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Helping People Find Quality Dude Ranches and Guest Ranch Vacations Since 1926

Springtime at Elkhorn Ranch in Arizona

February 22nd, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

Ready for some rest and relaxation?  Seeking sunshine?  Spring break holiday around the corner and you don’t have a plan?  Elkhorn Ranch in sunny Arizona welcomes you to spring in the Sonoran Desert.  Families, singles and couples are all special at Elkhorn, where you’ll enjoy your own horse for a week or more, a cozy cabin, beautiful country, and friendship.  Adventure on sure-footed horses into the Baboquivari Mountains and the open country of the Altar Valley, on small rides tailored to your interests and experience.  Enjoy a heated swimming, birding, pool, tennis, ping pong, horse-shoes, hiking, books, games, and the joy of hearty meals with fresh baked goods daily.  A special place for families and multi-generational gatherings, where each person may enjoy their own brand of riding and fun – where children enjoy outdoor freedom and independence, and parents dust off their youth.  Elkhorn Ranch is a traditional guest ranch located about 50 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona that has been owned and operated by the Miller family since 1946.  One or more cabins available each week between February 26 – April 29, 2012 — call soon to reserve a spot!

Elkhorn Ranch

27000 W Elkhorn Ranch Road … 

Tucson, Arizona  85736

520-822-1040  or office@elkhornranch.com

www.elkhornranch.com  

TWO FOR ONE KIDS SPECIAL at 4UR Ranch

February 20th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

Here is an amazing deal at 4UR Ranch in Creed, Colorado that I wanted to share with everyone:

 

TWO FOR ONE KIDS SPECIAL

One child stays for free with one paid child
Offer good for children 10 and under

June 9-16, 2012

 

 

Beautiful – Historic- 4UR Ranch has been welcoming families to this spectacular valley in the Colorado Rocky Mountains for over 120 years.  We invite you to join us for our exceptional trail riding and personalized horsemanship program, our spectacular fly fishing on 6 miles of private tailwater, an incomparable children’s program, the peace and serenity of our natural hotsprings pool, and, at the end of the day, a food and wine selection prepared by our Cordon Bleu trained executive chef.  Having been family owned for 40 years, the 4UR has been renovated and restored to pamper todays guest
while stewarding the magnificent legacy of days gone by.

Our guests are immediately absorbed into our phenomenal Natural Horsemanship program and world reknowned private fly fishing.  Children ages 5-12 enjoy a daily adventurous kids’ program that is fun and also educational.  Throw in mountain biking, hiking, rafting, trap and sporting clays, heated pool, natural hot springs and a massage and you have happy and content guests week after week, and year after year.

Please contact 4UR Ranch at 719-658-2202 or go to their website at
www.4urranch.com
for more information or to make reservations.

Montana Culinary Retreat at Averill’s Flathead Lake Ranch

February 16th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

 

This is the ultimate foodie outdoors adventure! Guests will enjoy a hands on experience with our chef and his team, learning new techniques that transfer easily to cooking at home. This exciting package is a blend of culinary retreat and Montana adventure. Mornings will be spent in the kitchen learning and working alongside Executive Chef Brian Lesyinski, while afternoons are for enjoying the ranch, from horseback riding to sailing and massage.

Enjoy an evening of wine pairings, a happy hour with guest bar tenders from the local distillery, as well as an evening of beer tasting with the local brewery. Guests will also enjoy ‘educational guest speakers’ throughout the trip, including a local coffee roasting company, and locally awarded chefs.

If you are still hungry, the final days meals will be the culmination of the weekend featuring plates created by you!

