If you look at our staff bios, you’ll start to notice a pattern. There seem to be an unusual number of siblings and relatives working at the ranch this summer. Bubba pointed this out to me the other day, and he is indeed correct! Maybe it’s because the people who love working at the ranch…
Those of you who have followed us over the years are well aware that Vista Verde seems to be the place to be for budding romances that turn into marital bliss. Although this relationship didn’t start at the ranch, it involves someone who has been a staple at the ranch for years, and so we…
This well-known poem, first published in 1917, recently came onto my radar, and I wanted to share it with all of you. It sums up so much of why all of us at the ranch love this lifestyle and the people who make this place tick. Out Where the West Begins- by Arthur Chapman Out…
With opening day nearing quickly, we are putting the finishing touches on all the old favorite aspects of the ranch, but also some “new and improved” features. It’s an exciting time, and a little frantic. The summer season of 2016 is going to be a launch pad for a few new activities and opportunities for…
There have been a lot of amazing people who have called Vista Verde home for a season or two, or more. It’s fun to look back on some of the folks who have worked at the ranch over the years, and see where they are now. Zac Dean was a wrangler from 1999 until early…
The past month has been a bleak one for those of us so spoiled by the ranch chefs the rest of the year. Gone were the fresh fruit bowls, the pastries, the hearty lunches on a cold, wet day, and the steaming platters of freshly prepared dinner time meals. Woe is us. We get…
You know the proverb “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb?” Well, we all decided, as it was dumping snow during the final days of April, that whoever came up with that didn’t live up here in the mountains of Colorado. This spring has been one of snow, snow, and more…
Each year, as we retire some horses and others are purchased, we need to replenish our herd to be ready for our dude ranch season in the summer. Typically this takes the form of going to sales in the spring, and hoping that they horses we picked will be as good when they get back…
So you’re happily engaged, busy planning a wedding, and then your fiance drops the bomb on you–it’s your job to plan the honeymoon! We get so many honeymooners here at Vista Verde, and we love having them at the ranch celebrating their new life together. But, we’ve also been on the phone with enough folks…
While the snow is trying to melt away, despite concerted efforts by Mother Nature to remind us every few days that no, winter isn’t quite over, the ranch is down to a skeleton crew. Where did everyone go? Everywhere! Some of our seasonal staff headed off to their next adventures in life, while others are…