The Jessup family hosts at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, planted an apple tree for Carl and Judy Nemecek’s 40th wedding anniversary. Family reunions at Sylvan Dale hold a special place for the Nemeceks, who not only met at the ranch in the late ‘50s but got married there. Why an apple tree? Well, Carl tossed apples at the window of Judy’s Sylvan Dale cabin to get her attention at that first meeting, thus beginning the first of many ranch reunions.
Folks like the Nemeceks return to Sylvan Dale year after year not only for the fresh mountain air, horseback rides and fly fishing, but the special “gathering” rooms set aside for reunions. Sylvan Dale is clearly legendary for creating lifelong memories. Families or groups receive a hand carved wooden name plaque upon arrival to identify their gathering area. Many leave it hanging in anticipation of their next reunion.
Sharon Nemecek Slaterly, who has enjoyed the ranch since she was young, shares, “We've had 4 generations of Nemeceks at Sylvan Dale, starting with my grandparents in the early ‘50s when my parents were children. This past summer, we reunited at the ranch with 18 family members from five states. I can't do justice to all that Sylvan Dale has meant for my family, but it has a special place in our hearts.”
Sylvan Dale is described as a unique and heart warming reunion site. The 3200 acre, secluded site offers dude ranching and cattle drives all summer and an array of year ‘round activities for all ages. Contact 877-667-3999; www.sylvandale.com.
Can’t get to a ranch?
If you’re not able to go to a ranch or your reunion would probably not fit, try a Wild West Party Theme. The ideas we found at www.partyplansplus.com are meant to inspire and guide your planning.
Party Prizes/Favors
- A toy sheriff's star, with a self-adhesive magnetic strip attached to the back, makes a decorative and useful hoe-down memento.
- Say "thank you for coming" with a small live or artificial cactus plant in a clay pot.
- Send your party posse into the sunset with a mason jar filled with trail mix, trimmed with a licorice string.
Home, home on the range
From the time of cowboys and Indians on, Kansas has been at the center of American events. The state has museums, prairie, and many forts, all with the "old west" flavor. Military reunions can look into visiting frontier military sites. Forts Leavenworth, Riley, Hays, Larned and Scott were all key parts of western expansion. Pioneer trails including the Santa Fe, California, Oregon and Smoky Hill all enrich Kansas.
Contact: Kansas Travel and Tourism Department, 800-252-6787; www.travelks.com.
Custer County experience
Southeast Montana has a wealth of Native American history and opportunities for families to experience authentic events and learn the way of life of a people steeped in tradition.
The Crow Reservation south of Billings has unique attractions and events throughout the reservation. Apsaalooke people, known as the Crow People, share their way of life, history and nature’s beauty with hundreds of visitors each year. The region includes Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, site of Custer’s Last Stand and Valley of the Chiefs Celebration. The annual Crow Fair, known as the “teepee capital” of the world, is the third weekend in August. Indians from every western state and Canada meet for an all Indian rodeo, wild horse races, dances and more. Contact 406-638-2601.
Saddle up
Whether your fantasy began at the Saturday matinee or you were inspired by Louis Lamour, ranch reunions are the stuff of dreams. It's impossible not to be moved, gazing at rugged peaks from astride a horse or be touched by the honesty and friendliness of Western hospitality.
A ranch reunion means incredible scenery, good food and great times, action and relaxation, cowboys, horses and hot tubs – families can truly connect by sharing new experiences and tackling challenges together.
Understanding your fantasy is the first step in making it come true. Start by asking yourself a few questions.
What time of year suits your reunion?
Pick your season! There's a ranch for any time of year. Northern ranches and those at higher elevations sometimes close for winter, others embrace winter sports. Many Arizona ranches are open through winter months but are less active during hot summers.
