Western front

A night in Los Angeles is enough for anyone to want to escape the city and head inland to the desert. Especially for me, an aspiring cowgirl at heart. All right, I live in the centre of York and wouldn't know which end of a horse is supposed to point forward. Well I can dream... which is what I did, driving inland to the desert resort of Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is an up market resort with hundreds of art and designer shops. True to its name, there are palm trees everywhere. I checked in at the Orchid Tree Inn, a restored Spanish-style bungalow, overlooking one of three outdoor swimming pools with the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains in the distance.

Drawn by the mountains, I took a ride on the Arial tramway, a two-and-a-half-mile trip in one of the world's largest rotating tramcars, up 8,500 feet to the summit, which revealed the most spectacular views of snow-covered mountains and the red-tinged desert below.

Next day, I boarded a Greyhound bus bound for Tucson, Arizona. My eyes bulged at the scenery... huge, wide open spaces, giant cacti everywhere, the biggest skies you've ever seen and the most incredible red sunsets.

On arrival at Tucson bus station, I was picked up by someone from my next port of call: the Tanque Verde Dude Ranch.

Next morning, I joined a walking ride and the cowboys, or wranglers, as they call them here, gave me a very docile horse.

Roger, who looks just like a cowboy from the movies, took six of us out for a gentle outing. For two hours I'm in heaven. I feel like I'm in my own private western as we trek up the mountain side, negotiating the rocky ground and twists and turns in the desert paths among the giant Sawara cacti. At 10am the sun is already heating up and I wish I'd worn my cowboy hat after all. The scenery is out of this world, all you can see for miles and miles is desert, cacti, trees and huge cloudless skies. The sounds of the desert animals - critters, as they call them here on the ranch - come at me from all directions.

Nestled 2,800 feet high in the foothills of the Rincon mountains in the Sonoran desert (there are five different deserts in Arizona), the four-star Tanque Verde ranch was founded in 1868. It dates from the days when Apache Indian raids were a daily concern. All 74 rooms are authentically decorated and have beautiful desert and mountain views. The ranch has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, jacuzzi, saunas and offers tennis and mountain biking too.

I took a break from riding the next day and joined our tour guide Anne for a three-hour hike into the mountains. Prickly pears, Indigo plants (which Levi Strauss used to dye his jeans), you name it, Anne can tell you about it.

Evening entertainment is varied each night but you can't beat sitting by the roaring campfire, listening to music, watching the sun go down with a cool beer, chatting about the day's adventures with your new-found friends. The sky changes from royal blue to the deepest red, the smell of sweet lemon trees wafts through the air as the gekos start to scrabble around on the stony ground.

On the last day I headed out at 8am for the breakfast ride. Wranglers Roger, Juan and Stacey took us to the Cottonwood cookout in the mountains and made the most delicious breakfast I have ever had: hash browns, bacon, scrambled eggs, fresh blueberry pancakes, all washed down with sweet non-alcoholic cider.

The three days on the ranch were among the best of my life and it was with a note of sadness that I set off across the desert again for Phoenix.

I stayed in downtown Tempe, at the very comfortable Courtyard Marriot hotel. Tempe is a student city some 20 miles from downtown Phoenix and is manageable on foot. The best way to get to grips with the place is to book a half-day bus tour, which is exactly what I did, taking in Paradise Valley, home to millionaires and celebrities (Alice Cooper has a house here).

Next day, I took the bus with Open Road tours to the Grand Canyon. The five-hour journey disappeared into nothing, as my eyes soaked up the beauty of the landscape.

The Grand Canyon, to coin an American phrase, is truly awesome. If you're feeling flush, I recommend a half-hour helicopter ride, though I was nearly sick all over the pilot as soon as we took off. After two hours to take in the views, it was time to head home.

Shopping was on the itinerary for my last day. I caught the bus to historic Scottsdale, which has more than 100 shops and boutiques, selling Indian jewellery and crafts. It is also known as the second largest market for art in the United States, right behind New York. I couldn't resist buying an original sketch of cowboys saddling up their horses.

Sitting by my coal fire back in York, feet up, hot chocolate in hand I'm staring at my Arizona picture hanging proudly on my wall, dreaming of cowboys... and singing to myself, "I rode through desert on a horse with no name, it was good to get out of the rain..."

Those of you who are under 30 might not remember the song, it's by a band called America... go buy it... but go to Arizona first.

Fact file

British Airways operates a daily direct flight from London Heathrow to

Phoenix, Arizona. British Airways flies daily from London Heathrow to Los Angeles.

The Orchid Tree Inn, Palm Springs. Tel USA 800 733 3435. Singles from £65 dollars in summer.

Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, Tucson. Tel USA 520 296 6275. A week's holiday at the Tanque Verde Ranch, Tucson, Arizona, starts at £1,385 and includes return flights, transfers, taxes, most activities and full board. Telephone UK: 01923 671831

The Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Tempe. Tel USA 480 966 2800.

Top tip

Take boots with a heel for riding, a check shirt might also come in handy.

Updated: 10:58 Monday, March 10, 2003