With the COVID 19 situation we were of course unable to travel to Mexico for Spring Break 2020 and were then unable to go on our planned trip to the UK in June after school was done for the year but by then I was itching to get a little bit of a taste of ‘normality’. So, I looked for something local that we could drive to and had an outdoor focus. Rocking Horse Ranch seemed to fit the bill 2.5 hours’ drive away.

We checked in on Father’s Day, 2 days after they re-opened. On arrival at the security hut we had to answer some questions about potential COVID exposure, and we all had our temperature taken. We then drove over to check in and then parked our car back in the lot. All the staff wore masks and there were social distancing stickers to guide where to stand in reception and in the dining areas. Masks were supposedly required inside the lodge (e.g. in the dining room when not at your table, in the hallways, reception and games room) but sadly was not always adhered to. We did not wear masks outside unless there were enough people around that we felt it was sensible to.

It’s worth noting that the resort was supposedly operating at 50% capacity. I’m not sure it would have been as relaxing or we’d got as much done if they were running at full capacity.

Rooms

Most of the rooms are in the main lodge, with different options, the largest sleeping 6 people in two Queen beds and 2 bunks. I opted for the Oklahoma lodge, steps away from the main lodge but much smaller with corridors exposed to the outside air. I selected a junior suite which consisted of an adult sleeping area with a Queen bed and a kid’s area with a bunk bed. The two areas had an archway between them but no door, which didn’t allow for much privacy or for the adults to watch TV while the kids were sleeping as it was too noisy. It did have 2 bathrooms however which was awesome for getting everyone showered each day. The furnishings were well reflected in the pictures on the website. During COVID, housekeeping was on request only. We had no-one over our room so it was quiet other than anyone walking past and talking outside.

  • Kids area
  • Bathroom 1
  • Bathroom 2
  • Adults area
  • Oklahoma building

Food

For the first two days of our trip all meals were served outside with picnic tables with umbrellas and tables under a large tent available for seating. This was the only time that I felt a bit uncomfortable about the close proximity with others as many did not wear masks in the queue or when being served by the staff. The food was plentiful and pretty good quality for buffet style. Lunch and dinner options included hamburgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, cornbread, corn on the cob and then a fish and meat option. For lunch there was always wraps (tuna and turkey) and at dinner bread baskets and salads. There were various desserts; apple pie, key lime pie, brownies, cookies and ice cream tubs. Breakfast included French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and then oatmeal, cereals, pastries and fruit. There was a drink stand (still staff served) and at lunch and dinner a separate small bar area serving wine and beer.

On our last two days food was served in the dining room. Options were the same for breakfast and lunch, but dinner was staff served from a menu accessed from your phone via QR code. The dinner was excellent with much more sophisticated options like shrimp scampi and the soft serve ice cream was a big hit. That said, I felt a bit less comfortable eating inside as despite the socially distanced tables, it was a lot of people in one place.

Activities

The activities for kids is really what was the draw for me. You pick a horse-riding slot when you check-in and that remains your slot for each day of your stay. We had a 10.30 slot (other options were 9 am, 1 pm and 2.30 pm). Kids had to wear provided helmets. You stood in the line that reflected your ability and then were assigned a horse. My littlest Lauling was slightly under 48 inches (the minimum height requirement) but the staff asked if he could follow directions and would be OK on the horse for an hour and when we said we thought he would be, they let him on, so it’s worth a try even if your child is on the smaller side. Luckily he loved it and was fine but I did see some older children crying and asking to come off. The beginner ride is a bit of a slow process, especially because they stop every time a horse needs to poop or pee, but riding through the shady trails in the fresh air was still wonderful, especially given the COVID situation. You can also try to ride standby at other times of the day, although we didn’t attempt that.

One of our favorite activities was the mountain tubing. Similar to snow tubing, you take a tube up a carpet lift and then go down a giant slide. The slide is kept wet with sprinklers but doesn’t get you super wet. It can be super fast and you can go down with two tied together or as a single.

Coming down the mountain tubing

The newly built pool area was fabulous with 2 slides and a big pool which was lovely and warm. We had a bit of a tough time finding a sun lounger on the Monday but not on the Tuesday. The new hot springs pool is small and the area that you swim into inside is tiny. The indoor pool was freezing but very quiet and the boys enjoyed the obstacle course. Each afternoon free drinks and nibbles are served by the pool. The line took a while but the free beer, wine and cocktails had no wait 😉

  • hot springs
  • indoor pool and obstacle course

Other outdoor options are the bungee bouncers which were also a hit. There was often a line however. In the same area was a rock climbing wall. There are peddle boats and kayaks to take out on the lake. The best time to do this is after dinner as you can go all the way to the end of the lake when the banana boat isn’t running (we didn’t try this out). They also had a simple 9 hole mini golf course and they had bamboo fishing rods available. The fish are plentiful and we were able to hook one almost immediately. If you don’t fancy fishing you can ask for some bread at the sports shack to just throw to the fish by the dock. Look out for Jack the black cat who hangs around the fishing area in hope of a fish (he snagged a few!)

Behind the pool is corn hole and ping pong and large checker boards are dotted throughout the facility.

  • mini golf
  • bungee jumpers
  • fish off the dock
  • peddle boats on the lake
  • we caught a fish!
  • Jack the cat

The children’s playground is a decent size and right next to the Oklahoma building. Next to this is the shooting range and archery. Only two families can be in there at a time, but the wait wasn’t long.

There are also a number of animals on site including a camel, zebra, donkeys, goats and cows.

Inside the lodge in the basement there is an arcade with free bowling and a number of video games. There is also a games room with ping pong, Foosball and air hockey (fee for air hockey).

The hotel also put on some kind of show each night, but that started at 8.30 which was a bit late for us. There was also daily activities including games, tours of the stables etc. but we didn’t take part in any of those either.

All in all Rocking Horse Ranch was the perfect outdoor escape for a long week-end or mid-week stay and gave us a little sense of normality in a crazy time.