SMART RANCH TRAVELER

With high gas prices and a still-sluggish economy, families these days have to plan ahead to work a vacation in without stressing the budget. Turns out that staying in one place—a place that offers a variety of activities in one location—means big savings and less stress. And there’s no better time to plan a vacation than during the holidays, when the kids are home on school vacations and you’re all gathered together for the holidays.

A dude ranch vacation can be the perfect value vacation, for five great reasons. First, many dude ranches offer an all-inclusive deal where the meals, lodging, activities are all included. That makes it easy to plan accurately—unlike most cruises, where everything from soda pop to port fees and land excursions cost extra.

Secondly, on a dude ranch trip, you know where the kids are at all times (they’re having a blast—and they’re still being supervised), and you generally aren’t spending extra on babysitting.

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

Fourth, you can get some great deals if you plan ahead, go during the shoulder season (often June and October at mountain ranches) or low season (summer at the desert ranches) when you can find discounted rates.

Finally, when you consider all the memories you’ll make as a family: its a trip that is priceless.

At White Stallion Ranch in Arizona, shown above, they believe that 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.