The Dude Ranchers’ Association Annual Convention is next week in Cody, Wyoming. Held at the Holiday Inn, January 18th – 22nd, the convention is a great place to meet the ranchers, show off  products and services, and be involved in useful seminars and informal discussions. (Our Ranchweb guru, Gene Kilgore, will be attending and when he gets back, he’ll give us a full report.)

The DRA Convention showcases numerous speakers and seminars related to the various aspects of the industry, hospitality, marketing, etc.  In addition, there will be fun events, entertainment and the annual Dude Ranchers’ Educational Trust Dinner and Auction.

The agenda includes seminars on Adventure Travel Media;  PR 101 + What is the Media Looking For;  Epic Processing:  The Best Solution for all Payment Solutions; Amanda Esch, Davis & Cannon, LLP:  The Best Defense is a Good Offense; Peter Askew of DudeRanch.com on  Google Analytics 101.

Guest speakers include Nancy Schretter, Managing Editor, Family Travel Network; Dr. Sorensen-Equine Learning Center of America. There’ll be a DRA Hall of Fame Presentation, a Horse Safety Program Report, time to meet vendors, and the big President’s Banquet at the famed Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

The Convention is the largest attended DRA Event of the Year. For more information, contact the DRA office at info@duderanch.org or 866-399-2339.

We know you anglers out there–even in the dead of winter, you’re thinking about the next time you’ll be out on the water with a rod in your hand.

Maybe you got some cool new hand-tied flies for Christmas, or other gear that you’re eager to test (see our story on the 10 Best gifts for Fly Fishermen).

The Fly Fishing Ranches and Lodges.com site is made for you avid anglers. Part of the Gene Kilgore RanchWeb.com network, the site is devoted to creating the finest network of fly fishing ranches and lodges. As we continue to build our dedicated fly fishing community, we hope you will share with us: suggestions, new properties you recommend, and gear tips. And finally, we hope you will help us spread the word by telling your friends and colleagues. Tell us your fishing tales—and we’ll tell you a few of ours.

The newest member of the Ranchweb family is Deep Canyon Outfitters of Central Oregon, a Deschutes River vacation ranch. Here’s how they introduce themselves: ” For the past 15 years we have been offering guided fly fishing trips on a wide variety of fisheries, from small spring creeks, vast reservoirs, and large tailwater rivers. Each location offers a unique angling experience and allows us to cater each outing to the specific needs and wants of our guests. With over 15 fisheries within an hours drive of the lodge, it is easy to create a memorable fly fishing adventure.”

Sounds pretty inviting. So whether your goal is wading on the world famous Deschutes River in search of rainbow trout or summer steelhead, casting streamers for trophy rainbows in one of the area lakes, or presenting dry flies to tremendous spring fed trout, it’s all in their back yard.

Ranching can get into your blood. To the point that just spending a few weeks on a ranch vacation isn’t enough. You simply must have your own spread.

That kind of burning desire is exactly why we started Luxuryranchrealestate.com, which we just re-launched in a cool new format. It’s now easier to use, to search through, and decidedly easier to look at. Experienced staffers at United Country Real Estate have said, “We use various means of advertising our listings and Luxury Ranch Real Estate is one of the best sites we use. It is very easy to navigate and upload listings. The staff is very helpfuland easy to communicate with. Top Site!”

Even if you’re not in the market for a ranch right now, Luxuryranchrealestate.com makes a great dream book. Take the example now on our front page: Ranch on the Roaring Fork, in Aspen, Colorado. “In the most prestigious resort valley in the scenic Rocky Mountains, the 282-acre Historic Snowmass Canyon Ranch spans the second largest privately held river frontage on the Gold Medal designated Roaring Fork River. Current owners have protected the ranch with a conservation easement but have retained the right to build on two additional homesites and have secured generous entitlements with a rare 20-year timeframe from Pitkin County. In addition to the trophy rainbow and brown trout, owners will share this land with elk, deer, waterfowl, grouse, fox, and both Bald and Golden eagles.
With one full mile of river running through the ranch lined with a mature cottonwood forest, spring creek, three spring fed trout ponds and a mile of shared boundary with forested Federal lands, this Aspen Valley property represents a rare ownership opportunity for the serious outdoor enthusiast. Located just 12 miles north of the world-class resort in downtown Aspen, 10 miles from the Aspen commercial airport, and 12 miles from Snowmass Village, resort amenities are quite convenient.”