This all-inclusive package is $1170 per person. For more information, please contact the Lodge.   406.837.4391 or email info@flatheadlakelodge.com

Averill’s Flathead Lake Lodge is a third generation family run and operated Dude Ranch located in Northwest Montana on the shores of Flathead Lake. The Lodge offers the ultimate family vacation with unlimited horse & water activities and is located only 35 miles from Glacier National Park and the famous Going to the Sun Highway. At the Lodge your family will enjoy a rustic ranch atmosphere, endless recreational activities, and unmatched hospitality by the Averill family and staff. Recreation includes a complete horse program highlighted by individual lessons, rodeo events, breakfast and lunch rides, a private elk preserve and more than 2,000 pristine acres for daily trail rides. In addition to the riding programs, Flathead Lake Lodge offers unmatched water activities on Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake West of the Mississippi and one of the cleanest lakes in the world. Spend the afternoon sailing your own boat or crewing on one of the two 51 foot Q-Class racing sloops, water skiing or wake boarding, and enjoying the lakeside heated pool. In addition to the horse and water programs, guests enjoy world-class fly fishing expeditions on the nearby Swan River, hiking in the Jewel Basin Primitive Area, whitewater rafting, mountain cookouts, a family rodeo, a barn dance, and guest vs. staff volleyball. Flathead Lake Lodge is the ultimate family vacation…Montana style.

Meals at the Lodge reflect a mix of Western elegance, family friendliness, and satisfying comfort. The rustic Lodge and roaring fire enhance the Montana inspired cuisine highlighted by fine cuts of meat, fresh local produce, and a hearty Western flare. For the younger ones, a special kid friendly dinner is served nightly. Enjoy a variety of menus including an early morning breakfast ride and mountain steak fry dinner. Fine dining is paired with a casual family atmosphere and good home cooking.

Please visit www.flatheadlakelodge.com  or call 406-837-4391 for more information or reservations.

Special Events for 2012 at Zapata Ranch

February 13th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

Check out the great specialty weeks at Zapata Ranch in Mosca, Colorado.  This is a great ranch and you won’t want to miss out on the fun!  Please call the ranch at 888-592-4455 for more information or to make reservations.

SANDHILL CRANE PHOTO TRIP: March 12-16, 2012

This trip is FULL. Please be in touch if you’d like us to add you to a waiting list.Because of the success of last year’s photo trip, Mike, Dave and John are returning to lead another workshop.

Each year, approximately 27,000 Sandhill Cranes migrate through the San Luis Valley, one of the most geologically and ecologically diverse landscapes in the world. For the second year in a row, we are partnering with renowned nature photographers Michael Forsberg & Dave Showalter, along with expert naturalist and birder John Rawinksi and Ranch GM Duke Phillips, to provide you the opportunity for behind-the-scenes access to this natural phenomenon. Join us on an intimate journey into public and private lands and wildlife reserves where Mike and Dave will share state of the art photo skills, John will share his unparalleled knowledge for the area and the Sandhill Crane and Duke will enlighten you on the work that Zapata Partners’ is doing on Zapata and on ranches around the West.

You will leave with a portfolio of new photos (focused primarily on cranes, but inclusive of other wildlife, landscape and bison), first-hand knowledge of this remarkable landscape and the management, history and conservation work that is being done to preserve it. Attendees will stay at Zapata’s guest lodge and enjoy meals cooked by our gourmet chef, Mike, as well.

Don’t wait to reserve your spot for this one-of-a-kind event! This is a sell-out workshop. Space is limited to 12 participants. Click here to read what Dave had to say about last year’s workshop and to see some of his images, and here to see what last year’s participant Rick McNally wrote about his time at the ranch. If you’d like to see a printable flier for the event, click here.

Cost: $1,300pp includes all meals, activities, lodging and instruction.

BRANDING WEEK: May 13 – 20, 2012

The week will be shared between Zapata Ranch and our sister ranch, Chico Basin, during the year’s most intensive cattle works and branding.

Time on Zapata will be filled with rides into Sand Creek, which will be flowing as it does for only 3 weeks each year, rides through and working the bison and rides into Sand Dunes National Park. At the Chico we’ll spend two days branding calves and working cattle and a third riding through the Chico prairie and arroyos. When nighttime comes we’ll enjoy dinner over a campfire and a good night’s sleep under the stars.

This is a week not typically open to the public and a time of year that we cherish more than any. It is a celebration of Spring time, new calves and an annual gathering that we all look forward to!

