My wife and I stayed at the Rockin' M in January of 2019. Beyond general tourism, one big objective of the trip for me was the local birding specialties. I selected this B & B because it is relatively close to the famous "thrasher spot" at Baseline Road and Salome Highway. Also it is located immediately adjacent to the Estrella Mountain Regional Park which is also a popular birding destination. The main entrance to the park is just a few miles away, and you can literally step over the old barbed wire fence on the back edge of the property and be on park land. I really must say that the quality of this B & B far exceeded our expectations. The entire house is beautiful and the furnishings are excellent. Each room has it's own patio door to the outside which is cool. The hospitality shown by Mark and Susan was warm and genuine. Mark cooked a great breakfast each morning. There was an appealing patio with a fireplace that we were welcome to use. They even have a happy hour each evening with complimentary drinks. We have traveled quite a bit over the years for business and pleasure to most of the 50 states and the total experience we had here was among the very best we have experienced. I'm not exaggerating when I say that. If we ever have reason to return to the Phoenix area in the future, this is unquestionably where we will stay. If you are a birder chasing the thrashers, this has to be the best possible option from a logistical standpoint alone, not to mention the quality and hospitality of the place. As far as the birding, my trip to the thrasher spot was a complete success. I observed and photographed singing LeConte's, Crissal and Sage Thrashers with about two hours of effort at the Baseline Road site, which is well under 30 minutes from the Rockin' M. Other birds seen at this location were numerous Sagebrush Sparrows and at least one Bell's Sparrow. There had been persistent eBird reports of Ruddy Ground-Doves at a rural property near Buckeye so I checked that out on the way back to the B&B. I got great views of this ABA Rare species with birders from New York and the UK who were there chasing the same birds. So I got three ABA life birds in one morning which is getting really hard for me to do as my ABA life list is nearing 700 species. The following day I had a nice hour of birding at Estrella Mountain Regional Park with a good list of expected species. At the Rockin' M itself they had hummingbird feeders and I saw Costa's, Black-chinned and Anna's Hummingbirds at the feeder right outside of our room. In the evenings we heard the soft calls of Common Poorwills from the hills near the ranch. Other birds seen on the grounds of the Rockin' M were Gambel's Quail, Gila Woodpecker, Gilded Flicker, Rock Wren and Cactus Wren. The other big specialty target species for birders visiting the Phoenix area is Rosy-faced Lovebird. I visited Encanto Park in Phoenix briefly and found quite a few of them along with an extremely cooperative Harris's Hawk. I did a lot of advance planning on the birding part of the trip by stalking eBird reports and also by joining the Arizona Birding group on Facebook. Gordon Karre is one of the most well-known birders in the Phoenix area and took the time to provide much useful information to me. Finally, here are links to some of my eBird checklists that I generated while staying at the B & B. https://ebird.org/checklist/S51862530 Thrasher spot https://ebird.org/checklist/S51870167 Dove stakeout https://ebird.org/checklist/S51895320 Estella Mountain https://ebird.org/checklist/S51934113 across the fence from the B & B Thank you Pete Janzen, Wichita, KS read more

If we could give a 100-star rating for the Rockin' M Bar Ranch, we would give it. What a wonderful place, run by wonderful people! We come to the Goodyear area annually for major league baseball spring training, and for the past four years have been fortunate enough to stay at the Rockin' M Bar Ranch. It is truly on its own unique level as a B&B: the rooms are delightful, luxurious, and most afford you your own outdoor entrance. The amenities are thoughtful beyond belief (a little bag of trail mix to take on your hike? look in the basket on your dresser), and the breakfasts, cooked up by marvelous hosts Susan and Mark, are not the 'orange juice and muffin' kind: they are absolute feasts, and a great way to meet the other guests at the amazing dining table over a delicious meal. The location is perfect for us (15 minutes to the Cleveland Indians training facility and ballpark), and we love the authentic Southwestern experience of being at the Ranch: whether it's hiking through the saguaros at the nearby Estrella Mountain Park, or just feeding carrot treats to the horses in the Ranch's stable, or watching the stars come out in the desert sky while sipping a drink at the Ranch's outdoor bar area, we feel immersed in the area so different from where we live (North Carolina). And Susan and Mark obviously relish their role as hosts, with hospitality that goes way beyond any other such experience we've had; they have a gift for making you feel like you are great friends coming for a visit. Honestly, we have nothing but the most positive things to say about this terrific place, and even if we stop following baseball we will have to find a way to make an annual trip just to enjoy the Rockin' M Bar Ranch. read more

My boyfriend and I spontaneously planned a last-minute trip to Phoenix for the NASCAR Championship weekend (and by spontaneous I mean we bought our tickets on a Monday then departed for Phoenix on Thursday). Right off the bat, Susan was very accommodating by helping us ensure our tickets would be mailed to the ranch and asked if we had any dietary restrictions for breakfast. Upon arrival, we were greeted and showed to our room then joined Susan and Mark for a happy hour along with the other guests once we settled in. Since we arrived after dark, it was a fun surprise to wake up to the most scenic view from our patio door -- coupled with a cup of coffee made for a great start to the weekend. Mark did not disappoint when it came to preparing a gourmet breakfast, and you cannot beat fun conversation with great company over a family-style meal. The ranch was within walking distance to the track, which made for a fun adventure after race day -- and convenient for those looking to get back and forth on foot. Thank you, Susan & Mark, we look forward to another stay with you soon! read more

What a wonderful unexpected gem! We stumbled upon this beautiful B&B just by chance and are so happy we did. The scenery is amazing as well as the trails for hiking and rock collecting. Our room was immaculate and the bed was very comfy. Mark and Susan went out of their way to make us feel at home. Our breakfast every morning was so delicious. We never left hungry. We would definitely stay here again. read more

Staying at the Rockin' M Bar Ranch was so pleasant and "homey", so much more relaxing than staying at a crowded hotel. Full course breakfast at about 8:30 and Mark is an excellent chef! A beautiful setting at the base of the Estrella Mountains - we highly recommend it to anyone looking to get away from the rat race! read more