100 Best Ranch Vacations in North America: The Top Guest and Resort Ranches with Activities for All Ages [Paperback]

Gavin Ehringer (Author)

Book Description

Series: 100 Best Series | Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Ranch vacation expert Gavin Ehringer offers his top recommendations for guest ranches and working ranches throughout North America offering everything from beginner trail riding to cattle roundups. Many places provide special programs for families and all the trappings of a classic dude ranch experiece--chuckwagon meals, campfire singalongs, etc.--and many are full-service resorts offering other outdoor activities, such as hiking and cross-country skiing. Whether visitors want to soak in a hot tub and enjoy fine dining after half day of trail riding or have a hard core cattle roundup experience, this book will direct them to the best establishments in all regions of the United States and Canada.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a perfect guide for anyone who wants to enjoy a great ranch-type vacation!"
--Randy Witte, Publisher, Western Horseman magazine

"Whether you're looking to sit in the saddle and do real cattle work or sit in the lap of luxury and relax--or both--100 Best Ranch Vacations in North America directs you to the perfect getaway."
--Margaret Brown Pickworth, Cowboys & Indians magazine

From the Back Cover

Guest ranches offer a vacation experience unlike any other, but with thousands of ranches throughout North America, choosing the right one for your budget and interests can be a challenge. Ranch vacation expert Gavin Ehringer leads the way to some of the best ranches in the United States and Canada. Take your pick from beginner trail riding in the scenic Rockies, cattle roundups with real cowboys in Texas, or soaking in a hot tub in a Wyoming log cabin. Whether you prefer roughing it on a traditional working ranch or being pampered with luxurious spa activities after a day in the saddle, you can find the perfect ranch for you in this authoritative guide.
Look inside for: descriptions of the types of riding offered; ranch amenities, atmosphere; and activities; typical guest profiles; information on rates and meals; other things to see and do nearby.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 1st edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762725974
• ISBN-13: 978-0762725977
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just What You Need to Pick a Vacation, Pardner, February 18, 2004

By 

Bill Marsano (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Best Ranch Vacations in North America: The Top Guest and Resort Ranches with Activities for All Ages (Paperback)

By Bill Marsano. The lure of the Old West and the Open Range is as powerful for those who want to get back in the saddle again as for those who have never so much as fallen off a horse in the first place. And so the dude ranch was born--a place where city slickers could go to grow saddle-sore and be laughed at, made mock by the few genuine cowboys--sorry, that should be "hands"--still on the ranch. Or spread. Well, that was then. Dude ranches have grown up so much that few use the term any more. These days what we have are ranch vacations.

They're not all the same, and to tell them apart you need a guide like this, which covers 100 ranches in 19 states (including, oddly enough, New York) and two Canadian provinces. Now most anybody can fling together a lot of data--phone numbers, addresses, rates, etc.--but Gavin Ehringer has done a better and more complete job than most (in one entry he notes that a ranch accepts Visa but actually prefers personal checks). Ehringer gives a lot more. Each ranch is introduced by a one-page essay that captures the spirit of the place and helps you tell one from another. Do you want a family vacation, kids and all? A place where you break most of your broncos poolside? Or a real, tall-in-the-saddle spread that will make you earn your memories with a few blisters and sore muscles? Ehgringer helps you sort that out.

And if that's not enough, there's a beautifully shot photo essay of vacation-ranch life that will have you humming "Don't Fence Me In" in no time.--Bill Marsano is an award-winning travel writer.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly first-rate and highly recommended guide, April 5, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Best Ranch Vacations in North America: The Top Guest and Resort Ranches with Activities for All Ages (Paperback)

Expertly written by Gavin Ehringer (an award-winning columnist and features writer for "Western Horseman", among several other equine magazines), 100 Best Ranch Vacations In North America is an impressive guide to one hundred different guest ranches and packed with all the information one needs to know about selecting just the right ranch for particular budgets and tastes. Descriptions of the types of riding offered, details on ranch atmosphere and activities, profiles of typical guests, and a great deal more make 100 Best Ranch Vacations In North America a truly first-rate and highly recommended guide for anyone interested in experiencing an authentic taste of the Old West.