Space is limited to 15 participants.
Cost: $1,995 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction

PACK TRIP: June 17 – 24, 2012

Beginning with a night in the lodge, the pack trip starts the following morning from the Sane Dunes National Park where we’ll head up into the mountains for 3 nights and 4 days of high mountain riding. We’ll explore old mining country, take leisurely rides with magnificent views of the whole valley and San Juan Mountains, fish the alpine lakes and enjoy delicious food cooked over the fire. With nightfall, we’ll sit around the campfire before retiring to the big, white canvas tent that will be our home and base camp.

The final days back at the ranch will bring rides with the bison, through the Zapata meadows and working with the bison and cattle herds for those not too tired from our mountainous travels! Intermediate riding ability is encouraged, though not required.

Space is limited to 12 participants.
Cost: $2,500 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction

WOMEN’S WEEK & HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC: July 22 – 29, 2012

What better way to spend quality time bonding with your girlfriends than to come to Zapata for the week?

Days will be filled with rides through the expansive meadows amongst our 1,500 bison, working cattle, photo trips across the ranch to capture wildlife and hiking through the 700-foot tall sand dunes and bordering Sangre de Cristo Mountains with our naturalist. A horsemanship instructor will be riding along for each ride and offering instruction, as well as leading daily clinics. Evenings will bring cocktails and appetizers on the patio as the sun is setting, followed by dinners of ranch-raised bison and beef, and locally grown vegetables prepared by our gourmet chef.

After dinner, relax around the campfire, learn about astronomy from an expert and soak in the local hot springs pools. A massage therapist will be on hand to soothe sore muscles from riding.

Space is limited to 15 participants.
Cost: $1,995 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction

HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC: July 29 – August 5, 2012

This workshop will be led by Zapata Ranch and Chico Basin Ranch general manager, third-generation rancher and horseman, Duke Phillips, and 25-year director of the riding program at Thacher School in California, Cam Schryver. Both Duke and Cam are invited to speak around the country on conservation, horsemanship and what it means to be a modern day rancher.

Days will be spent with personal one-on-one horsemanship instruction, educational demonstrations, rides through the surrounding meadows and dunes and working cattle and bison on horseback. Applying working ranch horsemanship and riding by feel, you’ll leave the week feeling a deeper connection to the magnificence of the horse and will understand how to better communicate with it. You are more than welcome to bring your own horse.

Space is limited to 15 participants.
Cost: $1,995 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction

NATURE & WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP: August 5 – 10, 2012

Led by long-time Zapata Ranch and Chico Basin Ranch photographer, Stephen Weaver. Steve’s knowledge of the ranch as well as the local San Luis Valley hot spots will put you in the right breathtaking places at the right times.

Join us for 5 days of nature and wildlife photography and learn the fundamentals of what exactly goes into making a quality outdoor photograph. Daily discussions will be held to explore the philosophies behind creating your own artistic vision as well as image processing techniques that help you achieve and meet your aspirations. Click HERE to visit Steve’s website.

Space is limited to 8 participants.
$1,565 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction

PAINTING WORKSHOP- HORSES: September 23 – 28, 2012

This workshop led by renowned artist, Jill Soukup, focuses on drawing and painting horses. Discussions and exercises will focus on the importance of understanding equine anatomy, what makes good drawing and composition, and color. Activities will include photo opportunities (of horses running and a bison tour), sketching and studying corralled horses, demonstrations and critiques.

Space is limited to 15 participants.
Cost: $1,565 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction

PHOTOGRAPHY and POST-PRODUCTION WORKSHOP: October14-20, 2012

For the third consecutive year, Bobbie Goodrich and Susan Burns are returning to share their wealth of knowledge.

The days will be spent with ranch excursions and photo safaris- rising before dawn to travel to the Sand Dunes National Park and Medano Ranch to photograph the bison and sand dunes at day break, spending the day in our historic educational center perfecting your images with post-production work, heading out as the sun sets to capture our 60-head horse herd running against the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range and much more.  This workshop is not to be missed!

Space is limited to 15 participants.
Cost: $3,200, includes all meals, lodging and instruction.

For more information, please see Bobbie and Susan’s Website and visit our facebook page for examples of images created at their 2010 Zapata workshop.

