Five ways a dude ranch vacation saves money

Getting away is more important than ever these days (who isn't stressed out right about now?). But with high gas prices and a challenging economy, families are having a harder time figuring out how to work a vacation into the budget. Road trips may be the quintessential American vacation, but staying in one place— that offers a variety of activities in one location—means big savings and less stress.

A dude ranch vacation can be the perfect value vacation. Five reasons should convince you:

1) A dude ranch is all-inclusive. Meals, lodging, activities are all included—unlike a cruise, where everything from soda pop to port fees and land excursions cost extra.

2) You know where the kids are at all times (they're having a blast—and supervised), and you generally aren't spending extra on babysitting.

3) Considering all the facilities and activities open to your use, a dude ranch gives you more bang for your buck.

4) Go during the shoulder season (often June and October at mountain ranches) or low season (summer at the desert ranches) and you can often find discounted rates.

5) All the memories you'll make as a family: priceless.

Randy George, owner of Latigo Ranch in Colorado's Grand County, put it best. "An all-inclusive dude ranch vacation requires no intricate planning, keeps every member of the family happy with a wide variety of activities, and lets people experience a real slice of the American West - all in line with a budget, with no extras or hidden surprises."

To find a value ranch, click on Ranchweb.com.

Time to visit an Arizona ranch!

I'm looking out my window to cold, slashing rain and dreaming of Arizona, where it's 73° and sunny today in Tucson. Winter is the best season for most Arizona ranches and there’s still plenty of time to sneak away for a warm, sunny dude ranch vacation. Arizona ranches have so much to offer. There are those that focus on being casual and family-friendly, like the Grapevine Canyon Ranch in Pearce. Others boast elegant, upscale facilities, such as Hidden Meadow Ranch near Greer and the Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg. Many offer warm and colorful southwestern architecture, like White Stallion Ranch outside Tucson and Kay El Bar Ranch in Wickenburg (shown in photo).

And all offer value options. Wondering which ranch to choose? There’s plenty of help. On the Ranchweb page, go to Selecting A Ranch and scroll through all the options that various ranches have to offer, from riding, fishing, and cattle drives to spas and luxury options. Or just click here. Another useful tool is on the Arizona Dude Ranch Association website. There, a page lets you compare prices, seasons, programs, and facilities; all various attributes of all their Arizona member ranches in a handy chart form.
Just don't wait too long. Prime time is now! Stay tuned for next week's series on Arizona ranches.

A presidential fishing tale: North Fork Ranch

Seems everyone wants a ‘presidential story’ as we near Inauguration Day story, so here’s our angle. Turns out, you can fish the same spot favored by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower—on the rushing North Fork of Colorado’s South Platte River: at the North Fork Ranch, just one hour southwest of Denver. 

If fly fishing is your passion, this ranch should be on your radar.  North Fork Ranch(shown above) boasts a pristine, two-mile stretch of water, plus guided angling trips that Field & Stream Magazine called “the best to satisfy both the hardcore flyfisher and the rest of the family”.

We just got a note (sent to our Saddlebag) from Dean and Karen May, owners of the North Fork Ranch, with some added news. “We’re the newest addition to the Colorado Orvis-Endorsed Lodge Program,” notes Karen May.  Their diverse program, intimate size (35 guests, maximum) and personal attention set them apart from other fishing lodges.  “Settle in and you’ll quickly realize there is a magic here, a place that feels as good as home,” says May.

What anglers go for: brook, brown, cutbow, Snake River cutthroat, and rainbow trout. When to go: guided fishing trips (half or full day; packages available including meals, lodging and fishing) are available from about mid-February-November. Fall is prime time for both water conditions and weather.

