Valentine Vacation in Colorado

By Steph Imagine waking up in a warm bed at Vista Verde Ranch on Valentine’s Day morning.  Your sweetheart is next to you, bundled up under a cozy comforter, still snoozing.  You look outside and see snow lightly falling on the trees.  What to do today? An early morning dip in the hot tub as…

October at a dude ranch

By Steph This year we tried something new for the ranch.  With so much demand for the fall ranch stays in September, we decided to extend our season a couple weeks into October.  It was an experiment to see if we could get guests to come visit us in October– a time when the chance…

Baylee had a little lamb

By Steph Often times we see wildlife around the ranch or out on the trails.  You may have seen the crazy moose photo on Facebook last week.  If not, check it out.  This one was a little too close for comfort, but luckily everyone minded their p’s and q’s and Mr. Moose left without any…

Life as a Ranch Dog

  Meet Oliver.  He is one of our “behind the scenes” ranch dogs at Vista Verde.  Unlike Rosie, who likes to join hikes and ski trips,  and Trooper, who takes part in horsemanship clinics and trail rides, Oliver lays pretty low.  Although behind the scenes, he still has benefited from the great natural dog food…

Summer fly-fishing adventures

By Brandon Howdy friends!  Brandon here with another installment of The Fly Blog.  To the loyal fans of this humble periodical (both of you), I apologize for the time that has passed since my last posting.  I can only imagine the lengths to which you must have gone to fill your time in the absence…

That’s one fit horse!

By Steph We know our horses are tough and will go for miles and miles.  Although we all work hard at the ranch, there is no doubt the our equine staff members work the hardest.  They carry our guests with a willing attitude and caring demeanor through the woods and over mountains.  The horses that…

Romance at a dude ranch

By Steph You may not think of dude ranch and romance in the same thought.  But, besides the fact that I could go on and on about how a dude ranch vacation can be a really romantic vacation option, this post is not about guests enjoying a romantic getaway.  It’s about the staff.  Yes, those…

Fall is coming to the ranch

By Steph One of the many joys of being at Vista Verde year-round is watching the seasons change each year.  Every year the timing is a bit different due to the weather we have had and are having at that time.  I find myself remembering differences in the various years based on how it ties…