Pictured Left: Example of photographs before (top) and after (bottom) Post-Production work by Bobbie Goodrich.


BISON GATHER: October 29-November 4, 2012

Available only to returning guests, this event is one-of-a-kind, worldwide. 2,000 wild bison will be gathered from a 50,000-acre pasture by horseback into small traps. Only riders with a high skill level can participate and only 4 spots are available. This is not a vacation where you will be pampered. You will be expected to fit in alongside a group of cowboys who are serious and are working hard to try to outsmart and out flank wild bison. The days can be long and hard. The ride will sometimes take you at dangerously high speeds through rugged and treacherous terrain. However, our goal is to attempt to get the bison into traps at a leisurely pace. One of our guests last year said the experience was the best he’d had in his entire life.
Space limited to 4 participants.

Cost: $4,500 pp, includes all meals, lodging and instruction.

Dude Ranch Dining

February 10th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

At restaurants and posh resorts in America’s West, chefs have a rich heritage of ingredients and methods to draw on, and wine is definitely on the menu.

Published on Feb 1, 2012  Wine Enthusiast Magazine
By Karen Berman

A plate o’ beans and a chaw of rattlesnake jerky, washed down with coffee brewed in the embers of the campfire—that’s what many an urbanite sees as a typical meal in the Old West. Watching too many cowboy movies will have that effect.

“The stereotypical stories of people sitting around the campfire were true—when people were traveling,” says Holly Arnold Kinney, owner of The Fort, a Morrison, Colorado-based restaurant that has been renowned for its loving celebration of the West since her parents opened the eatery in 1963. Kinney says that when the travelers stopped at a trading post to resupply—and even more so when they became homesteaders—dinner was a more elaborate affair, at least for those who could afford it.

“There was French Champagne, [wines of] Bordeaux and meals eaten on fine china,” says Kinney, also the executive director of the Tesoro Cultural Center, which promotes the cultural heritage of Colorado and the Southwest.

Western cuisine was a true melting pot, says Kinney. It included Native American staples known as the three sacred sisters (corn, beans and squash); Spanish delicacies like wine and spices imported from the Far East; Mexican delicacies, especially chilies; French flavors introduced by trappers and fur traders; pioneer pantry items like wheat, salt pork, lard and preserved and pickled foods; and the bounty of the land (bison, elk, deer, quail, grouse, root vegetables, berries and trout).

As a result, Kinney notes, “our modern buy-local, sustainable, heritage-seed, steward-of-the-land, back-to-our-roots movement,” is rooted in the Old West.

Today, many chefs are taking the foods of the Old West and applying the techniques of contemporary cuisine. One such example is Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, an 8,000-acre dude ranch and resort in Emigrant, Montana, just north of Yellowstone National Park. The 92-year-old property was purchased in 2001 by Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the N.F.L.’s Atlanta Falcons. Blank has invested generously in the property, which now can accommodate 80 guests.

“We have three different cookouts—breakfast, lunch and dinner—and two gourmet nights,” says Brian Bielen, executive chef at Mountain Sky. A gourmet night might feature grilled bison tenderloin medallions served over truffle root-vegetable hash, topped with baby green beans and fried parsnips tossed in gorgonzola-sundried tomato cream, finished with a roasted shallot whiskey sauce.

Bielen uses all the local products he can. Bison, grouse, trout and the region’s famed huckleberries appear on the menu, along with more universal restaurant fare like sea scallops or spring lamb. These ingredients are likely to be prepared with contemporary French, Italian or Chinese touches.

A thousand or so miles to the south, near Tucson, Arizona, gourmet wine and food is also a focus at Rancho De La Osa Guest Ranch, operated by Chef/ Co-owner Veronica Schultz and her husband, Richard.

The Hacienda, which is the main building on the ranch, dates back to the mid-19th century. But the building occupied by Rancho De La Osa’s Cantina has older roots, spanning to the late 1600s when Spanish Jesuit priests built it as a mission trading outpost. Since 1924, the property has been used as a guest ranch, and the Schultzes took over the reins in 1996.

