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We went to one in NYS about 100 years ago and stayed in one in Australia.
If you like the laid back atmosphere and the chance to ride, I'd highly recommend it.
In the one, it was run more like a resort.In Au there was much more pitching in .
Check places to see which type suits you best.
Mermaid, you're very welcome. (PS - I did a long search, for dude, for ranch, and for cowboy. That was amazingly the only applicable thread.)
I'm originally a Manhattanite -- spent the first 30 years of my life in NYC, raised on old cowboy movies. Some years ago I chose to live in northwestern Montana for two years, and I must tell you that the "cowboy" terrain, sights, atmosphere, and to some extent people, in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, just made me giggle in delight every day!
Montana and Wyoming, maybe Texas much of which has much more heat and dryness, are probably the places I personally would want to spend time working on a dude ranch, just to know with delight for the rest of my life that I had lived, however briefly, in "real" cowboy country!
We went to Wilderness Trails Ranch in Durango, CO 30 years ago. It seems to still be in business, and to have added a few more options. http://www.wildernesstrails.com/
We drove out, with a pop up camper behind and lots of nights in KOAs. Hit all the sites on the way, and had lots of family fights.
Mermaid, you're very welcome. (PS - I did a long search, for dude, for ranch, and for cowboy. That was amazingly the only applicable thread.)
I'm originally a Manhattanite -- spent the first 30 years of my life in NYC, raised on old cowboy movies. Some years ago I chose to live in northwestern Montana for two years, and I must tell you that the "cowboy" terrain, sights, atmosphere, and to some extent people, in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, just made me giggle in delight every day!
Montana and Wyoming, maybe Texas much of which has much more heat and dryness, are probably the places I personally would want to spend time working on a dude ranch, just to know with delight for the rest of my life that I had lived, however briefly, in "real" cowboy country!
Allforcats, that's very cool. Those are all states I've never visited but are on my list! I would love to live the life of a "real" cowboy, however for only a short time. I love the mountains almost as much as I love the ocean. The scenery must be amazing in the Rockies, I've only seen it in print or video. I will start researching some of the places this week and let you know what I come up with. I'll need to find a "real" saloon for the DH, he's not a real horse kind of guy and doesn't even come close to resembling a cowboy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wastina
We went to Wilderness Trails Ranch in Durango, CO 30 years ago. It seems to still be in business, and to have added a few more options. Wilderness Trails Ranch - Durango, Colorado
We drove out, with a pop up camper behind and lots of nights in KOAs. Hit all the sites on the way, and had lots of family fights.
It was a memorable summer!
Thank you for this link, wastina! Colorado! I think we'll be taking a longer than anticipated vacay in 09! Your post made me laugh, I remember towing a pop up when my kids were younger. Tight quarters in there, somebodys bound to be in the way! It's all good in the morning when you wake up out in the cool crisp fresh air. All is forgotten from the night before. Thx!
If you want killer mountains to look at, you need to be in a valley looking UP at the mountains that are near you or fairly near you. Check out the photos that ranch websites provide to make sure the closeness and heights of the mountains are whatever make your heart sing...
And I can guarantee from experience that the small "cities" and the towns that abound in the mountain west will provide nice drinkin' holes for your hubby, but you'll probably need a vehicle to get you there from the ranch.
There are even a lot of dude ranches in Washington state and some in Oregon -- there you'd be near the Cascade Mountain Range (with Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Baker, Mt. Adams, all of them so high that they are covered in snow all year) with agricultural and ranching lands abounding (that's my territory). Unfortunately, I can't personally recommend one as a working ranch is far more labor than I'm willing to do! However, Northwest Backroads is a highly-respected local (Seattle) program that's been going for years and years, which finds, researches, tries, and makes recommendations about interesting places in the Northwest. Here is a link to that program's recommendations for dude ranches in WA. If they recommend it, I would go without hesitation. You can always Google to get the ranches' own websites.
Best dude ranches | Great Escapes | Family Fun | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington (http://www.king5.com/greatescapes/2008/familyfun/stories/NW_050808ESC_best_dude_ranch.e0538da2.html - broken link)
Another thought: TripAdvisor.com. That's where I always plan trips and get travel ideas. It's the world's leading venue where travelers report their real experiences. I searched for "dude ranch" and this is the amazing page that came up. You have a teeny little bit of research to do!! Search results: dude ranch - TripAdvisor
I am a member of Trip Advisor. It's a great site. They sent me a big ol' tricked out hat.
Well golly, researching and selecting the puzzle pieces and putting them all together is half the fun, no?
I'm a TA member too (same ID) and I got the same tricked out hat! Small, nice world, eh?
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