Enjoy life on the ranch
It might have started with resorts at home on the range, but Ranch Rider’s new 2009 brochure is proof that even working cattle ranches are moving with the times and offering more than simply saddling up.
The Wildcatter Resort and Spa offers unadulterated luxury, but this isn’t a sanitised version of the real West. The 4,000-acre ranch, located in Young County, Texas revels in its colourful past: the lodge and its 16 accompanying suites showcasing pictures of local historical events, their furnishings a vignette of a long gone era.
The Wildcatter is only 20-minutes from the famous Goodnight-Loving trail and was the location for two of John Wayne’s Westerns, including “The Searchers,†– an epic based on the deadly Native American raid in nearby Elm Creek. In addition to riding, there are seven miles of thrilling hiking and biking trails running up to the peak of Kisinger Mountain and leading to the archery range.
Alternative activities include rounds of prairie golf through the trees and cactus, fishing in the Brazos River, skeet shooting “on steroids†at the "6 point sporting clay range, ATV excursions and bull riding with the mechanical Mighty Buck. Guests can even take private rides, ending the day with a heavenly massage at the Sage Spa, a mouthwatering 32-ounce steak and a cocktail or two.
A working cattle and guest ranch, Long Hollow is based in Central Oregon – the region dubbed as one of the most scenic recreational areas in the state. Perfect for guests who want to make more of the West, both in and out of the saddle, the ranch offers fly-fishing (in the Spring and Autumn), hiking, horseshoes, badminton, and white water rafting – all of the activities included in the price.
Keen riders can indulge in more authentic cowboy pursuits, by fixing fences, moving irrigation and rounding up the cattle; or they can concentrate on their groundwork with horsemanship classes in the arena. During the stay, the owners take guests on a shopping trip where they can roam the antique and quilt stores of Sisters, perhaps ending the day with a heavenly massage at the East meets West Shibui Spa. A ranch that certainly offers a broader array of adventures for your buck, Long Hollow even caters for “foodies,†with a ‘fine dining’ experience at the end of the holiday.
South Dakota personifies the Wild West, the state home to the Crazy Horse memorial, the Badlands and the Custer State Park. Crow Creek is a small working ranch in Belle Fourche overlooking the Black Hills, yet another historic landscape claimed to be sacred ground by various Native American tribes.
Dependent upon the time of year, activities on and around the ranch might include moving cattle, checking and sorting, doctoring, vaccinating, checking fences, roping and branding; and when not out on the range there is an arena for cutting and team penning. Offering a little more than the average working ranch, guests can also take time out of the saddle with wagon rides, lake swimming, shopping trips to the nearby city of Belle Fourche, and visits to local attractions and rodeos.