"Head West
(at least
figuratively) by
vacationing at a
working farm or dude
ranch. Your biggest
questions answered:
How rough are we
talkin'?
Don't stress.
Vacationing at a
farm or ranch
doesn't mean you'll
be handed a bucket
and a bar of soap at
shower time. You'll
find every range of
accommodation on the
roughing-it
scale: At the most
rustic, the
wranglers
jingle-jangle into
the breakfast hall
with you and you're
expected to earn
your keep with
chores. (And your
kids thought setting
the table was an
injustice barely
survived.) At larger
"resort ranches" and
farm stays, you get
a massage or play a
round of golf while
kids are corralled
into the highly
organized kids'
program for
hayrides, folk
dancing, and
animal-grooming
lessons. What will
most farms and
ranches have in
common? Lots of
opportunities to
enjoy the outdoors,
hearty home-cooked
meals included in
the price, and the
ability to chill at
a slower pace for a
while.
Should I choose a
farm or a ranch?
Six is the magic age
at which kids are
allowed to saddle up
on a horse
independently at
most dude ranches
(they're physically
strong enough then
and covered by the
ranch's insurance
company), so think
about farm visits
when they're
younger. However,
there are always
exceptions. Gregg
and Laura Ross of
Austin, TX, have
been going to
ranches since their
5-year-old was a
toddler. "I think my
daughter would rebel
if we told her we
were going somewhere
else," says Gregg.
"I remember the
trips by what new
thing she was able
to do each year,
from pony rides to
bucket roping [lasso
practice for little
kids who can't lasso
livestock] and,
soon, horse rides on
her own."
What makes these
trips special?
Farm and ranch
regulars say luxury
doesn't always mean
a fancy-schmancy
dinner menu or a
marble bathroom.
Sure, that resort in
the Caribbean was
nice, but at a farm
or a ranch, "it's
different because of
the relationship you
form with the place
and, especially,
with the
people," says
Stephanie Wilson,
president of the
Colorado Dude and
Guest Ranch
Association.
Ranchers and farmers
are more or less
inviting you into
their homes, and
that's just what it
feels like. Melissa
Bland, a mom of two
in Missouri City,
TX, says she was
surprised when
someone arrived at
her door in the
morning with coffee
and a schedule of
the day's
activities; it was
touches like that
that made the trip
special.
Is it expensive?
Rates vary by
property, but as a
general guideline,
expect to pay as
much as $350 per
night for two adults
and two children 3
and older at a farm;
$700 at a large
resort-type ranch.
Those rates will
include all your
meals and
activities. Kids
under 3 are almost
always free. Some
ask that you stay
for at least a
weekend; others
require a week.
Aviva Goldfarb, a
mom of two in Chevy
Chase, MD, gets the
most out of her
weekend stays by
flying in the day
before and staying
in a cheap motel
nearby. She rouses
the family early and
heads straight for
the ranch so they
get a full day's
activities in. And,
she says, the ranch
is always worth the
price. "Ranches are
great because
everyone can find
his happy place,
then come together
at the end of the
day. It is truly a
life experience that
you can't put a
price tag on," she
says.