Schultz relies heavily on traditional, local ingredients and gives them a modern culinary spin. “Southwestern food is not really heavily into red meat, probably because of the heat,” she says. “The Southwestern food that we do is lighter. We do a lot of pork tenderloin and chicken, fish. Our food doesn’t have a lot of cream in it. It’s oriented to fruit sauces and salsas made with chilies.”

Wine can play a leading role for chefs who are serious about Western food. In fact, wine has been part of Western cuisine for several hundred years, Kinney says.
“In the 19th century, New Mexico was a big winemaking region,” she says. “The Spanish people who came here loved wine and they brought grapes. In the missions, they had wine.” Kinney also adds that Westerners “imported a lot of French wine.”

Yet, because the food of the West is so diverse, there’s no single, definitive pairing strategy.

Dominic Orsini is the winery chef at Silver Oak and Twomey Cellars, in Oakville, California, whose owners, the Duncan family, also own Diamond Tail Ranch, a buffalo and Corriente cattle ranch in Colorado. Orsini often serves buffalo and approaches it like any other pairing.

This means accounting for the acidity, salt, fat and other influences of the dish and pairing it accordingly. Orsini particularly emphasizes umami, the rich, savory flavor that comes from naturally occurring glutamates in foods. Buffalo, for example, has a meatier flavor than beef, which calls for a big red wine, like the Silver Oak Cab. It’s also Kinney’s recommended pairing at The Fort.

“The tannins are well integrated into our wine, so the fat in the herb butter coats your palate and makes it hard for you to perceive them,” says Orsini. “Hence, the wine tastes soft. The herbs provide an aroma that mingles with the wine’s finish of oak, fruit and spice.

“When it comes to pairing wine with Western cuisine,” Orsini concludes, “the rules are pretty much universal.”

So be assured, city slickers: A visit to the mountains or the desert doesn’t have to mean deprivation. (read more)

The Highway Man: Family Style Tranquility at Latigo Ranch

February 7th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

Published: Saturday, February 04, 2012   The Delaware County Daily Times

 

Old MacDonald had a farm …

— Traditional children’s nursery rhyme

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want. …

— 23rd Psalm

One in a series

All my life I’ve heard about Old MacDonald — you know, cluck-cluck here, moo-moo there, oink-oink, baa-baa, hee-haw ad infinitum —- but I never expected to meet a man who may owe his life to a character in a nursery rhyme.

That man is 69-year-old Jim Yost, co-owner of Latigo Ranch, a unique guest ranch high in the Rockies in a secluded region of Colorado’s Grand County. It’s about a hundred miles west of Denver. If you like tranquility and solitude with your spectacular mountain scenery, then Latigo is your kind of place. At an elevation of about 9,000 feet, the ranch is 16 miles outside of the small town of Kremmling. Seemingly up in the clouds, Latigo is a relatively small operation, with a limit of just 35 guests per week. It was voted “Best Dude Ranch in Colorado” by “Colorado’s Best: The Essential Guide To Favorite Places.”

The owners are Jim and Kathie Yost and Randy and Lisa George, and the ranch is a genuine family operation. Everybody pitches in, giving Latigo a personal touch that is hard to match. Lisa George runs the kitchen, and her daily menus — breakfast, lunch and dinner — are simply unbeatable. She is ably assisted by her son Spencer, 19, a business administration major in college, and daughter Hannah, 17.

Latigo has everything the bigger ranches have … and more … including four llamas, which are sometimes used as pack animals on overnight camping expeditions. Arriving guests are greeted at the gate by a horse-drawn wagon, which provides a tour of the property, and there’s a homey container of freshly-made carmel popcorn for snacking in every cabin.

The comfortable accommodations include modern wood-burning fireplaces and lots of elbow room. Four of the cabins — Saddlepad, Bedroll, Cinch and Riggin — make up a “four-plex” on a hill overlooking the ranch center. Early mornings, when the mist is still hanging over the corral, are serene.

