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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
The world of the Lewis and Neeleman families changed dramatically on a warm summer day in 1962 when they gazed for the first time into Zion National Park. This visit became the basis for one of Southern Utah's finest resorts, the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.
Ray Lewis, founder of the resort, was born in a small town in northeastern Utah. He was always an entrepreneur and in later years moved his large family of nine children to Southern California for business opportunities. Although Ray prospered in California with his family's catering business, he never stopped dreaming of the day when he could return to Utah.
It wasn't until August 1962 that Ray had a chance to return to his beloved state. He saw an ad offering 8,000 acres of grazing land in southern Utah. Only a few hours later, the entire Lewis family was on their way to Zion National Park to view the land that would eventually become the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.
Ray's hope was that the ranch could become a natural sanctuary only a few hours drive from several major metropolitan areas. Visitors could hunt, hike, explore, bird watch and smell the pine and juniper on the rim of the world-famous Zion National Park.
Today, Ray's grandsons, David and Stephen Neeleman, own Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. The resort hosts thousands of visitors each year, many from foreign countries. It has rooming capacities for 250-300 guests per night. All seven of the major Zion Park hikes originate from the Zion Ponderosa Ranch property, including the popular Zion slot canyon hikes.
Recreational opportunities abound at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort and include ATV tours, horseback riding, swimming, massage, mini ATVs, climbing wall, a zip-line, paintball games, a shooting range, kids camp and camp fire activities. Accommodations vary from luxurious multiple bedroom homes to log cabin suites and secluded camping areas. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort P.O. Box 5547 Mt. Carmel, UT 84755 1-800-293-5444 or 1-435-648-2700 www.zionponderosa.com E-mail: resort@zionponderosa.com
