Horses4Heroes and Tule Springs National Monument

This is one of our favorite places in Vegas. Horses4Heroes is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable riding for all and uses the proceeds to help with programs for veterans, women's shelters and schools. Asher and Journey first started riding here when they were barely two years old, and by 3.5, were riding and steering the horses by themselves. While in Vegas this time, we volunteered weekly as a family to muck stalls, groom horses and help with Horseplay classes. Asher loved mucking stalls, Journey, not as much.

Even peacocks and bunnies come to visit the horses here.

The kids were able to attend about 8 days of camp here at the ranch. Whenever the local schools are off, the ranch offers all-day camp. They stay busy riding, walking the minis, cleaning, making friends, playing with the barnyard animals (burros, goats, alpacas, chickens and the mini cow) and learning skills at the ranch. They both love camp so much that they were sad when we came to pick them up, they wanted to stay longer. Daddy and I certainly appreciated the chance to have time to ourselves, though it was so strange being without the kids. We spent much time just trying to figure out what to do.

A couple years ago, Horses4Heroes moved to Floyd Lamb park. An oasis in the desert with trees, grass and stocked lakes. This is the view just behind the ranch! So beautiful!

The kids love walking the trails around the lakes. It's a great spot for birding too!

Just up the road is the newest National Monument, Tule Springs, an important 

archeological site where mammoths, lions and camels have been found.