Now, with the development of tourism, common tours like hosting a feast in a sumptuous restaurant or organizing a picnic in nature are gradually losing their appeal. An increasing number of people are inclined to participate in various types of journeys, so many merchants broaden their business and choose to roll out dude ranches.
But do you know what a dude ranch or what it offers? Next, this article will tell you the answer.
What Is a Dude Ranch?
The dude ranch can be considered a place for original Western vacations. Now, we all know “dude” means “guy”. But back to the late 1800s, “dude” referred to an urbanite—a city slicker unfamiliar with rural life. At that time, ranches allowed East Coast residents to escape blatant urban life and enjoy free accommodation. Gradually, this vacation became a traveling trend.
But in modern times, how can we define dude ranch? Currently, tourists who choose to travel in a dude ranch can enjoy an all-inclusive immersive vacation that includes comfortable lodging, delicious meals, interesting horseback riding, intriguing fishing and adventurous hiking.
Therefore, dude ranches in modern society can not only offer tourists an escape to the wide-open spaces of the American West, but also help them indulge in fascinating outdoor recreation activities.
History of Dude Ranch
In the late 1800s, ranches helped visitors from the East Coast and Midwest to escape the hustle and bustle in urban life. With great hospitality, they allowed weary travelers to rest and relax without any worry about paying money. Travelers could enjoy free accommodation and captivating outdoor activities like hunting and horseback riding, so many ranchers and travelers had become good friends.
But good times didn’t last long. The rapid-growing number of tourists and the steadily declining prices of cattle made the local economy get into trouble. In order to continuously enjoy a relaxing journey and show great gratitude to ranchers who had helped them for a long time, travelers began to pay money for their lodging and recreation activities, so that ranchers could lead a less laborious life.
Therefore, dude ranch has gradually turned into the most suitable traveling place for those who want to enjoy rural cowboy lifestyles. And now, an increasing number of tourists are more likely to spend their rest time on this interesting and challenging journey.
What Does Dude Ranch Offer?
Now, we have learned what is a dude ranch and what is its history, but do you know what it will offer to tourists? Here, the specific activities will be introduced in detail.
Horseback Riding Experience and Simple Grazing Activities
When tourists enjoy traveling at a dude ranch, they can experience horseback riding. The ranch will typically provide a variety of trails that go through beautiful natural landscapes, including forests, meadows, mountains, and along rivers or streams.
In addition to horseback riding, a dude ranch will also provide some special activities. Many tourists may be interested in simple grazing activities for it allows guests to get in touch with the pastoral side of ranch life.
Also, for those who want to seek more excitement, some ranches offer rafting or canoeing activities on the rivers. Cruising along the calm stretches of the river in a canoe or raft allows tourists to experience the beauty of the waterways from a unique perspective.
Experience Ranch Work
Ranchers usually have a lot of laborious ranch work to do. But for tourists, ranch work may be viewed as an interesting and captivating job. For example, many tourists are interested in milking cows and repairing fences.
• Milking Cows: For ranches that have dairy cows, tourists can try milking by themselves. Under the guidance of professional herdsmen, they can learn the correct milking techniques and skills, and feel the wonderful process of extracting fresh milk from dairy cows.
• Repairing Fences: The fences on the ranch are important facilities for protecting livestock and dividing the ranch areas. Tourists can participate in the fence repair work, learning how to use tools such as hammers and pliers to nail loose wooden planks tightly and replace damaged fence components.
Tent Camp & Delicious Fresh Food
The ranchers will offer various types of tents to meet the needs of different tourists. The basic tents are equipped with comfortable sleeping bags and moisture-proof mats to ensure that tourists can have a good sleep at night. Some more advanced tents also provide inflatable mattresses, simple tables and chairs, etc., to increase the comfort of living.
Apart from accommodation, ranchers will also offer fresh food and tasty beverage. Just like beef, lamb and chicken, most of them come from livestock and poultry raised on the ranch itself.
Western Cowboy Culture
Dude ranch resorts are excellent places to experience Western cowboy culture. Tourists can gain an in-depth understanding of the unique charm of Western cowboy culture by participating in various activities.
• Cowboy Rodeo: Many dude ranch resorts host cowboy rodeo shows, including events like bull riding, calf roping, and equestrian competitions. Tourists can not only watch these exciting and thrilling performances but also have a try under the guidance of professionals, feeling the charm of cowboy rodeo.
• Museum Visit: Some dude ranch resorts have cowboy culture museums that display the history, culture, and lifestyle of cowboys. By visiting the museum, tourists can understand the origin, development, and evolution of cowboys, as well as their contributions to the development of the American West.
Using Glamping Tents to Provide Accommodation
After having a basic understanding of dude ranch meaning and various activities that a dude ranch will offer, you, as dude ranchers, may be interested in serving guests and charging reasonable fees. But before inviting guests or making promotions, you should make preparations such as offering suitable tents so that ranches will have enough space for guests’ accommodation.
If you want to find a durable and comfortable tent, Glitzcamp’s Extreme Safari Tent may be the best choice.
This tent is perfect for entertaining guests, as its materials and design make it stable and protective in all kinds of extreme weather conditions. Firstly, its 6063-T5 aluminum alloy frame is able to withstand strong winds, heavy rains as well as the scorching sun. Secondly, the 750 g/m2 double-sided coated opaque PVC material is both waterproof and UV resistant.
Summary
The questions “what is a dude ranch and what does it offer” have been answered perfectly. The answers can be concluded as: a dude ranch is a vacation place where ranchers will offer tourists interesting horseback riding, simple grazing activities, comfortable lodging and delicious meals.
If you have a ranch and desire to earn money through tourism, you should purchase suitable tents for comfortable lodging which is the first step for launching a “dude ranch”. Glitzcamp has a wide variety of luxury camping tents that you can customize to whatever you want. Contact us today to start your business!
