Recipe: Chef David’s Cioppino

Cioppino Broth Recipe courtesy of Chef de Cuisine David Lossing, Vista Verde Ranch This is a dish I have tweaked and played with for many years and that continues to be one of my favorites. I was first exposed to it living in the Bay Area of San Francisco and have adopted the “West Coast”…

Dude Ranch Life: On the Colorado Trail

Although it may look like we’re just trying to deliver a fabulous vacation experience, what really drives us is giving our guests something a little more meaningful. What that means runs the gamut. For some that is just the chance to disconnect so they can reconnect with loved ones. For others that is inspiring healthy…

dude ranch horses

Dude Ranch Horses

We look at our horses a lot like our employees, as they are a very critical part of our team. Numerous guests over the years have commented on how much we take their well-being into mind. Every horse person has their idea of what a well-cared for horse looks like, but for us it means…

Dude Ranch Life: New Website

While we like to live out of the fast lane, and prefer to stay away from technology, there are some realities that we just can’t avoid even out here at VVR.  The world wide web does exist, and the there seem to be several people spending time looking at screens (when not at Vista Verde!). …

Dude Ranch Life: Junecember

If you ask an old time rancher around the Steamboat Springs area about snow in the summer, they’ll laugh and tell you that it can snow every month of the year here in the mountains.  It’s one thing to hear that, but it’s another thing to be scraping off the windshield of your car on…

Dude Ranch Life: Orientation 2019

It’s that time of year when the staff arrive at the ranch with so much enthusiasm that the ranch buzzes with energy each day.  Even some spring snowstorms haven’t dissuaded the crew’s excitement.  We fill up the days with talks, training, safety demos, practice meals, getting the cabins opened up, fixing fence, and then cap…