“This is our fourth time here in seven years,” noted Mark Huie of Gloucester, Va., from the porch in front of Saddlepad, where he and his wife Marty were spending the week. “These people are absolutely phenomenal. Jim (Yost) is amazing. Everytime I come here I learn something new.”

Amazing? Well, Jim Yost, who once described himself as a “sociable hermit,” is a lot more than that. A college professor with a doctorate in anthropology (he is Dr. Yost in academic circles), the man is a walking encyclopedia, liberally salted with humor and compassion. Besides being a rancher and an expert horseman and guide, Yost is a naturalist, a missionary, an author, an advocate and an anthropologist, and is considered the world’s foremost expert on the Waorani, an indiginous, primitive tribe that lives deep in the rain forests of the Amazon River.

And this is where Old MacDonald comes in. Beginning in 1973, Jim and Kathie spent 10 years in the Amazon jungle, raising their family and living with the Waorani, a tribe with a bloodthirsty reputation known as the “secret people” of Ecuador. Yost was based in Ecuador, acting as research and consultant anthropologist for the Summer Institute of Linguistics, a missionary organization.

In fact, Jim was one of the first outsiders to attempt contact with the Waorani after a tragic 1956 incident in which five missionaries were murdered. Friendly at first, the Waorani turned on them unexpectedly, killing them with spears. Headlines across America screamed, “Missionaries slain by savages.”

Upon first contact, Jim brought gifts for the tribe’s warriors. But he didn’t have enough to go around, and one young warrior felt slighted. Fearing that the angry young man would come into his hut and kill him if he fell asleep, Yost stayed up all night singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” It cost him a night’s sleep, but he survived. Eventually, he won the young warrior over, and they became friends.

Perhaps, that’s why you might notice a Bible unpretentiously placed on the desk in your room at Latigo. It will be opened to The Book of Psalms.

Yost’s research and exploits in the Amazon were the basis of an award-winning PBS documentary called “Nomads of the Rain Forest,” which premiered in 2000. To this day, it remains the most watched “Nova” production ever. He is the author of numerous publications on the Waorani and remains active in a campaign to secure legal status for traditional Waorani lands. He continues to work closely with them, responding to their requests for assistance in learning to cope with the changes they face as the 21st century encroaches on their world.

Keep in mind, however, that Yost was born and raised in Colorado.

“As a boy growing up in Colorado, my passion was horses, the West and the Rockies, providing me some great memories,” he said. “I got my first job at 14 leading mule trips up Pikes Peak. That formed a foundation not only for handling horses in the mountains, but also for safely accommodating riders in rugged terrain.”

Riding at Latigo, along spectacular mountain ridges, past alpine meadows and through fantastic Aspen groves, is an unforgettable experience. On Tuesday nights, the dinner bell is moved up so that a sunset ride can be scheduled … with one of Lisa’s delicious homemade desserts following the ride. And there’s also a Saturday morning breakfast ride.

One of the best and easier rides is the Waterfall Trail, which leads out to the lower falls of the Red Dirt Creek. The beautiful waterfall overlooks the valley and is a perfect spot to get out of the saddle and take a few pictures. With lead wrangler Holly, a native of the Finger Lakes region of New York, and Nathaniel holding the horses, it was a perfectly timed break on an enjoyable morning ride. On warm summer days, the falls also provides a favorite swimming hole for the wranglers and other ranch staff in their off-hours.

There are a number of other excellent riding and hiking trails, including the Irrigation Ditch Trail and Sunrise, both of which lead up to Kasdorf Peak, and the Overlook Trail, which circles Latigo Point and Paleo Point. Regardless of which trail you take, the splendor of the Rockies will be in full view.

More experienced riders also have the opportunity to go on a real cattle roundup at Latigo, and one of the most popular options is an overnight horseback camping trip up into the high meadows. Jim Yost has led more than 300 of these excursions.

Yost always outlines the rigors of these trips thoroughly at dinner the previous night, so that guests can make up their mind whether they feel up to sleeping bags and tents where the overnight temperatures are generally 20 degrees cooler.

“Don’t worry about the mosquitoes up there,” Jim says dryly. “We carry plenty of rope on these trips. We just lasso ‘em and tie ‘em to the trees.”

