Here come the Dove Mountain Rangers into Tucson, turning The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain into an adventure-filled desert playground for children and adults, and providing fun-related perks for hotel guests of all ages.
Led by the resort’s colorfully uniformed mascot, Ranger Ron, a devotee of fun and games and an expert in Southwestern wildlife, history and Arizona’s high Sonoran Desert lifestyle, the Dove Mountain Rangers have introduced a guided program of desert adventures highlighted by the following. An expanded roster of further activities will be announced throughout the spring.
Geo-Caching Desert Treasure Hunt – For Children, Adults, Groups and Families
A first in the region, geo-caching is now presented by the Dove Mountain Rangers and allows GPS-carrying guests to seek hidden “caches” where resort collectibles are tucked away. Using provided GPS technology, guests will walk along the resort’s Wild Burro, Alamo Spring and Upper Javelina trails, seeking caches hidden behind cacti, trees and rocks. Each treasure hunt leads to six such hideaways, and found treasures may be kept by each guest as mementos of a successful hunt.
The Desert Tortoise and Desert Wildlife Experience
The Dove Mountain Rangers love introducing young guests to their desert friends, including Rocky the Desert Tortoise, a friendly tarantula, and two non-poisonous snakes, all of whom live with and are cared for by the trained Ranger staff. The property’s Desert Tortoise Habitat has allowed Rocky the Desert Tortoise to enjoy the company of young resort guests, as well as round-the-clock TLC from the Rangers, and a gourmet diet of lettuce, fruit, vegetables and grass. Desert wildlife abounds at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, and the Dove Mountain Rangers also present a night-time Bug Experience and other animal adventures, allowing kids to get up-close-and-personal with critters from the 850 scenic acres surrounding the resort.
Sunset Vista Cocktail Hike
A spectacular sunset awaits following this 90-minute guided hike through the lush Sonoran Desert, and it ends with a refreshing cocktail in the hotel’s Ignite Lounge. This 2.7-mile hike for grown-ups allows recreational hikers to witness not only the ever-changing Arizona sunset, but also hundreds of towering saguaros and native flora and fauna rarely seen in some desert locales. Led by uniformed Dove Mountain Rangers, the excursion ranges in elevation from about 2,700 feet to nearly 3,400 feet and is already a best-seller.
This spring, the Dove Mountain Rangers will introduce an added “badge/pin” program, allowing young adventurers to win recognition and rewards for their completed fun activities. Also planned for spring and summer guests are Ranger-led themed day-experiences for children, Southwest arts and crafts activities including piñata-making and Native American petroglyph design, kids’ guided history and flora/fauna programs, Cosmic Slide parties on the resort’s 235-foot water slide and, for all ages, ecology walks, s’mores-making, dive-in movies, Wii competitions and outdoor sports and games.
For activity reservations, or to learn more about the Dove Mountain Rangers, their uniforms and their critter friends, contact The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain at 520-572-3000. For further details online, visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain.