Courtenay O.
Yelp
Check in was relatively easy. We got to the horse corrals at Roosevelt Hotel early, before the line got really long. Amiable Will, our cashier, charged us & gave us our receipt. He assigned us to wagon 9. The seats were padded, with 4 to 5 people in a row. Of 6 rows, we were in the last row.
Before getting on the wagon, though, we sat on benches and listened to Stephen. He lead the pre-ride Q & A after covering all the basics of what to expect and when. Then we used the step ladder to load up the wagons. Kala rode shotgun as our guide, and Stephen was our driver. Horses pulling us were Lock and Load, both male Belgium draft horses. In front of us and behind us were Percheron draft horses, which were the work horses used during the medieval wars. They were the knights' horses.
On the way to our cookout, we saw a coyote running along the road. Kala told us that coyotes are tannish brown color and 1/3 smaller than wolves. Kala also told us to see Cody at the campfire for a cup of Cowboy Coffee. I tried one cup and it was strong stuff & good!
At the cookout spot, we got a table under cover, in case it rained. It was cooler in the shade. We went back for drinks (Sprite, Barq's Root Beer, Coke, Diet Coke in cans, or we got cups for cocoa, water, lemonade). We listened for the first bell to line up for dinner.
We enjoyed everything on the menu (watermelon, cole slaw, potato salad, Roosevelt beans, sirloin steak, corn, corn muffin, & fruit cobbler), especially the beans (recipe provided) and corn muffins. Sometimes they have peach or huckleberry cobbler, but today it was apple. Condiments and napkins were on the table (catsup, mustard, tobasco sauce, salt & pepper).
We bussed our own tables putting everything into 3 waste bins: recycling in white, landfill items in blue, and everything else in the 3rd container. Plates and utensils went into their own bins to be cleaned. The second bell sounded for second helpings and for meeting the horses. Instead of seconds, we went to get to know the horses. We found out that the horses are leased, all male, and usually retire at 15. We also handled the elk antlers and bone pieces that were on the ground, after seeing & petting the horses.
After dinner, we joined the sing-along of Happy Trails lead by Stephen. Stephen entertained us as we ate, and this was his finalé. He was excellent! Then we listened to story time.
Only one person in our party of 4 used one of 2 potties. He used it before eating. Unfortunately it didn't smell very good. We all used the pump faucets (pump one of 3 horseshoes for water) and soap after petting the horses.
On the way back to the Lodge, we rode by the cooks and servers. Each wagon load shouted out a rhyme to honor them. On the way back to the Lodge, Kala told us about the area, its history, and some legends.
Everything about this excursion, lasting a little mire than 3 hours, was wonderful - people, activities, and food & drink. This was a bucket list item, and we really enjoyed ourselves! We would definitely do it again.
