the edge. She blew the whistle on her employer’s under-the-radar plan to capture the nation’s only known jaguar, known to the world as Macho B.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Cowboys & the Trappings of the Old West
by William Manns, elizabeth Clair Flood & Charlotte Berney
True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West: From True West Magazine
by Editors of True West
Line in the Sand: A History of the Western U.S.-Mexico Border
by Rachel C. St. John
Medicine in the Old West: A History, 1850-1900
by Jeremy Agnew
Dude Ranching in Arizona (Images of America)
by Russell True
Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City
by C. L. Sonnichsen
Levi's & Lace: Arizona Women who Made History
by Jan Cleere
Early Tucson (Images of America)
by Anne I. Woosley and Arizona Historical Society





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.