Yost never uses a tent for himself … unless there is persistent rain or snow.

“I like to look at the stars and the movement of the clouds,” he said.

Jim also leads a weekly 90-minute nature walk. A certified naturalist, his knowledge of the flora and fauna in the region is remarkable. At the beginning of the week, he also gives a fly-fishing clinic.

Besides riding, there’s plenty to do at Latigo. There’s a swimming pool and a hot tub, and the three-story recreation center has game rooms, a dance floor and even a third-story library loft. There’s target shooting and fishing, and of course, the ranch has an excellent children’s program. Parents can comfortably busy themselves with adult activities while their children enjoy age-appropriate rides and games under the guidance of capable counselors and wranglers.

Does that include singing “Old MacDonald”? Nah … probably not.

 

The Highwayman appears twice monthly in the Sunday Times. Comments and questions are welcome. E-mail The Highwayman at hwm4travel@comcast.net

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2012/02/04/life/doc4f2e0e8540598459021521.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

Drowsy Water Ranch HONORED IN THE 2012 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELERS’ CHOICE HOTEL AWARDS

January 31st, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

Newton, Mass. – January 18, 2012 - TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), the world’s largest travel website, today reveals Drowsy Water Ranch was again chosen as a top 25 winner in the All Inclusive Resorts in the World category  by TripAdvisor in its 2012 Travelers’ Choice® awards.

Drowsy Water Ranch is an all-inclusive dude ranch in Granby, Colo., located 70 miles west of Denver. The Ranch, a member of the Grand County Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association, Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association and National Dude Ranchers Association, earned the No. 21 ranking on the TripAdvisor 2011 Travelers’ Choice® awards list this year and is one of only two United States destinations to make the list in the All Inclusive Category. The ranch was previously awarded the #1 spot in 2010 and #4 spot in 2011.  The ranch is owned and operated by the Fosha Family.

Now in its tenth year, the annual TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards honor the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers. Unlike any other hotel honors, TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winners are based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.

“With the help of millions of travelers around the globe, TripAdvisor is thrilled to recognize the world’s most outstanding hotels for the tenth year of the Travelers’ Choice Awards,” said Christine Petersen, president, TripAdvisor for Business. “From the best bargain hotels to best luxury hotels, remarkable service, value and quality are the hallmarks of our Travelers’ Choice winners.”

As TripAdvisor has continued its growth globally, featuring sites in 30 countries and in 21 languages, the Travelers’ Choice Hotels awards now highlight a broader range of spectacular properties across the globe.

For reviews on the Drowsy Water Ranch go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels-cAllInclusive

For the complete 2012 Travelers’ Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice.

 

Dude Ranch Delight at Rancho de los Caballeros

January 26th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

Great article about Rancho de los Caballeros posted on  www.justluxe.com by Katherine Bond.

A slow-burn mesquite fire.  Cacti for as far as the eye can see.  A staff with hardy, real accents.  This is a true dude ranch, Rancho De Caballeros. For 60 years, the “gentlemen on horses” ranch and Gant family have welcomed generations of guests onto its 20,000-acre property. Now with a golf course, standout tennis courts, team penning activities, and more, the property continues to entice a burgeoning throng of international folks and discerning “Millennials,” each hoping for a cowboy inspired escape. Here are my favorite moments during a recent stay at this standout dude ranch.

Horses to play with: Perhaps I adore dude ranches for their horses. A smile always sweeps across my face when I first glimpse at a corral filled with content horses, grazingon a fresh bundle of hay or trotting across an expansive pen. Rancho De Caballeros’ collection of horses is impressive. Over 80 are kept during the season, some of which are owned by nearby residents. I was able to take a private trail ride withCaroline, who grew up coming to the ranch with her family. I love that. The number of resorts that can say, “Our guests love us so much that they eventually work for us, decades later” is very few, I believe. A history of building multi-generation experiences is a luxury of a rare set of resorts, and one Rancho De Caballeros cherishes well.

