Last time I was in Maui I took a ride down into Haleakala Crater. It was a a fun ride and the scenery was amazing. But it was really long and a bit grueling. There was a 5000 foot elevation change from the top of the crater to the bottom. So, we decided to take a much different ride this time.
We decided that Ironwood Ranch looked interesting and was very near our condo. When we finally got there we were informed that we were going to get our own private ride as the others from our party left a little earlier on their ride. We then got to meet our horses Stephen Tyler (Eric's) and Jet Li (mine).
So, Eric hasn't really ridden much before, so he got the VERY tall, but very gentle Stephen. Jet on the other hand, we were informed, was a little temperamental. But I was just supposed to "show him who is boss." I didn't mind cause I think having a bit of a challenge is kind of fun.
The trails we took led us through acres and acres of ranch land and was definitely a much different type of ground than we were used to seeing down by the beaches. Note that Jet has his ears turned back listening to me taking photos. At this point I think we were probably still figuring out the "who's boss" aspect of the ride. He's a champion grazer and that's a definite "no no" for the horses as they aren't supposed to have items other than their food provided by the ranch and there are a few plants along the way that aren't good for them.
After we travelled through this gorgeous country and Jet and I took a minor detour through the brush because he didn't want to get his feet wet (who's boss apparently doesn't extend to the getting feet wet part of the journey) our guide informed us that the horse in the movie "Tangled" was based off of my horse, Jet. Now, I've never seen the movie, but I hear that the horse is a very funny and quirky and definitely has a mind of his own. That would be Jet. :)
After our ride we headed over to the ranch house to say goodbye and happened upon the ranch spider, Marvin. Now, Marvin looked big and scary and like I would probably wet myself if he happened upon me. They then informed me that Marvin was just a baby and would be getting much bigger. Note to self.....avoid Marvin and his friends
One of the added benefits of the Ironwood Ranch is that it's directly across from Maui Tacos. Maui Tacos is an amazing "quick and fresh" little taco place in a strip mall that we discovered earlier in the week. In our two visits we sampled the fish tacos, bbq pork tacos and the shredded beef burritos. The best part of this place is the fresh salsa bar. My favorites were the pineapple salsa and fresh corn salsa. Eric preferred the super spicy chipotle salsa.
Such a yummy way to end a beautiful day!
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