Wow–I’m ready to buy. Okay, maybe not now, but it’s sure fun dreaming.

It was a brief note in her pocket, written in pencil and titled simply “My Dreams”. The woman was killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident on Christmas morning while she was on her way to work.

The 38-year old single mother died at the site; after the tragedy, the list of her life’s goals was discovered in her pocket. The list included dreams we can all understand: to find a great job, buy a house by the age of 45, to marry, and to watch her 8-year-old son graduate from college someday. And why was she going to work on Christmas day? “She was all about making her dreams come true,” a friend said later.

Most of us have thought about dreams and goals we’d like to attain, but never do anything to make them happen. As we start the year 2012, maybe you should be talking about things like your ‘bucket list’. What’s on it? Visit the Grand Canyon? Hike the Appalachian Trail? Or maybe to ride into the Wild West at a dude ranch and bond with your kids?

The point is, this gal made a list and was working on getting it done–and you can, too. Sure, some goals (like a big vacation), are easier to attain than longer range goals (like buying a house). But near-term goals like vacations can be vital. Vacations pull a family together, relieve stress, maybe even give a new perspective on life.  To pull off a dream vacation you’ll need some time and a plan. You’ll have to do some research, stroll around the Internet, and talk to friends. Hey, it’s all do-able. Just don’t wait.

The loss of that single mom is tragic. And I hope the friends and family who loved her will pick up her list and finish the last item on it–sending her son to college. But she left us all with an important lesson: Write your dreams. Then work on making them into reality.

Happy New Year from Ranchweb! It’s been a productive year for us, with all kinds of innovations and added services to bring to our friends in ranch country. What a privilege it is to serve the guest ranch industry.

Other ranch-oriented websites may come and go, but Ranchweb is backed by Gene Kilgore’s 30 years’ worth of real-world dude ranch industry experience and face-to-face relationships with ranchers and visits to ranches. We’re not sitting at some cubicle imagining what a dude ranch vacation is like–we’ve been there and done that. And we keep doing all we can technologically to spread the word about the wonderful vacation opportunities in the world of dude and guest ranch resorts–Facebook, Twitter, and more help us connect to you and help you connect to other fans.

We’re here to celebrate not just the business of guest ranch resorts, but the genuine traditions and healthy lifestyles and great personalities of ranch country.
This year, we produced an eighth edition of the most widely respected guide to the guest ranch resort industry, Gene Kilgore’s Ranch Vacations. The book, too, is revamped–lighter, easier to handle and take along, and more user-friendly.

We’re getting the word out on the news and new things happening in ranch country: great deals, the new activities from spa treatments to wine seminars to zip lining.

And we’re telling the story of the lasting traditions and amazing family bonding that has always been part of the guest ranch vacation. Honestly, that’s the part we love the most.

Here’s to a bigger, better year across the industry for 2012.

courtesy of: www.flyfishingranchesandlodges.com/blog

SMART RANCH TRAVELER

A perfect stocking stuffer for ranch vacation planning

Everybody’s doing more vacation plan-ahead work these days. It’s one way to save time, money, and hassle. And now is a good time to begin the planning process for your big summer getaway. Sure, you could surf the web (that’s what Ranchweb is for), but sometimes there’s nothing better than a real, honest-to-God book, with color photos to pour over, and tactile pages to flip through as you dream about the perfect ranch vacation with your loved ones.

There’s nothing better, more accurate, or up-to-date than Gene Kilgore’s Ranch Vacations 2011; ($22.95), now available on Ranchweb.com and on Amazon. On the cover: Wyoming’s newest, The Ranch at Rock Creek. Its a great way to find dude ranch deals, value vacations, backcountry getaways, and the best dude ranch food and wine. Inside, a total access guide to more than 100 great ranches across the West, the USA, and the world. It’s got details on pricing, dining, kids’ programs, plus loads of color pix, all in a handy glovebox size–a great stocking stuffer (just try stuffing a web page into that stocking).

WESTERN WEAR AND GEAR

Gifts right from the ranch

Sometimes, you want a memento from that long-ago ranch vacation. Where to find ranch-y things? Well, some ranches let you shop for their own branded, logo-ed duds and goodies online.