And for the non-anglers in the family? Not to worry; there’s everything from hiking, horseback riding, rafting, and target shooting to lounging by the pool. Learn more about fishing at www.northforkranchguideservice.com

How to pick the right ranch

Finding the right ranch for you and your family can be a little like finding the perfect horse--fun, but also daunting, thanks to a wide range of choices. But there's a lot of help out there. Our partner website, Ranchweb.com offers several special features to help narrow your choices. The site's exclusive Space Availability Finder & Dude Ranch and Guest Ranch Search Engine lets you find ranches and lodges that meet your preferences (for example, the price range, ranch activities you want, and whether or not you will be traveling with children). Narrow the list by selecting a specific state, province or country, then click one of the resulting ranches or lodges to find details on activities, accommodations, rates, food, kid's programs and more, plus photographs.

Or just go to the ranch categories page, showing more than 100 categories designed to help you find ranches that meet your specific interests; Please click here for all ranch categories.

At Ranchweb's Interactive Map, you get a bird's-eye view of the area you would like to travel to. Click on an area of the map and zoom into a state or province to see a listing of dude ranches and guest ranches. Then, just click on a ranch listing for more information; use the navigation tools at the top or bottom of the page or use the back button on your browser to review additional ranches and lodges.

Tips for Moms: answering your kids' ranch questions

One question every kid will ask his parents about the ranch they choose to visit is: "Will there be any kids my age there?" At Lost Valley Ranch, just southwest of Denver, owner Bob Foster hears that question a lot. His answer?

"With 90 guests/ 24 families, we get a lot of kids across age groups, so there's always "somebody their age" here," notes Foster. The ranch takes babies and offers babysitting and cares for 3-5 year-olds (in a group setting), so the parents get some free time. They divide rides and many activities by age groups, so kids and teens are with their peers. And there are lots of options. "You can't push a kid into a program," claims Foster. "They want choices."

More importantly, the supervisors (or 'supes') of the children and teens at Lost Valley Ranch are hand-picked. "I personally visit with all our potential staffers," says Foster, "I like to look 'em in the eye." His goal: to hire young people who have a passion for working with children and teenagers. "Finding people who really enjoy working with kids—that's our number one job," Foster says.

 It must be working—this will be their 49th year in the dude and guest ranching business. 

Dude and guest ranches geared to families

Last week's post (Tips for Moms: Selecting a ranch for kids) just touched on a subject blog readers always want to know more about: how to find the perfect ranch suited to your children and the family's needs. 

Our partner site, Ranchweb.com, breaks out their list of North American ranches into helpful categories, from those with children's trail riding (including Arizona's Rancho de los Caballeros) to guest ranches and resorts with teen programs (as at Colorado's Wilderness Trails Ranch); to ranches that let kids eat together with other children (as at New York's Rocking Horse Dude Ranch Resort).

And some ranches have fine-tuned their children's programs over decades. Take California's Rankin Ranch, for example. Founded in 1863 (click to see the ranch in pictures), the ranch history runs deep and the Rankin family delights in sharing this history with guests. Their supervised children's program for ages 4-11 provides activities throughout the day: treasure hunts to nature walks, arts and crafts fun, talent shows, toy boat building and racing. Each evening, everyone enjoys visiting Sarah's Farm to feed and pet the calves, chickens, pigs, and sheep. Plan ahead: the ranch is open March-September.

Tips for Moms: choosing a ranch for kids

Figuring out which ranch is best for your kids is a concern for both parents, but Moms are often the ones who end up doing the necessary detective work. One tip: start your selection process on the Internet (on sites that narrow the search, like Ranchweb), then work the phones. When you've selected your top choice ranches, ask each for a list of past guests that wouldn't mind a call from you (that is, guests who came with kids).

Then call and ask if they have time for a few questions about their ranch stay: how child-oriented they felt the ranch was; what kinds of kid-programs they participated in and what ages the programs worked best for; what their kids really loved (or not) about the ranch.

See if there's anything out-of-the-ordinary the parents suggest you should bring for the kids when they visit a ranch. You might get some surprising answers. And if your "little dudes" have any special considerations, mention them; if their children share those considerations, you'll find out how the ranch accommodated them. You're sure to get some great ideas from the vast—and helpful—network of parents out there. And you might even make a new phone friend.