Charlie Gianakakis, Ipswich, Massachusetts, grew up on a farm and still loves to ride. He and his wife, Rosalie, had their first family reunion at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in New York's Hudson Valley 26 years ago. Now, it's an annual event. Rosalie's not a rider, but the resort ranch features many choices including great children's programs. Rosalie especially looks forward to winter family gatherings. Skiing, skating and sleigh rides often end in a sing-along around the fireplace. After 26 reunions involving four generations of family and friends at Rocking Horse, the ranch feels like home to the Gianakakis clan.
Wide open spaces
Maybe the backdrop for your dream is expansive sagebrush country, hills and cactus of the Southwest or majestic forests of the Rocky Mountains. Do you plan any side trips? Perhaps to one of the many national parks or special attractions of the West.
Who is part of the dream?
Do you have young children or other special requirements? Some ranches have extensive family programs or provide baby-sitting services, others prefer children old enough to ride or cater to adults only. Are you most comfortable in small groups or mixing with a crowd? Typically, larger ranches offer more organized options and scheduled entertainment. Smaller ranches focus more on personalized activities.
John and Pat Lopez gather their family from Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma and California at Wonder Valley Ranch Resort in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. Riding, water skiing, tennis, arts and crafts keep multiple generations, even toddlers, happy.
Before families even arrive at White Tail Ranch in Ovando, Montana, phone calls and questionnaires make the fit perfect from horsemanship to menus and free time. Jim and Peggy Bridgeland, Cincinnati, Ohio, and their son, John, and his family were looking for informality and no travelling once they'd settled in. The hospitable White Tail Ranch, tucked against Glacier National Park, fit the bill. Jim and John, avid birders, glimpsed ospreys and golden eagles. Granddaughters, Caily, 6, and Fallon, 4, had their first riding lessons with experienced wranglers. No sore muscles – the perfect horse can be found for any rider.
Horsing around
All ranches center around horseback riding but programs differ. Are you a beginning rider wanting lots of support or an experienced rider up to any challenge? Some ranches offer only walking rides, others allow trotting and loping as well. Wrangler supervision varies from spread to spread. You might have the same horse for your entire stay. Working ranches encourage guests to assist with chores or moving cattle (if guests are so moved!)
Home on the range
Do you picture a rustic cabin or mountain lodge, camping out in canvas tipis or tents? Ranch accommodations range from a simple room in a historic ranch house to elegantly appointed cabins with rock fireplaces. In addition to comfort, most offer private baths, daily maid service and delicious home-cooked meals. Food runs the gamut, from whole grain, low cholesterol or vegetarian to steak and traditional Western food.
Does a river run through your dream? Whitewater rafting or hooking a feisty trout? Need kids activities or a swimming pool? How about a hot tub or evening programs?
Round it up!
Use your answers to select several ranches from the Internet or from ranch association directories. Ask some ranches for their brochures to narrow it down further. Ask about programs and be specific about what you want.
Once you've found a perfect match, don't delay reservations. Many ranches book a year or more in advance. Reservations and a deposit will assure your dream ranch reunion.
The question of cost
One of the great advantages of ranch reunions is that there are no unexpected surprises or hidden costs. With the American Plan, meals, lodging, horseback riding, use of facilities and supervised activities are included in the price. The package price will depend on party size, children's ages, length of stay, season and type of accommodations. Additional charges may be assessed for airport transfers, optional off-ranch activities and bar tabs.
The cost for ranch reunions ranges from economy to enviable luxury or approximately $700 to $1,500 per adult per week. Some offer 5-day mid-week specials for even less. Also reaching remote ranches adds to the cost either in long drives or added airfare to small airports.
That said, there are some very practical advantages to deciding upon a ranch reunion. First, most ranches are small thus encourage more intimate reunions – immediate family, adults from one generation, cousins, friends. Second, you are often the personal guests of the owners and they'll be at your service throughout, in other words, great personalized attention. Third, your reunion may be the only guests for the full attention of the staff.
