Most vacationers visit dude ranches during the warmer months of late spring, summer and early fall. There are a few dude ranches that are open during the winter months for vacationers too. There are dude ranches that specialize in family vacations with teenagers, toddlers and babies. There are ranches that cater to adults. Make sure when choosing a vacation to find a ranch that will have activities for everyone in your family to enjoy.

Most western states have one or more dude ranches. Some of the states are Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Arizona. You might be able to plan a ranch vacation to also see local scenery and historical sites in the state chosen. Dude ranches will have horseback riding activities. If you are new to horseback riding, make sure they have beginner classes. 

There are dude ranches that cater to other activities too. If you like fishing, then make sure to find a ranch that is near a lake or river that offers an opportunity to fish. There are ranches that specialize in hunting trips to hunt for deer, elk or other wild game. There are dude ranches that offer training in roping of calves and working with cattle. Some ranches will even allow dudes to sign-up to come along on a cattle drive.

If your bringing children along for your dude ranch vacation, choose a ranch that offers kid-friendly activities. Many ranches will also have child-care services, so that you can enjoy activities on your own. There will be craft activities and cook-outs for the kids, while you are off on a horseback riding trail. In the evening the whole family can go on a hayride, sit near a campfire and roast marshmallows. 

Many dude ranches have extra amenities such as indoor or outdoor swimming pools or game rooms for rainy days. Most ranches have computers and internet services. However, there are dude ranches that are remotely located and offer no internet or cell phone capabilities. If you like the idea of being unplugged from modern technology for a while, then choose one of these remote locations. 

Dude ranch vacations are a great way to get fresh air and sunshine. You will have an opportunity to relax or get a great amount of physical exercise. The food is fantastic at dude ranches. Great barbecue meals and outdoor cooking are available. There are also a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. There are great opportunities to meet people from all over the United States and even from other parts of the world.

Breckenridge is home to a world-class ski resort where visitors can enjoy skiing, riding North America’s highest chairlift, and visiting Country Boy Mine, an authentic mining town. Snowboarding is also one of the favorite activities in Breckendridge as well as dog sledding where you can spend time with the beautiful Siberian Huskies. The Mountain Sanctuary Day Spa boasts of its après-ski massage to which locals and tourists should make it a point to treat themselves. Not all the activities in Breckenridge are centered on snow and skiing. You can also go shopping at the Gore Range Outfitters and watch movies at the Speakeasy Movie Theater. Summit County, where the authentic mine is located, also offers some paved bike trails which visitors can use. Some tourists claim that it is possible to bike your way from Breckenridge to Vail. 

Vail is also one of the top ski town pics during the summer. Hailed as one of American’s favorite snow mountains, Vail opens itself to tourists through the Adventure Sessions. Visitors are accompanied by an expert guide, some skiers and riders, and brought closer to the mountain through an entire day of exploration. Some say that Vail’s Adventure Sessions are the more fun and exciting versions of a ski school curriculum. Kids can also have a great time at the Vail Adventure Ridge where they can cruise around in a snowmobile and explore the Blizzard Speedway. The speedway has been specifically designed for smaller snowmobiles which can travel at kid-friendly speed. Vail is also home to the Nature Discovery Center which showcases the place’s beautiful wildlife during wintertime. If you’re up for a night stroll, you might enjoy the Moonlight Snowshoe tour. Visitors can stargaze and snowshoe under the moon or simply get to know Vail’s nocturnal wildlife.

Of course, there’s Aspen, one of the most popular ski town destinations in the United States. Home to the Aspen Art Museum, Aspen offers the visitor so much more than the conventional snow-filled activities. You can join the Snowmass Back Vountry Jeep Tours or sign up for the Aspen Snowmass Hiking Tour or perhaps Snowmass Mountain Biking. You can also visit the Aspen Club and Spa, a massage center that offers body and skin care treatment. Another attraction in Aspen is its golf course and tennis club. Other popular Aspen activities are fly fishing trips, hot air ballooning, white water rafting, visiting the maroon bells and having a sunset dinner tour. 

There are a plethora of snow-filled adventures and activities available in these ski towns. If you have a short vacation, the majority of reviews point towards Breckenridge as you can truly make the most of your two or three days with the activities there. For longer summer vacations, however, Aspen seems to be the prime choice.

Summer Vacations in the Southwest—Nothing Like the Real Thing

Travelers who are looking for a memorable spot for summer vacations are sure to find it in the great expanse of Arizona and New Mexico, two states rich in history and culture, and featuring an ongoing panorama of natural vistas that take one’s breath away.