Holiday at the ranch

Want to escape from bell-ringing Santas, throngs at the mall, and those seemingly endless shopping lists and decorating chores? Head for a guest ranch during December's holiday season.

Whether you choose a snowy redoubt in Wyoming or a winter-warm spot like Arizona, you’re sure to find one thing: a great escape from the usual din of December. Bring your friends and family to join ranch activities that range from campfires with s’mores to decorating the tree.

Not all ranches are open for the Christmas holiday, but those that are make extra efforts to ensure a special time for their guests, with incredible feasts (like duck l’orange), or horseback riding or snowmobile and snowshoe tours (as weather permits).

Some examples: at Wyoming's Turpin Meadow Ranch, nordic and snowshoe opportunities are right outside your cabin door and the lodge is just fifteen miles from Grand Teton National Park, and the festivities abound, from cookie-making to tree-trimming. And nearby Jackson jumps with the holiday activities from Thanksgiving through New Year.

At Colorado's Vista Verde, guides will take you skiing, snowshoeing, or horseback riding into the magnificent countryside; or stay inside and join Culinary Adventures, like wine tasting and cooking classes. As Stephanie at Vista Verde says,

"There is just something about the jingle bells on the sleigh, the fireplace crackling, and the snowmen and sledding and all the winter fun that makes the season feel like it's supposed to be."

In Arizona, visit Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch and get into the frontier spirit. Relax by the pool, challenge the kids to a game of basketball or billiards, or ride into the Arizona sunshine.

Whichever style of ranch you choose, it will be a holiday your family will not soon forget. For a complete list of year-round ranches, mosey on over to Ranchweb.

A Thanksgiving getaway

Can't face another overstuffed meal with the relatives? Try something off the hook for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's not far off—November 27—and its always a Thursday, which makes it perfect for kicking off a four-day weekend or week-long trip. And what better way to plug into the true spirit of the holiday than to get back to the land on a guest ranch?

Now is the time to start planning a Thanksgiving ranch getaway. Give thanks for the past year—or just rest up and recover from it—on a luxury ranch (some have indulgences like spas and soaking tubs). Or share the bounty of the season on a rustic ranch; many have been in the same family for generations, so you can be sure they know a thing or two about taking care of the land and being thankful for all it has to give us.

Here are a few ranches open at Thanksgiving (at our press date, they all had T-Day openings, but call ahead to check/book): Bar W Guest Ranch in Montana; Clear Creek Ranch in North Carolina; Elkhorn Ranch in Arizona; Grapevine Canyon Ranch in Arizona.

Whatever style of ranch you visit, it'll be a Turkey Day you'll remember for years to come. For a list of ranches that are open in fall/year-round, check  Ranchweb.com. Click here for ranch travel bargains.

Picking a ranch: visitor tips

The range of choices in ranches out there is awesome—and for anyone planning a dude ranch vacation, it can be intimidating. There are some similarities: most ranches offer American Plan, with meals, lodging, and activities included, but some do offer Modified American Plan and European Plans. But one thing's for sure: every ranch serves up a slightly different menu of features to cater to your special interests.

To get started, head for Ranchweb.com, where you can find ranches listed by category. Then ask yourself some key questions. Are you interested in a child-oriented ranch or one where child care is provided? How important is the kind of riding program available (and how much of your visit do you want to spend in the saddle)? If fishing, nature walking, or hunting is important to family members, you'll want to scope out the ranch's level of offerings in those activities. Food and drink is always key, so don't be afraid to ask about menus and liquor policies.

And if there's a spouse in the house who just can't unplug from the Internet or cell phone, you'll want to check out the ranch connections (they're not all as remote as you think). Whatever you want, there's sure to be a dude ranch perfect for your needs, and it's just a click away!