Happy trails: choosing the right ranch
Many guests return year after year
- Resort ranches: Golf, tennis, swimming, spa, mountain biking, hiking, skeet shooting and children's programs along with traditional ranch activities.
- Specialized ranches: Fly fishing, cross-country skiing, star-gazing, whitewater rafting and kayaking, riding, bird watching, ecological appreciation.
Naturally, ranches are located in most Western states and Canadian provinces, but you can jump into the saddle (and lifestyle) in unexpected places like New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Iowa or Arkansas. Do you picture riding Old Paint through sagebrush, cactus or pine forests? Climbing mountain paths or loping through meadows? Location will determine an assortment of other adventures, too, fly-fishing or just exploring – national parks, dinosaur bones, geological formations, Native American ruins, old mines, ghost towns and abandoned forts. The Internet is a great place to compare ranches, their locations and activities.
Ranches – Wild west adventures
Looking for a western adventure your members will never forget?
Dude ranches are ideal for smaller reunions that can be accommodated at these intimate facilities. Dude ranches offer unique experiences in settings that involve a livestock oriented way of life – often perceived as a glimpse back to the romantic history of the west. When The Dude Ranchers' Association was formed in 1926 the organization's hallmark was the same as it is today, that Western dude ranches offer accommodations, meals, a good horse to ride and the pleasant company of the ranch family and crew.
Member ranches range from rustic cattle ranches to luxurious ranch resorts. The ranch flavor, however, is preserved with a focus on horseback riding, cookouts, hayrides and personal attention. In some instances, your reunion may be the entire guest list and the center of the ranch staff's attention. Most ranches have great fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Many have children's programs (while some limit the lower age), pools and overnight pack trips. Some offer an opportunity to work with cattle alongside real cowboys.
There's a ranch for every budget. Rates are usually for one week, per adult, double occupancy. Most are for an American Plan which typically includes accommodations, meals, horseback riding and most ranch activities. Some offer children's' rates, early and late season discounts and occasionally have "special" week rates. There is much to consider and information available that can help enormously.
The Dude Rancher Directory is an essential resource you'll need to help make a ranch reunion decision. It is free for the asking. The association can help you find the perfect ranch for your reunion among its 100+ member ranches in 12 states and two Canadian provinces. The directory includes full descriptions for each ranch and a comparative grid for all the ranches listing activities and amenities. Contact The Dude Ranchers' Association, PO Box 2307 Cody, WY 82414; 307-587-2339; info@duderanch.org; www.duderanch.org.
A range of ranch vacations are available through www.gorpranches.com which also lists horseback adventures that include pack trips and authentic cattle drives. Ask for their old West Dude Ranch Vacations book, 877-440-7577.
The 1999-2000 Colorado Directory includes a new reunion index – perfect to have the list in one place and references to more information inside the book. Many kinds of accommodations are included from ranches and resorts to hotels and retreat centers. Added to the range of things to do in Colorado, this guide helps you answer the "where?" question for reunion organizing. Free for the asking, contact The Colorado Directory, 5101 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder CO 80303-2799; 888-222-4641; www.coloradodirectory.com.
If the weight of the book makes any difference, the Insight Guide California is a dandy. Articles are written by local authors whose understanding help create a colorful idea of where your reunion might best land in California. The richness of the state is illustrated in countless wonderful photos, maps and listings that will definitely get you in a California mood. In bookstores ($22.95) or Lanenscheidt Publishers, Inc, 46-35 54th Rd, Maspeth NY 11378.
Hey, dude!
This summer marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of The Dude Ranchers' Association. So it couldn't be a better time to unplug your telephone, turn off your TV and saddle up your ponies. With over 100 members, the Dude Ranchers' Association offers the chance to experience working ranches right out of the wild west. For a free copy of The Dude Rancher Directory, write PO Box 2307 Cody, WY 82414 or call 307-587-2339; email: info@duderanch.org. Computer cowboys can lasso the info at www.duderanch.org. Happy trails!
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