Bonnie Springs Ranch, fun, family-friendly place to visit

When you think of Las Vegas, Nevada, what comes to your mind? Elvis Presley? Frank Sinatra? Folks dressed in evening dresses and tuxedos playing $250.00 slot machines? The most lavish excesses beyond imagination that exist on planet Earth? Ok, does the phrase "Old Nevada" come to mind when you think of Las Vegas? Well, probably not, at least it didn't come to my mind until my oldest daughter introduced me to Bonnie Springs, a quick half-hour drive from the Las Vegas strip, but light-years away from the glitzy entertainment and high-rollers.

Left: A sunny March day, looking west at the craggy mountains, framed by cactus. Right: Sharlene and Peggy decided to make the 1/4 mile walk instead of riding the miniature train. This is a good view of beautiful Red Rock Canyon.

Back in 2004, our oldest daughter was offered a job in Las Vegas, and since she had family in the area and wasn't really doing much in the Sacramento area, she accepted the offer and moved to Las Vegas. In March of 2005, we finally got around to visiting her, as we had some excess furniture and other items to give her, so an extended visit to Las Vegas seemed like a good idea. By the way, I hadn't visited Las Vegas since 1992, so I was in for a real shock, but that's a whole other story.

Bonnie Springs is a western theme park, located a few miles west of Las Vegas at the mouth of Red Rock Canyon, that is basically a recreation of an 1860's era old Nevada mining town, complete with period buildings, period-costumed employees and gunfights. In addition to the gunfights and western theme, Bonnie Springs has a miniature railroad, a bar, an excellent restaurant, probably the best petting zoo in the state of Nevada, guided horseback rides into breathtakingly-beautiful Red Rock Canyon, a wonderful motel, with nice rooms at very reasonable rates. Bonnie Springs is a guaranteed fun-day for the entire family.

Left: My oldest daughter Jacquie waits for the train. Right the miniature train that will carry a quarter of a mile or so to Bonnie Springs. Note rugged Red Rock Canyon in the background and the beautiful desert scenery.

Bonnie Springs is located a few miles west of Las Vegas, not far from the small town of Blue Diamond. You'll drive into the dirt parking lot and pay the friendly attendant the fee of $7.00 to park. Hey, that sounds like a lot of money, but that's good for up to six people, and after parking, you're free to experience all of the attractions that Bonnie Springs has to offer, without paying any additional money. Sure, you have to pay for food at the restaurant, drinks the motel, as you would have to any place else, but the $7.00 parking fee is a bargain. You can choose to ride the miniature train into Bonnie Springs, or you can take the short, 1/4 mile hike. Since the train was crowded on the Saturday afternoon that we decided to visit, we decided to "take a hike," rather than to ride the train. Bonnie Springs also gives you the option of driving up the "town" and dropping off passengers, if that's your choice. Anyway you choose to Visit Bonnie Springs, you'll be met with friendly and helpful staff.

Bonnie Springs is nestled at the mouth of Red Rock Canyon; the location features a our of desert vegetation that includes cacti, yucca, barrel cacti, prickly pear, sagebrush, manzanita and the Joshua Tree. As per the name of the canyon, the rocks are red, really rugged and red, and can simply be described as, purely, beautiful. Desert wildlife includes burros, coyotes, badgers, deer, elk, big horn sheep, skunks and just about any sort of bird you can imagine. The craggy, red-colored buttes are an artist's dream, the canyons contain a desert wonderland of vegetation and indigenous animals, and if you're a fan of very western, desert scenery, this place is for you.

Left: We're wandering around Bonnie Springs, looking at the restaurant and the duck and turtle pond. Right: A company vehicle says it all.

Bonnie Springs features a motel, complete with "theme-oriented" rooms, a combination bar and restaurant, horseback rides, a petting zoo and a recreation of an 1870's Nevada mining town. Not to mention the little extras, such as outside the restaurant, there is a pond that teams with ducks and geese, and for the ultimate "high" for your children, turtles, many of them, who swim and mingle freely with the ducks and geese in the cement-lined pond. The turtles are accustomed to being hand-fed, and many machines that dispense turtle food are located near the pond. If you want to put a smile on the face of your child, pop a quarter into a turtle-food machine, and let your kid feed a turtle, which adds up to a guaranteed "high" for your child.

Left: Paris and Jack feed turtles from the veranda, ouside of the Bonnie Springs Restaurant. Right: Two of the many turtles that inhabit the pond. The turtles seem to be the delight of every small child who visits Bonnie Springs.

Bonnie Springs also has historic ranching and farming equipment displays, exotic cattle, and buffalo, or to the politically-correct-minded types: Bison. (Is bison singular or plural?) There are numerous places to take photos of you child in various locations. Where else in the great state of Nevada can you walk into a cage and be surrounded by pigeons, pigeons and more pigeons?

Left: Turtles swim in the pond. Right: Ducks wait on the shore of the pond. That's the restaurant, with its large veranda, in the background.

Are you a fan of people watching? Bonnie Springs is the place to go, as there are many ordinary people enjoying the place, so to a "street photographer," that smells like pay dirt. And it is, as there are many interesting people to watch and photograph. Many staff members of Bonnie Springs are dressed in period attire, and many of the men carry sidearms or rifles, which is completely legal in Nevada, especially on private properly. Naturally, the guns are a prop for the mock gunfights that are staged every hour or so, but the guns do add a very authentic touch.

Left: If you're in the mood to ride a horse, Bonnie Springs is the place to be. Right: Our grandson Paris, makes use of one of the many saddles attached to fallen trees.

Bonnie Springs should appeal to anybody, as there are so many fun things to see and do that it should keep you, or you family, interested for all day, and more. Our visit to Bonnie Springs lasted only about four hours, which was way too short, considering how much there is to see and do. Future plans include another visit to Bonnie Springs, which will allow much more time to explore and enjoy the interesting and fun activities to be found at Bonnie Springs.

Bonnie Springs, interesting, fun and family-friendly. When you visit Las Vegas, an afternoon at Bonnie Springs is a must.

Left: This guy is typical of many of the inhabitants of Bonnie Springs, who roam freely around the place. Right: Colorful peacocks are everywhere, and they will actually let you get quite close to them.

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