Arizona

Vacationers who go to Arizona find a lot waiting for them, in addition to the Grand Canyon, which is in itself a single vacation because of its vastness. In this locale, there are plenty of activities including horseback riding, camping, whitewater-rafting and sailing throughout the canyon, tours by hiking, railway, balloon and even helicopter. As a matter of fact, the Railway is more than a tour in that the train offers snacks and beverages and a bevy of activities to engage passengers while they feast on the panorama. Canyon Village and the assortment of hotels also provide comfort and entertainment along with restaurants featuring local cuisine and hours, even days, filled with shopping. The upper platform, which was completed only recently and overhangs the canyon wall, offers a first-hand, wide-open view of the expanse for miles in every direction. It is at this location that visitors realize just how grand the Canyon is.

Farther east is the Navajo Nation Reservation swelling with tribal culture that features sand-painting, pottery and sheep’s wool dyeing and weaving. Here, one can find the Monumental Valley with its awesome stretch of openness and the Explore: Navajo Interactive Museum where vacationers can gain a great appreciation for the Navajo, yesterday and today. “Dude ranches” speckle the entire state. At these places, one can go hiking and fishing, experience gourmet food and cook-outs much like the way old westerners once lived, in peace and tranquility.

New Mexico

New Mexico, across the eastern border, adds to the splendor with its sprawling vistas that include Black Range, the Pecos Wilderness, El Malpais National Monument and the Gila National Forest for endless hiking, camping and bird-watching. The Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve features environmental workshops in science for the eco-minded, and the Turquoise National Byway for a history in mining. Likewise, the Battlefield New Mexico showcases outdoor Civil War re-enactments throughout the summer months, while the historic landmark of Santa Fe boasts many quaint shops and museums for indoor activities. Authentic, ranch-style B&Bs laced in regional Native American décor are available for ongoing stay with amenities and countless forms of entertainment including BBQ cooking, spas, tennis, golf, television and a variety of games for all ages.

Those who want to make a vacation including both states will find the Four Corners monument a ‘must’. This is the only place in the United States where four states meet at their corners, hence the monument’s name. This site, a multiple gateway, serves as a reminder that the Western Frontier is still a whole despite the regional state divisions.

Arizona and New Mexico are ideal for vacationers yearning for the western experience, because they ARE the west. There’s nothing like the real thing for an excellent vacation.

Bring A Horse To Camp

Horse camp provides an opportunity for you to take your horse camping out at a campsite. There are many camping grounds available for this type of adventure all over the United States. If you want to take your own horse, then you’ll need to find a campsite that allows this and can accommodate both you and your animal well. Of course, price and weather must be considered, and travel distance for the horse’s sake.

In addition, camping is a nice weather activity you can enjoy just using a tent and water access. That is the bare minimum, but if you want to “rough it”, you can do that too! Camps that offer horse pens, water supply,  horseback riding tracks and small creeks are the best.

Next, be sure to check out potential destinations, and do your research. Look at photos, request brochures, talk to the owner before deciding and visit the place before your trip if that is possible. Some camps will offer their horses for rent, so there is no bother in getting one there. Also, whatever you do, be sure to opt for having camper insurance, even if it is for a rental.

Summer & Day Horse Camps

These types of horse camps were designed more for young children and teenagers. Many camps have programs during summer vacation from school. Others have horseback riding shows, horsemanship platforms, and other creative, fun activities and learning opportunities. If the child has his own horse at home, he or she can gain knowledge as to how to best treat and care for the animal, hands on.

Dude Ranches

Another name for horse camps that are not strictly for kids are called Dude Ranches. These vacations usually have families, couples, friends and individuals. It is a wonderful way to chill out, have fun and make beautiful memories together.

Furthermore, there are a variety of activities on a Dude Ranch. Cattle drives, fishing, hiking, rafting, hayrides and canoeing are all very healthy, children-oriented programs. Some ranches allow clients to have campfires at night and in the day, care for horses, check fences in addition to other daily duties.

The GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association of America) is doing gold and treasure show in Las Vegas April 21 and 22, 2012 which will include contests and seminars and will teach a few prospecting tricks you may not yet know. If you miss this seminar, the next one will be held in Boise, Idaho during May 5th and 6th, then another, May 12th and 13th, in Salt Lake City, Utah. These locations also give you a hint as to where to plan to spend a prospecting vacation. Search online for more information. There is a fee to join GPAA.