CALIFORNIA

Alisal Guest Ranch

Alisal Ranch’s online store offers hats and gear, gourmet products, jewelry, spa products, branded apparel and gift cards. Here’s how they put it: “From a variety of Alisal-branded apparel, to our signature spa products, to Chef Pascal’s renowned barbecue blends, you will surely find the perfect gift for a family member, a friend or yourself. If you have any questions about a product that is offered in our General Store, please contact Guest Services at 805/686-7700.” At the site, you can choose from four of Chef Pascal’s custom spice blends. Also available are the Ranch’s Old Adobe Pancake Mix and its very popular granola blend. New from their sterling silver jewelry collection is the ranch’s popular charm bracelet with an Alisal brand charm (natch!). Every year a new charm will be introduced. Spa Products feature their signature Woodland Sage scent.
MONTANA
The Resort at Paws Up

Seeks out treasures of the West, some molded by hand, others by the hand of nature, but always “crafted with a spirit of adventure,” says the resort. Don’t look for typical western wear here. The hand-selected items are split into categories: Clothing and Apparel, House and Home, Montana food and snacks, and accessories and jewelry, it’s all unique. Want to bring a little of the flavor of the Rockies into your home? The Montana huckleberry honey, huckleberry jam or syrup will remind you of those high mountain berries every time you pop it into your mouth (for $8 and up). For more expensive tastes, order up a Silver Paw Belt Buckle (a hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind belt buckle made by a local Montana silversmith) for some $1,200. And there’s a lot in between.

COLORADO
How about a really BIG present?

How about buying a piece of a real dude ranch? You can at Colorado’s C Lazy U Ranch. As they put it, “Our guests only get to spend a week here, but owners can experience it as often as they wish for generation after generation and in every season. Inquire about our Colorado land for sale or our mountain homes for sale. Become a member of our happy vacation real estate community…become one of the family.”

Families yearning for the traditional ambiance of the Old West this Christmas will find a ranch vacation to suit them on Gene Kilgore’s Ranchweb.com. Add holiday traditions like a sleigh ride through the snow, a visit from Santa, Christmas trees decked out in their finery, and celebratory meals, for a family holiday experience to remember.

When it comes to ranch stays, Gene Kilgore, author of Ranchweb.com, the leading guide to ranches worldwide, has been a reliable source of ranch vacations for 30 years. “Ranch vacations are a perfect way for families to spend quality time together,” says Gene Kilgore. “What better place to celebrate the magic of the holidays than at a guest ranch, where traditional values, a warm welcome and healthy outdoor activities await.”

With a vacation for everyone, Ranchweb invites guests to pack their saddlebags and celebrate the holidays Ranch-style:

* At Triple Creek Ranch , a luxury resort high in the pristine Bitterroot Mountains of the Montana Rockies, clean mountain air and freshly fallen snow create the perfect backdrop for A Christmas to Remember. Guests take a brisk horseback ride or an invigorating snowmobile expedition through the powder, and then enjoy the festive Christmas splendor back at the ranch. Cabin rates start at $750 US per couple per night, inclusive of accommodations, three gourmet meals, house wines and spirits, as well as featured on-ranch activities. (Three-night minimum stay required.) www.triplecreekranch.com

* A stay at historical 320 Guest Ranch in Big Sky, Montana, features all the traditions of ranch hospitality with the romance of winter activities. Book the Sleigh and Stay package and cozy up in the star-lit sleigh ride pulled by majestic Percheron draft horses, enjoy cowboy cuisine at the Steakhouse & Saloon, and settle into one of the log cabins. Rates begin at $220 US per night for two people, from December 10, 2011 – March 31, 2012. Tip: you can even request the historical McGill Cabin. www.320ranch.com

* Staying in the land of blue skies and big mountains, for a more active winter vacation 320 Guest Ranch has also created the 2012 Celebrating Snow Special, including dog sledding, a snow coach tour of Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful, an evening sleigh ride and hearty ranch meals. Discounted tickets to Moonlight Basin are also slipped into the package, which runs at $465 US per adult and is valid January 2 – March 15, 2012. Rates are based on double occupancy. Taxes, park passes and gratuities are excluded. www.320ranch.com

