Come on, somewhere in your all-American psyche you’ve longed to ride out west, tackle the terrain and take on a dude ranch. There’s no better time.
Before you saddle up and head to the airport, do some research. The Dude Ranchers’ Association is a good place to start. First, know what you want to wring out of a trip – and know your limitations. The association says there are three kinds of ranches:
- Working Dude Ranches are real, live cattle or sheep operations. Your horseback riding is pegged to the needs of the livestock and what needs to be done. Be prepared to get your hands a bit dirty.
- Dude Ranches per se are centered on horseback riding. Get ready to channel the inner cowboy and plan to be outdoors a lot.
- Resort Dude Ranches tend to be larger, feature horseback riding and offer an array of things to do.
Understand that accommodations can range from the Spartan to the sumptuous. Thoroughly check out what they have to offer before you book.
There are lots of places to ride off into the sunset out there. Here’s a trio of ‘em:
- The Lazy K Bar Ranch is an honest-to-gosh dude ranch – no bar, no tennis courts, no fancy dining and wine. This ranch revolves around riding. The Lazy Z Bar raises its own quarter horses. If you revel in Montana rustic, love to fish and like to inhale good, clean air this might be the place.
- New Mexico’s Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch is one of those places where you lose track of the time, but discover the rhyme and reason of it all. Nestled in the higher elevations of the Black Range Mountains, in the southwestern salient of the state, it’s 85 miles from the nearest stoplight – but up close and personal with the local elk herds. If it’s serenity you seek, this is it.
- The very name of British Columbia’s Echo Valley Ranch & Spa is a bit of a giveaway. Saddle sores give way to pampering at Echo Valley, and tap water to fine wine. Explore forests scented with jack pine, horseback ride through drop-dead gorgeous country and wind up the day with a massage at the spa. A little bit of yin, a little bit of yang.
(Image: HighTechDad)
