Madera Hills Ranch owner Kate Vigneron (left) and ranch worker Stephanie Kraemer (middle) show Garth Rumsmoke around the ranch. “If you like riding in open country where you can see hills in the distance, try this place,” says Garth. “Kate has 4,000 acres of her own, and access to 50,000 acres to ride on.”

As you may recall, we were plagued with rain during our trip through Arkansas, Oklahoma, and north Texas. But our detour allowed us to visit Trini Miller, who’d invited us to her family’s Watterson Ranch, near Bastrop, Texas .

When we left Bastrop, we’d planned to visit Brandero, but Mr. Murphy reared his head, and—to shorten the story—stopped our visit. So we just dropped down to Route 10 and headed west toward Fort Stockton and the Madera Hills Ranch.

We all know Texas is rather large, so you have to make some stops along the way. We stopped in the little town of Junction, where Katie Porter has a very nice stopover for folks who need a place to stop and rest their horses (325/446-2457). You’ll find great parking, a nice, big pipe corral, and a great host. Katie was kind enough to take me along while she fed her Aoudad and Barberry goats, and show me her deer herds. (She offers hunting during season.) Axis, sika, white tail, fallow, and black buck deer make nightly visits to feeders at the house, so make sure you have your camera. We wanted to stay and ride and listen to Katie’s Texas stories, but we had to get back on the road.

We drove on down Route 10 to Madera Hills Ranch (432/375-0296; www.maderahillsranch.com), in the little town of Toyahvale. It’s back off the road a few miles, in some very pretty Texas landscape. We were the first guests after they opened. Owner Kate Vigneron has put together one very fine guest ranch. She has horses for the horseless (including Tennessee Walkers) and stalls for your own. There’s a beautiful adobe bunkhouse connected to a very comfortable two-bedroom apartment with all the trimmings, plus a huge new barn and lots of room to relax.

Local sights include San Solomon Springs, now Balmorhea State Park. In 1849, it was called Mescalero Spring—the Mescalero Indians used it to water their corn and peaches. You can also visit the McDonald Observatory and the old Fort Davis. Of course, you can enjoy the area on horseback, with or without a guide.

We spent a few days enjoying the weather, the living quarters, and the countryside. If you like riding in open country where you can see hills in the distance, try this place. Kate has 4,000 acres of her own, and access to 50,000 acres to ride on.

Kate and I went on a nice day ride to the neighboring ranch. The KC Ranch is an original homestead, so we had a look at early Texas history. I now understand a noon meal can be had there. Both the KC and Madera Hills offer guided trail rides, lodging for eight, and meals.

Overnights at the KC include supper and a cowboy breakfast (you carry sandwiches for lunch break on all day rides).

Stephanie Kraemer, who worked at the ranch, was a welcome addition to the rides Kate and I took around the ranch. (Kathy was still too sore to ride.) One day, we loaded up and went riding on a ranch about 60 miles away. The ranch had a historical marker: the Eagle Springs Stage Stand. You have to wonder why anyone would ride a stagecoach across such lonely country. It made me think about that old saying about the West: “miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.”

I hope to pass this way again in the spring on the way to Big Bend country. Till then, stay on top, carry a good camera, and remember the gift of The Trail Rider magazine.