* And if you prefer your Christmas a few degrees warmer, then Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort offers all the trimmings and traditions of the holiday season, in Santa Barbara County wine country, the heart of California’s central coast. The Holiday Package features plenty of Christmas spirit, along with unlimited horseback riding, golf green fees, tennis and fishing, complete with a studio accommodation for two nights. As well as 50 miles of riding trails and a ride in a carriage drawn by Belgian horses, families will enjoy building a gingerbread house, a visit by Santa, and nightly carols and hot chocolate. The package costs $550 US for two people, and runs from December 1 – January 25, 2012. (See the website for children’s discounts as well as blackout dates for the Christmas season.) www.alisal.com

* Located on 60,000 acres of Tucson’s desert landscape, Tanque Verde Ranch is a working ranch, situated beside the Rincon Mountains in Arizona. Families love Tanque Verde Ranch for its range of activities: fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horse back riding lessons and rides, kids programming, and evening cook-outs. The New Year, New You all-inclusive package runs from January 3 – 20, 2012, and starts at $230 US per person, per night, with activities and three daily meals included. Guests booking a three-night stay will receive the fourth night free. www.tanqueverderanch.com

* Rancho de los Caballeros, named for the horsemen who first settled in the southwest, is a historic ranch resort on 20,000 acres in the Sonoran desert near Wickenburg, Arizona. Each Christmas, Rancho de los Caballeros turns into a western holiday hideaway as flickering luminaries line the paths throughout the Ranch. Guests return year after year to take part in special traditions like decorating the tree, and leaving their boot “stockings” by the fire on Christmas Eve, hoping for a gift from Santa when he arrives on horseback. To enjoy the setting of crisp, starry nights and warm crackling fires book the Ranch Getaway Package at $335 US per night, double occupancy, featuring three meals per day and unlimited scheduled horseback rides. www.ranchodeloscaballeros.com

A note about Ranchweb

Ranchweb, founded in 1995 by Gene Kilgore, has become the ultimate ranch finder for ranch vacations in North America. More than a directory, Ranchweb is a resource for anyone considering a ranch vacation. Kilgore has travelled the world for 30 years to bring the best ranches to his readers. The guide features over 100 of the best, from dude ranches to working cattle ranches, horseback-riding vacations to fly fishing ranches, each offering a different experience. Kilgore also publishes Ranch Vacations, just out in its eighth edition, a full-color handy guide to all the ranches, including tips on how to select the perfect one for your family.

We love bloggers who love horses, so we were delighted to chat recently with the author of Writinghorseback.com. As a child, Nancy D. Brown was like so many young girls, dreaming of owning a horse. “ I cleaned out many a horse stall to earn my riding lessons as a child,” Brown admits. “But when my parents saw how serious I was about it, I got my first horse.” That Quarter Horse—Cricket—fired a lifelong passion in Brown. Now, she has combined her passion for horses with her love of travel and created a career.

With her blog Writing Horseback, professional travel writer Nancy D. Brown (at right) guides her readers to the best equestrian-based lodging properties and resorts all over the world. For Ranchweb blog readers, it’s a good additional resource for travelers who love horses. And she notes that she’s enjoying Ranchweb’s redesigned website and its blog. “Horse lovers will find ranch recommendations, and those looking for ranch jobs will find resources, as well,” Brown comments. “Like a good team roping pair, I think Ranchweb/Ranchweb blog and Writinghorseback.com make a great duo.” (We couldn’t agree more!)

Take a look at her blog’s home page and you’ll see a black and white picture of Brown aboard Cricket (look to the upper left). Admittedly horse-crazy in her youth (Brown says she missed out on many high school dances in favor of showing her Quarter Horse in as many shows as her budget would allow), she never stopped loving all things equestrian. So now, Brown travels world-wide in search of the best resorts offering quality riding opportunities. Does that include dude and guest ranches? “I do cover dude ranches!” Brown says. (The photo of her on the fjord horse below is from Big Bar Ranch, a dude ranch in Clinton, BC, Canada.)

She’s clear about one goal: no ‘nose to tail’ riding trips for her. The destinational rides she writes about are always adventurous and cover the globe, from the Argentinean Andes to Perthshire, Scotland and lots of U.S. destinations in between. Her favorite trips so far: riding fjord horses in Norway (see a fjord horse, below) and a trip up to a butterfly-filled valley in Puerto Vallarta, ending the trip with a swim beneath waterfalls.

Nancy Brown on a fjord horse.

