Ranchweb blog has a birthday; pet-friendly ranches
Happy birthday to us! Yep, it’s been four years since we started writing the Ranchweb blog. Let’s step into the ‘Wayback Machine’ and see how our first post began: “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 ranches close for the season at summer’s end.”
While we might not phrase it as, ahem, colorfully today, the basic thought is still true. Fall is still a great time on the ranch, and you can find some pretty fantastic vacation options out there this month. And the Ranchweb blog remains ready to help you choose your dude and guest ranch vacation.
Who else is celebrating a birthday today? Well, Amazon is marking five years since the unveiling of a cloud infrastructure (aka cloud computing). Oh, and five years ago Apple started a little thing called the iPhone. That’s pretty good company to be in (maybe we should send Apple a piece of our birthday cake).
As long as we’re in the ‘Wayback Machine’, let’s pause to remember what other things were like in October 2008 (or are you trying not to)? See, that’s also when we marked the start of the economic crunch (or, as the Financial Times reports, “It’s been five years today since the economy went to crap,”).
While not as much has changed since 2008 as we would all like, the American economy has pulled back from the brink and in the U.S., we’re gaining jobs instead of losing them. And although we feel for those spreads in areas suffering through terrible drought conditions, life is still good in ranch country.
Here at Ranchweb, we’re offering more services than ever: trip planning help through a concierge service; tips, news, and laughs on our Facebook page; targeted website help (from sites like Flyfishingranchesandresorts.com); and more up-to-the-minute information on deals, gear, food and dining, and general ranch news in our just-launched free quarterly newsletter, the Ranch Roundup (sign up for e-delivery on our website).
So stick around, Ranchweb fans, and let’s see what the next five years will bring!
Pet-Friendly Ranch Vacations
Dogs, cats, horses, and other fauna are a regular fixture at almost every ranch, but that doesn’t mean your own little Fido is necessarily welcome. It’s always best to check first to find out what the policy is on pets at any lodging, but especially at a dude or guest ranch, since there are so many other animals around that might not be ready to interact with your little pal.
What to do if you want to/have to bring your pet along on vacation? Luckily, Ranchweb has your back. Our website features a whole list of categories that let you select out just the ranches you want to consider. Pets Welcome is one such category. Here you’ll find places like the Hidden Meadow Guest Ranch in Arizona and the Bar W Guest Ranch in Whitefish, Montana, and many others.
ARIZONA
Open year-round is Hidden Meadow Ranch. They love pets so much, they created a limited number of pet-friendly cabins. As they put it, “Your animals friends will enjoy a vacation with a high level of service, too!” Currently, three cabins (Squash Blossom #1, Blue Quill #6, and Trail’s End #12) accommodate pets with attached dog run/play yards. But the ranch does need to know about your pet ahead, so make arrangements for Fido at the time you make your reservations (there is an additional charge for pets, please see the website).
At most ranches, visiting pets must have proof of current vaccinations, must be kept on leash while on the ranch except when in the cabin dog run or in fenced play area, where pups may play with owner supervision. And Hidden Meadow has other rules: If the owner is not in the cabin, pets must be in the dog run/play yard or crated. Food and water dishes are provided in pet-friendly cabins, along with fleece sleeping mats to protect the furniture and bedding. Please see their website for full details.
MONTANA
The Bar W understands you wanting to bring your pet on vacation and so they welcome your pets. But, as they say, “Because other guests may be allergic, they cannot sleep in the lodge or the cabin. They can stay in very comfortable stalls in the barn with dog beds, shavings and water. And due to the horses and other guests on the property, they must be on a leash when roaming the ranch.” There is a slight charge: $15 a night for dogs or no charge with a package.$25 a night for horses or no charge with a package – includes grass/alfalfa mix – 3 flakes – twice a day. We will need a health certificate and Coggins test for horses staying at the ranch. Otherwise, “If you have any special needs for your pet or horse, or have any questions, please give us a call, we will be happy to work with you.”
Details: Please remember that many ranches are located in national forest lands or Wildlife Habitat Areas, so there are predators and ranch animals around. Respect other guests and keep your pets safe by having your pets on leash.
