Colleen was interviewed for this article written by Brendan Pringle, a staff writer for Green Living Press. Brendan was kind enough to send me the link so we could share it with you. Enjoy!
To the average, technology-obsessed teenager, this seems like an OMG scenerio. So why should a family ditch the theme parks and car trips, and head over to a dude ranch instead? Simply put, it makes for the perfect family vacation. And it’s green.
As Gene Kilgore of RanchWeb.com explains, dude ranches are one of the few “all-inclusive vacations available.” Vacationers don’t have to worry about experiencing the stress of “Carmageddon” as they bounce from destination to destination. Upon arrival, the only traffic they’ll encounter is that of cattle herds. Ranches prepare all the food and supply all the entertainment. That alone is enough to make Mom and Dad smile.
But dude ranches are not just for families or couples. Many people travel solo for the peace and tranquility, as well as to meet other visitors with similar interests. Some business groups even travel to dude ranches for team-building purposes.
Dude ranches provide the “original” eco-tourism experience—a chance for people to break away from the binds of today’s media dependent world and reconnect with nature. As Kilgore states, “ the nature of the [dude ranch] vacation is green.” After all, what could be greener than living off the fat of the land?
In fact, the dude ranch has been one of the pioneers of green living in America. As Colleen Hodson of the Dude Ranchers’ Association states, “many ranches grow their own food . . . and feed their cattle with this food as well.” Garbage pickup is scarce in remote locations, so many ranches use leftovers to feed the animals, and also depend heavily on composting and recycling. (read more)
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