Next, Brown heads for Darby, Montana and the Triple Creek Ranch for ‘Clicks for Chicks”. It’s a 4-day endurance ride that she says she’s really up for. And if she gets sore, Brown notes, “I’ll just have to soak my aches away in the Triple Creek Ranch hot tub.” Oh, tough.

What’s on her bucket list? “I’d like to ride in an African safari” Brown says. Another dream trip: “Someday I hope to ride to the Blue Lagoon on an Icelandic horse.” Sounds fab.

Details: When she’s not traveling, she makes her home in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two teenagers. Brown writes the “What a Trip” travel blog and authors a column by the same name for the Contra Costa Times Lamorinda Sun, a publication of Media News Group. She is the Lodging Editor for Uptake.com. She writes an on-line travel column for Diablo magazine and the “Traveler Making a Difference” column for Escapes magazine.

She is a BootsnAll Insider for California and has contributed to InsideBayArea, Uptake.com and Write to Travel blogs. She is a member of Bay Area Travel Writers (BATW), BlogHer, Matador and Travelwriters.com. She also owns a public relations consulting business.

HOT DEALS

Artistry in Arizona

ELKHORN RANCH

ARIZONA

Open Mid November through end of April, Elkhorn Ranch offers desert and mountain riding insouthern Arizona. Here, the Sonoran desert country has unique and abundant birds and wildlife. Which is why its fitting for them to offer a Photography, Art & Natural History Workshop, Jan. 22-29, 2012. Learn the secrets of digital photograph from equipment to composition and cataloging. Photographer and naturalist Stewart Aitchison, plus artist Ann Kramer, are your instructors. In this, the fourth workshop offered, you’ll enjoy workshop activities along with all the rest of the Elkhorn fun, from riding to hiking and relaxing.
Details: Cost: $1398 per person per week (plus tax and gratuities). Accommodates 32 – 40 people, 20 cabins. Comfortable for singles, couples and families. For the workshop, bring your laptop and camera gear.

SMART RANCH TRAVELER

“Split rail fences zig-zagging into golden groves of aspen. Chocolate brown horses stepping across a meadow. A tangerine alpenglow melting over the top of a nearby mountain. Those are some of the hues of a typical fall day around some dude ranches. You see, not all of the Ranchweb ranches close for the season at summer’s end.”

That’s how we started the Ranchweb blog three years ago this fall. Today, the blog and the Ranchweb home site that the blog springs from still anchors our place in new media. But recently we launched a Facebook page that opens up another door of communications between Ranchweb members and those who love ranches and are eager to know more about them. The latest hot info about them.

So now, as the kids are back in school and the autumn leaves are turning in the mountains, it’s a good time to reflect. Maybe this is your time. A time to treat yourself to a guest ranch weekend with a little leaf-peeping on the side. Here are four choices. but they aren’t the only ranches with fall color right now (if you hurry). For more, roam around the Ranchweb home site, pardner…

ARIZONA
Hidden Meadow Ranch

Celebrate autumn at this luxury ranch, set in eastern Arizona’s White Mountains and bordered by majestic national forest. Near the historic town of Greer, Hidden Meadow Ranch is an escape from urban life—a peaceful retreat for relaxing in a hammock under the whispering pines or for reveling in the wonders of nature. At 8,500 feet, the aspen are turning fast.
Details: Fall Foliage Package: October 1-18. “Book three nights during the most beautiful time of the year in the White Mountains, and receive a scrapbook, compliments of Hidden Meadow Ranch. Fall brings the changing of the color of the Aspen leaves to vibrant yellows and golds. Imagine riding a horse beneath a canopy of colored leaves. It is a sight to see! Not to mention the cool mountain air that gives you a break from the heat. Bring your camera and fill your scrapbook with amazing photographs of fall color! The aspen trees are quivering with excitement for this beautiful time of year.”

