This is a silent home movie from the 1940s — an era when the Western dude ranch was a common vacation destination. This film takes viewers on a sight seeing, colorful tour through Wickenburg, Arizona as a family takes a vacation to the Monte Vista Ranch. Monte Vista Ranch is now a gated community located within a neighborhood of Wickenburg, in Maricopa County. The area includes the Hassayampa River, Vulture Mountains as well as the Wickenburg Mountains. The film opens with footage of a small child on horseback curving in and out of wooden poles stuck in the ground (:10) with the ranch viewed in the background. Horses and riders are led from a coral for a scenic trail ride (:29). A mare and her foal are seen nibbling on grass in a pasture (:36) as a young boy runs up to the foal. A woman in bright yellow attire moves through a dirt parking lot on horseback (1:09). Cacti rise all over the land (1:11). A young boy atop a Palomino horse is zoomed in on (1:44). Children play along a rocky shoreline and toss rocks and pebbles into the waters (2:24). The family enjoys the sun and sand (3:11). Riders wade through shallow waters (3:45). Yellow flowering blossoms are seen growing up the hills (4:19). Shots of the family whom went on the trip follows (4:39). A wedding scene plays out as a priest begins to marry a young couple (4:52) while another man enters and breaks up the wedding, stealing the bride for himself (5:26). An older relative breaks up a fight between two young boys (6:09). The former bride sits on a bench (6:39) as the man whom had broken up the wedding arrives (6:53). A miniature Texaco gas station is then seen (7:00). Two riders are seen again as a car rides through shallow water near them with a man hanging on the outside of the car (7:31). A woman dances as her shoes are zoomed in on and then plays a game of Double Dutch (8:08). Spectators watch relay races as young riders pass off batons to one another (8:41). Sheep are released as a competition to hog tie sheep commences (9:13). A man and young rider demonstrate lasso tricks as the man whips a large lasso around them (9:48). Additional lasso tricks are demonstrated as the man stands on the ground (9:58). A desert spiney lizard is zoomed in on (11:34) as well as a baby greater short-horned lizard (11:49). A large rattlesnake (12:04) and a Gila monster (12:35) are then shown. Rattlesnakes are prompted to strike with the use of long poles and a balloon (13:48). Bright cacti blossoms are zoomed in on (14:30). The film begins to wrap up with scenic footage (15:30) of the area as well as the family bidding one another goodbye at the end of the trip (16:54).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com