Australia is a popular destination for prospecting. There are many mines, of various ores, located there and some of them offer packages for vacationing. Ballarat, Australia is one to start with. Switzerland is another good target, though not often considered for prospecting. If you would rather just stay in the U.S.A., California is an obvious place, since that is one of the gold rush states. Columbia, CA. is one of the gold rush towns that allows gold panning and has mine tours. Northern California is said to be a great place to start. Look for black sand, since this is one place where gold flakes and grains or dust can be. Gold is also found with other metals, like silver and copper. A jeweler’s loupe can come in handy for detecting flecks of gold within other ores. You may also visit ghost towns with your metal detector, pan streams, looking under rocks, in the bends and low areas of the streams. There are many other places to go, even in the northeastern and southern states. Also look into prospecting on government lands – it is legal in some areas.

The current price for one troy ounce of gold is $1655.30 this week, placing its value above platinum, which is currently at $1592.00 an ounce. The price of gold fluctuates frequently but remains a great value in whatever form you may find it – dust, flakes, or nuggets. Good luck.

anyways, i’m filled with shame as of right now, I dont really know how im going to handle the situation come morning.
anyways, So last night this guy I know from one of my classes (we’ll call him Jack) came along with me to share one of my best
friends success on getting his first scientific book published at oxford, the guys only 24, and he’s
throwing a get together party in his home town (cali) to celebrate. (my classmate and I are really cool with eachother, it’s only
been like 3 months since we met, but it feels like we’ve known eachother for years. he’s sort of the guy I go to talk to when i gota a problem
and it’s the same thing for him with me). Anyways, so he’s happy to come along and we both arrive at this big ranch like arena and there’s a valet dude taking everyones cars; it’s a rather formal event so we’re both kinda dressed up. He and I both stroll into the party and I’m greeted by my best
friend and I introduce him to Jack and the night kicks off real smooth for a good portion of the evening.

So later into the night, I break off with Jack and start mingling with old friends from highschool and meeting new friends as I move along.
Eventually I meet up with Jack and he’s been sucked into talking with a girl all night I knew back in highschool. I recognized her
the minute she walked up because she always wore the same perfume and the second she came up to me, the smell overwhelmed my senses and I immediately recongnized her. Her name is katie and what a slut she was back in HS (probably hasn’t changed much). not only did she sleep around with all the guys, but she was big on snorting blow. Jack was kind of into that thing too so that’s probably why they clicked into discussion so well with eachother.
Jack told me that he and Katie were both going to go to the car in the parking lot to hit a couple lines together. I told them to be careful. So it comes time leave and Jack invites Katie to ride back with us to his place, and it didn’t really matter to me, I was indifferent. So we say goodbye and take off back to my friends place. About halfway through the ride my friend starts to OD (i didn’t know it was an OD at the time) in the passanger seat. My heartrate fucking skyrockets and I
start to panic (also, Ive never seen someone OD in my life). Katie starts swearing and shit, and my friend is just gushing shit out of his
mouth and it looks fucking bad. The hospital was only like 10 minutes away so I hit the gas and Katie asks me where I was going and I told
her the hospital and she starts fucking freaken out and says NO! I tell her she’s fucking crazy and she starts to scream and from the back seat
she fucking grabs the wheel and jerks it over to the side off the road and the fucking car goes over the curb and slams into a brick fence. Both
Katie and my friend are unconscious, or at least dazed (I dont even know what the condition of my friend was in at the time) A fucking cop saw the crash pulls up, gets out, comes up to the car shines a flashlight into the broken window and tells me “you’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air’ I whistled for a cab and when it came near the license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror .If anything I can say this cab is rare
But I thought naw forget it Yo homes to bel air’ I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8 And I yelled to the cabbie ‘yo homes smell ya later’ I looked at my kingdom I was finally there to sit on my throne as the prince of bel air. in the end it came down to whether or not i wanted to live a good life.
i totally hit the jack pot while fucking my wife. it was super fine and i loved every moment of it.

so what do I do?

the playboy ” senior ” edition ( all models 65 and older )
( can you tell the wrinkles from the….never mind, lol )

new from Mattel: ” Bunny Ranch Barbie ”
( Ken’s not getting it for free anymore, lol )

new reality show: the Jonas brothers in San Quentin
( maybe they wouldn’t mind dropping the soap, lmao )

the dual use condom
( also doubles as a cake decorator, lol )

the trash talking toilet
( dude, could you get your fat a*s off me please, and stay away from taco bell okay chunky? ” )