CALIFORNIA
Hunewill Guest Ranch

Just east of Yosemite National Park in the lush Bridgeport Valley, the Hunewill Ranch is a family-owned and operated. Here, the big attraction is great horseback riding. Ride through shimmering groves of aspen. Bring your rod and reel: streams and lakes in the beautiful Bridgeport Valley offer an angler’s paradise. Or kick back in the evening with cookouts, roping lessons, hayrides, some bingo, square and round dancing, campfires and sing alongs. Its fun the old fashioned way.
Details: October 7-11, Columbus Day Weekend 4 Night Stay. You’ll love riding your horse through this 26,000 acre expanse of cool lush meadow, bordered by timbered peaks. Hunewill offers you a full ranch experience, including evening activities such as talent night, family dance night, barbecues on the creek, or watching as young foals and yearlings are being gentled. There is world class trout fishing in the nearby East Walker River, and in the many lakes and streams in the adjacent Toiyabe National Forest. Home style meals are served in the dining room in the founder’s Victorian ranch house. You’ll stay in comfortable cottages near the horse pasture; allowing you to watch the horses come thundering in early each morning.”

COLORADO
Coulter Lake Guest Ranch

Enjoy the unspoiled scenery in the remote White River National Forest of northwestern Colorado. This year-round resort fall colors mid September into early October (hurry!) from groves of quaking aspen. The ranch is also open for hunting season, September thru November. Details: after Labor Day, low season rates apply. “Full American Plan includes all lodging, meals, horseback riding, swimming, hiking, children’s programs, trout fishing (in our private lake), and all evening activities. For a 6-Night stay: Arrive Sunday after 3pm and depart Saturday by 1pm after lunch.
For a 3-Night stay: Arrive after 3pm and depart by 1pm on the day of your choice.”

WYOMING
Red Rock Ranch

Fall is for fly fishing at Red Rock. The ranch is home to over 2.5 miles of private fly fishing water. Crystal Creek flows through the Red Rock Ranch, and it’s a famous fishery, noted for abundant native Snake River (Fine Spotted) Cutthroat Trout. Angling on the private waters of Crystal Creek is for fly fishing/catch and release only with barbless hooks. The ranch offers a guide service with local fishing experts who know the subtleties of this stretch of water (please book fly fishing guides in advance; service rate can be added to your final billing). Details: The weekly all-inclusive per person rates include cabin accommodations (keeping an authentic western ranch feel), a private sitting area and sun porch, all ranch meals and snacks, complimentary house beer and wine during nightly cocktail hour and through dinner service,  ranch activities, horseback riding, kids program and fly fishing on stocked ponds. The rates for a six-night all-inclusive vacation (Sunday through Saturday) are: Adults 13 yrs. and older – $1,925; Children 6-12 yrs. – $1,425.

TIPS FROM THE RANCHERS

Ranch etiquette: how to tip at a guest ranch

Whether you’re at a restaurant, on a cruise ship, or visiting a guest ranch, knowing just how to tip can make you look like a sophisiticated world traveler…or a rube just off the boat. First, policies vary depending on the ranch, so you won’t be out of line by asking about tipping policies when you book your reservations. At one time, rates usually didn’t include gratuities, but that is changing. Some ranches now add on a gratuity of about 16 percent (of your total bill)  ‘for your convenience’ and are up front about it when you book. But do ask: an intimate, family-run ranch might have very different attitudes about tipping than a large, complex ranch.

Also, when you book outside excursions, you’re often expected to tip the outside guides (such as raft operators, fishing guides) directly (but ask ahead). Same goes for special services at the ranch, like a spa treatment; in that case, figure 15 percent as a base.

NEWS FLASH

COLORADO

Take a tumble for Tumbling River Ranch

A mid-sized, family run ranch (capacity 50-55 guests), Tumbling River Ranch is best known for it’s fun-filled children’s and family programs. But the big news, say co-owners Scott and Megan Dugan, is in their shoulder seasons. “We’ve been really expanding our wedding offerings–just in the spring and fall–since we built a new Recreation Hall,” says Scott. “That gave us the space and options to hold events like weddings. Each wedding takes over the whole ranch, so wedding guests have their privacy. What makes a ranch a good choice as a venue for nuptials? “It’s a destination wedding-so guests who come here get a mini-vacation, too. That’s nice for everyone,” notes Scott.
“We don’t do it during our normal dude ranch season, so it doesn’t intrude on other guests,” notes Scott. And the new red hall has created a better venue for the ranch’s evening programs during dude ranch season: live music, square dancing, and such. So if you’ve got nuptials pending, consider heading for Tumbling River Ranch. “We’re on Guanella Pass, on the Front Range, about an hour from Denver, comments Scott.

Details: They’re open for weddings the last week in June and first week in Aug thru September (and may expand into October).