Carolineloves the desert. I learned so much during our ride, particularly about the Saguaro, a cacti thriving only in the Sonoran desert, located in Southwestern regions of America. So called the “king of cacti,” Saguaro takes centuries to grow and have been environmentally protected since 1933. I knew one the moment I saw it-this cacti is the famous, tall (up to 50 feet!), armed type depicted in countless desert art, memorabilia and Westerns.Carolinesaid she has 4 growing in her backyard. Just 7 seven years old, the four babies are barely an inch tall.Carolineand I spotted a dead a Saguaro, which appeared almost as a bleached, wood-encrusted statue. Riding amidst Rancho De Caballeros’ 20,000 open acres is a must, especially if withCaroline.

Skeet is neat: One of Rancho De Caballeros’ most popular pastimesis skeet and trap shooting. Both major types of competitive shotgun shooting originated in the early 1920s and are as Western as a pair of spurs. I’ve gone shooting with hand guns a number of times, but the thought of trying to hit flying clay disks propelling across the dessert landscape seemed daunting. Norm, the ranch’s skeet expert, insisted it was easier than what I imagined. His strong cowboy accent, weathered look, and dry as a cactus humor entertained and puffed up the confidence of my group. Indeed, after a short introduction and practice round, my group of four was imploding one little clay disk after another.

A spa among cacti:Rancho De Caballeros’ spa is one of my favorites of dude ranches. Housed in a separate area of joint guest cottages, the spa is rather new for the ranch, but has quickly become one of the properties’ favored spots. The main building is washed in sunlight and leads to a charming waiting area that overlooks a cacti spotted courtyard. For an epic indulgence, opt for the Desert Ritual, a four-hour ritual inspired experience featuringtea service, Hohakam Massage, Desert Pearl Facial, Southwest Pedicure and Retreat Wrap Manicure. The service starts off with a walk through the spa’s stone laid labyrinth, framed by rolling mountains in the distance. I enjoyed a fantastic massage on a heated table next to a fire, ideal for keeping me cozy from the desert chill in the winter morning hours. The couple’s treatment room, highlighted by a gigantic white claw foot bathtub, is my inspiration for my bathroom remodel. The “Rubadubdub-Two in the Tub” promises a fun dip for couples, plus dual massages.

For more information or reservations, please call 800-684-5030 or go to www.RanchodelosCaballeros.com

Nine Quarter Circle Ranch Celebrates 100 Years!

January 17th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

In 1912 the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch welcomed it’s first guests and continues welcoming guests 100 years later. Join us this summer for our 100th Anniversary year, as we celebrate a century of helping friends make a “million” memories in the most beautiful country God created. You too, will find that you can make unforgettable memories here, “Where Time Stands Still”.

For celebration, we want to give you the gifts”"So, if you deposit before February 15th, 2012, we will enter the name of each person on your reservation form that is booked for this summer in a raffle for a free week for two for the 2012 summer season. (Note:  This does not include accommodations tax and service charge.)  Hurry and get in on the raffle!

Also, upon checkout, each group will receive a free Ranch Cookbook, celebrating our 100 years of great friends, food and fun. This is our First Ever cookbook, and will be available only to registered guest for the 2012 season.

These are just a few of the exciting things going on this summer. Keep checking back for updated information on our 100th celebration plans!

Yeeeeehaw! The Red Rock Ranch

January 12th, 2012 by Kim @ The DRA

This beautiful video that was put together by one of the recent guests at The Red Rock Ranch beautifully captures the essence of this amazing ranch.

“Last summer, we had the best time ever as a family touring the western US, but we all agreed that the high point of our vacation was staying at The Red Rock Ranch in Wyoming.

You know me by now… I spent the whole week taking a million photos… blue skies, green grass, red mountains, smiling faces, HORSES, fresh air… I was in paradise! Addie and Doug kindly asked if I could make a slideshow for their website to share our experience and months later (sorry Doug…) here it finally is!  Addie is also a fantastic photographer and you will find some of her work in the slideshow too.

If you don’t know what to do next summer, look no further… book your own amazing time at The Red Rock Ranch… we stayed there only a week, but felt like we’d been on holiday for a month… and the kids (and us) are still talking about it.”


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