Photos by Cheryl Landes
Light flakes danced in the crisp air when we checked in at Red Tail Canyon Farm near Leavenworth, Washington, for our sleigh ride. Fresh snow that fell the night before dusted the pine trees and coated the ground.
When the Belgian and Suffolk draft horse teams arrived for our trip, the snowflakes gradually grew and thickened.
The snow wasn’t deep enough to use the farm’s hand-built sleighs yet (we came in early December), so we sat on hay bales in wooden wagons for the 30-minute ride through the farm’s pine forests and fields.
The hay and woolen blankets provided by the farm kept us warm while the snow continued falling and the horses clip-clopped along the trail. As they walked, bells jingled from their harnesses. The snow continued to fall during our journey, dusting us and the horses, but we didn’t care. We loved our pleasant, relaxing ride through this beautiful farm.
After our ride, we sipped hot chocolate and cider and munched on cookies in the warm teepee at the base.
Sleigh rides at Red Tail Canyon Farms are available November-February on the hour, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. Fares are $20 adults, $10 children ages 3-12, and free for children 2 and younger. Reservations are required; book by calling (800) 678-4512.
Red Tail Canyon Farms is 2.5 miles north of Leavenworth at 11780 Freund Canyon Road (get directions). It’s a 2.5-hour drive east of Seattle and 5.5 hours northeast of Portland.
Find more information about the sleigh rides at Red Tail Canyon Farm’s website.
