I learned to ride a horse in preschool thanks to Rawhide. Once upon a time, this cowboy touristy town was located in north, north Scottsdale . My dad loved to go to Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse and then take his two little ones to enjoy a piece of the wild wild west. I have a photo, wearing a turquoise blue polo shirt and plaid shorts, on the back of a donkey at Rawhide. I am in kindergarten and am already a prissy girl wanting a pony.
So when a friend gave me tickets to visit the new Rawhide (relocated to the Chandler area) — I jumped. Little did I know how much I was actually going to jump…
Giddyup partners, this is a scary tale of how my childhood memories of a cowboy town were turned upside down, inside out and into a tale of adult horror.
The wild west has been taken over by zombies.
And death.
And while the marshal no longer wanted to find me a pony, he did want to shoot me, chase me and scare the living bejesus out of me.
Alma agreed. Death did not suit her either.
Especially when the zombies snuck up behind her…
Although it does make for a pretty funny photo!
The Asylum Haunted House at Rawhide is now open and may I just say, it is very, very scary. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone younger than 18. While the shoot-out western show is campy and fun, the haunted house is nothing short of terrifying. At one point, I was being chased by man carrying a chainsaw.
So, if this sort of thing is up your holiday alley, give it a whirl. It was a spooky, fun time, but I did miss the peaceful pony ride.
~K