Customer Reviews

Gene Kilgore's Ranch Vacations 6 Ed: The Complete Guide to Guest and Resort, Fly-Fishing, and Cross-Country Skiing Ranches in the United States and Canada

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My wife and I have been on six ranch vacations, and over the years purchased three edition's of this book. There is no better starting point in planning a ranch vacation than this guide. It allows the reader to narrow his search to the type of dude ranch one is looking for.

Gene Kilgore's Ranch Vacations is what all travel guides should strive for. Gene succinctly provides critical information on almost 200 ranches. He's identified and presents information on the major features that are important to ranch guests (number of guests, season, cost, closest airport and medical centers, activities, children's programs, accommodations, dining). He introduces a little history/background on each ranch (which largely seems to be taken from ranch brochures) but he also includes his own capsule summary with each review that accurately captures the essence of that ranch. Ranch Vacations allows the reader to easily compare ranches to one another to find that perfect vacation destination!

Gene also cross-indexes the ranches so it is easy to narrow down ranches that offer cattle work, fly fishing, English-style riding, or those that are adults' oriented, resort-like, and wheelchair accessible. The guide also contains wonderful black & white and color photos of the ranches.

While I've done a lot of ranch searching on the internet, and use Gene's ranch website extensively, I always come back to my Ranch Vacations guide. It provides fingertip access to side-by-side ranch comparisons - something that is still difficult to do on the internet!

Gene runs a web site which we reviewed, and we read his book as well. We booked a ranch -- Wit's end--based on his book review, and the great web site for the ranch. It was a bad experience. It is impossible, so far as I can tell, to write and post a negative review on Gene's site. It appears he takes commissions for booking people into the places he writes up. So beware. The mystical person who appears on the cover of the book likely does not exist. It is a sales document, so that he can get commissions booking people to the ranches. Go back and read the book and you will see there is not one negative comment in it, just as there are no negative comments allowed on his web site.

Gene Kilgore's 'Ranch Vacations' should also be called America the beautiful because his various editions create a veritable smorgasbord of panoramic delights.

This is the quintessential America-the great ranches of the Great Plains states - and a whole lot more, including Canada and even the eastern regions of USA.

The vastness, colour, scenery, atmosphere all leap out of the pages of these books-enough to make this Aussie want to pack his bags and go a ranchin' tomorrow.

The only problem is determining location -there are just so many choices available in so many states.

While more information can be found on the web Kilgore's book has the advantage of easy cross reference and is transportable.

In this age of terrorism the beauty, tranquility and grandeur of America stands in ample contrast to those who wish to destroy the Great Republic.

Unlike those who seek to wreck and destroy, the people in this book, including the author, seek to build by offering the best hospitality and advice possible-and in doing so reveal an authentic part of America to both the reader at home and abroad.

I picked my last 3 vacations using Gene's books. He hasn't steered me wrong yet!

Ranch Vacations contains great information about dude ranch vacations. Lots of pictures.

Kilgore also maintains Ranchweb <http://www.ranchweb.com> which features even more pictures and details about the dude ranches for those who are seriously considering a vacation on a dude ranch.

The book is a great starting point.