You and your group will leave Cave Creek, a former gold mining town founded in the 1870s that  still retains its Old West aura, and travel north to Spur Cross Ranch nestled in the high Sonoran Desert. There, your guides will take you on a nature walk where you will learn about the many plants and animals in the area and have the opportunity to take photographs to your heart’s delight.

Your guides will share their vast knowledge and take you back in time hundreds of years to the time when the Hohokam and Apache tribes inhabited the vast countryside. They’ll relate tales of when the lure of gold made Cave Creek a haven for all sorts of colorful characters.

Your “Hidden Treasures Tour” concludes on a mountaintop overlooking Cave Creek with a view of the vast valley below.

The ride back through Cave Creek will offer the visitor an eclectic selection of shops, restaurants, saloons and art galleries in which to roam.

“The tours are great for new people moving into the area,” Ringo says. “They’re kind of an orientation of Cave Creek and the Sonoran Desert. It’s a great way to learn about the desert.”

The “Rackensack Gold Mine Tour” is another popular adventure that takes you to the top of Continental Mountain, almost a mile high, to the home of brothers Cliff and Charles Underwood.

On the way up, you’ll learn about the revered Sequoia cactus and the various flora and fauna that make the desert their home.

At the summit–talk about a view–the Underwoods open their custom leather studio to the group and offer refreshments and some historical insight into their mountain home.

An intense desire to leave the big city behind and get back to their roots spurred the brothers to stake a claim on this remote peak.

Along with their wives, Deborah and Ginger, the Underwoods have partially restored the Ft. Worth Gold Mine, a relic of the gold boom days of the 1880s. Upon entering the mine, visitors will experience the claustrophobia miners surely felt while digging into the depths of the earth for the precious yellow ore.

Outside visitors can see artifacts left behind by miners–reminders of the harsh lifestyle of Arizona in the Old West.

Tours can be booked year‑round and Cave Creek Adventures can accommodate just about any size group.

“Most of the tours are custom‑made to fit the group,” Ringo says. “Most tours take from four to six hours. You’ll be surprised at how fast the time flies.”

The onset of warm weather brings an increase in the number of tour requests, Ringo says.

“As soon as you figure out how many are going and when you want to go you should call,” he explains. “This time of year we stay pretty busy. Sometimes we can get you out right away, but about a week’s notice is good. Reservations are strongly suggested.”

Not content to rest on his laurels, Ringo is constantly striving to make your outing an adventure you won’t forget.

“I believe service is the No. 1 priority,” he says. “It’s all about how you treat your clients. I’ve got a lot of repeat customers, and it’s the way we treat them that keeps them coming back.

“There’s just so much to see and do here. A lot of people don’t even know this is here and they’ve lived here their whole lives.

“Come and take a course in ‘Desert 101’ with Johnny Ringo,” he says. “You’ll appreciate the desert more.”

For information or to book a tour, call Ringo at (480) 488‑2466.