While planning my holiday weekend with some friends downstate, they expressed interest in taking a…read moretrail ride on horseback. After some research, I found the Rockin P. The prices are extremely fair, the horses are well kept, and the park is beautiful. Anticipating a busy weekend due to the holiday, I called a week ahead for a reservation. The outgoing message on thier voicemail said they would open Wednesday at 10. Wednesday, at 9:30, a very cheerful woman called me back with answers to all of my questions from my voicemail. I look forward to my weekend at the Rockin P, and I will update this review accordingly.

We have nothing but great things to say about the team at Cedar Creek Ranch. We signed up taking…read moreour 7 & 9 year olds for their first ever ride. They were VERY nervous before we started the ride and the team took a bit more time with them and helped to get them a little more calm before starting. They even had one of the team members, Abby, walk along side the kids during the ride to help remind them of what to do along the ride. Needless to say, our kids all had an amazing time and we wouldn't hesitate recommending this ranch to others. It was a holiday weekend and we called about a week in advance and they only had 2 slots left that could accommodate our group of 7, so I'd recommend calling asap to set up your reservations. Abby also mentioned that there was going to be a new trail opening in the fall of 2017.

Lovely peaceful horseback ride on the property's trail with such a friendly crew Cassie and Abby…read more My toddler had such a great time feeding the goats and first horseback ride. Such a cool and unique experience here that we were looking for!! So glad we got to visit and found this spot!!

Our family has been riding at Breezy Bluff for over 10 years. The owners and instructors emphasize…read morethe safety of horse and riders. Horses are well cared for and live long lives. Learning to groom and saddle your horse is an important part of the riding experience. Riders progress at a pace appropriate for each individual but are encouraged to expand their skills. The owners are accommodating regarding schedule needs when those needs are politely communicated well ahead of time.

Short version: Some very nice horses, a good instructor named Cherri, okay for beginners, but…read morethere are definitely better options with better facilities and more well-cared for horses. Long version: My first impression of Breezy Bluff was very negative. Horses all wear halters 24/7 in outdoor pastures standing in a few inches of their own muck and mud. That was in January. I saw a horse with an open abrasion from the halter rubbing it's nose and many with bald patches. The mule (sweetest thing in the world, by the way) had an open cyst just above the back of her front hoof. I brought these to the attention of the people there. One response was that it was good it was open to drain....well maybe, but not in the dirty conditions it was living in at the time. Apparently the surgery to remove it was too expensive or too inconvenient for them. I honestly should have just left and gone elsewhere at that point. My questions about not having any stalls or shelters for the horses was met with the explanation that Betty prefers her animals to live out their lives as the natural herd animals they were created to be. That sounds good, except that natural herd animals roam over many miles/acres of land...not in a fenced area where most of their time is spent standing in manure. Another client took her granddaughter out to another stable due in part to the place being a "dump" in her words. I wouldn't necessarily go that far, but it is obviously just too much for the owners to maintain very well. It did get cleaned up a little and looks much better now that nicer weather came. I did go to 12 lessons and two days of horse camp...my daughter and I did not once see any hooves picked. I was taught it was basic horse care to regularly clean hooves, yet apparently not here. The ironic part is that the Bible verse about a righteous man caring for his animals is her signature line. :-/ Enough of the care (or lack thereof) of horses...on to the lessons. On two occasions they "forgot" that I had already made payments for my services, then found them. The lessons always start late and spend more time letting the kids struggle to groom and tack the horses without any formal teaching on this aspect than they spend riding. One response to this was, if they want to ride more, they should tack faster....what??? They don't even know how yet.... In the lessons we took there were several times that communication was lost between the "instructors" and different people were covering for these miscommunications. The first 10 lessons were only my oldest. I decided to let two of my younger children try. The first of their lessons I showed up and the first three people I talked to didn't even know they were coming, then one young instructor said she had gotten an email that they were scheduled. The instructor had a back problem, so they were covering for her that day. The next week I showed up and was told their lesson would be an hour later...there was a horse camp that day, so I assumed it was to allow for that event. All my emails showed my lesson at the agreed upon time. The next week I showed up for our lesson and was told they had been moved an hour later...I was never informed of this time, and frankly it didn't work with our schedule, so I said I would not be back and expected a refund for the lessons I wasn't taking. It was the company's error, so I feel I should have been refunded the full amounts...however, I was informed that I could not be refunded since I didn't cancel 48 hours in advance, and that since they didn't complete another set of 10 lessons, the cost was higher. I did get a "refund" for about 1/5 of the amount it should have been had they been honest and shown integrity. I never cancelled a lesson, they changed without communication. I would say there were three good, well organized classes out of the 14 we took. There is more I could say, but this should suffice. All in all, this business is not a well-oiled machine and your money is better spent (and safer) elsewhere.

Trail biked - I started at the east end in Bureau. The parking lot there has bathrooms and…read moretrashcans, and plenty of parking. I biked east to just north of I80 and back. Bike used - Specialized Sirrus hybrid. Bike style requirements - hybrid to mountain bike mostly. Fat tires will thrive back here. Road bikes will not survive many portions of this trail. I was leery to ride my hybrid in some sections near Tiskilwa because of the mid-sized gravel in spots. Other areas between I80 and Wyanet require grassy biking and non-descript trail riding. The trail composition varies between dirt and minced limestone mostly. There are some portions of asphalt, although those covered by limestone. Some areas are nicer than others. It's more favorable if the trail is mowed, as the trail rut can be swallowed by tall reeds of grass. There are area's where you're biking through short bursts of just grass. My hybrid held up like a champ, but there were spots where I was leery. This is a path where you'll need to keep both hands on the grips. The trail follows a series of water canals that serve as nice scenery. Every so often you'll come across a lock, which are numbered, giving you an idea of how many away you are from your starting point. Bridges span the locks every so often. A river also carves the trail in many areas, offering some nice views. As for wildlife, I spotted several turtles in canals and one trailside (almost accidentally biked over him). I also saw a pair of deer and a ton of colorful birds (red, yellow, blue, orange, black, white, gray, brown). The Orioles were a rare treat. A pair of eagles sat atop dead tree's west of Wyanet. Benches and amenities are seldom. Bridges span the lock areas which offer nice water drains to view and areas to sit on the edge for a break. During my two hour ride I saw a dozen other bikers, and this was on a 75 degree, cloudless Saturday in mid-June. Suffice it to say, there aren't many folks out here unless you count the occasional fisherman. Other nuances, the trail offers a nice split of shade and sun, but more on the sunny side. I saw one parking lot with trail signs in my stretch. Cheers.

The Hennepin Canal was constructed in 1892, the first boat went through in 1907, and the canal…read moreclosed to boat traffic in 1951. Today the Hennepin Canal serves as a state park. On travels between Wisconsin and central Illinois, we often stop and stretch our legs on the portion near Bureau Junction. There is a bench, restrooms (only open seasonally) and the sound of the water rushing under the bridge is relaxing. The trails have seen better days but are conducive to activities such as picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, and snowmobiling. People often fish in the canal as well.

They have the best instructors and very clean environment for learning. They let me drive their…read moretractor.

Jamie Gerardi is an experienced horseback riding instructor and offers a variety of opportunities…read morefor riders of all ages from very beginner to advanced. And she also offers lessons in various disciplines, from hunter/jumper, dressage, saddle-seat to western. Whether you're looking to ride for fun, or competition, we have something for you.

Great experience for our 10 year old in a trail ride. Attentive staff and great horsesread more

We had a great time horseback riding. My 7 year old gives you a 5 out of 5 stars.. my daughter…read moreloved it. Abby was a great guide