Luxury Dude Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
I have had the pleasure of serving on the board of the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association for the past 7 years. One of the parts of that job that is really fun is inspecting other ranches. Each member ranch is inspected every 3 years and then any ranches that want to join get…
The past year has been a bit of a challenge for the ranch and our draft horse teams. Sadly, we lost Zig during the summer of 2009. Zig was part of our Percheron team, and his buddy Zag was left with an empty harness next to him after Zig passed. With draft horse teams, it…
I just got some great photos from a wedding of former staff members, and it got me thinking. There are so many couples who met at Vista Verde as staff, who have now turned into wonderful marriages. What is it about this place? Between romantic honeymoon vacations, surprise engagement getaways and couples rekindling the…
Although we don’t have any guests around right now, the ranch is nothing but quiet these days. The off-season is a time for knocking out projects on the to-do list, cleaning up from the winter, gearing up for the summer, and taking a little time off too. This year, the off-season at our Colorado ranch…
Bridle Party: Horsing Around at Vista Verde Ranch By LAUREN BARTH 10.11.2011 I had never gotten on a horse before in my life. But after getting married in Beaver Creek, Colorado, my new husband and I started our all-American adventure in the sleepy city of Steamboat Springs, a quaint and charming town with lots of open…
While some of our guests are starting to think about what to pack for their Christmas vacation at the ranch, those of us living here have our thoughts on Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving being the one major holiday that we celebrate while the ranch is closed down, the place tends to turn into a bit of…
Many luxury guest ranches, resorts and even cruise lines promote themselves as all-inclusive vacations. But, what I have found is that many of them aren’t really all-inclusive. At Vista Verde Ranch, we have chosen to truly be an all inclusive Colorado vacation, and not nickel and dime our guests. What does that mean? When you make…
This wonderful essay was written by guest Katie after returning to school this fall. I thought it was so beautifully written that I wanted to share it with everyone. Waking Up As I doze I slowly become aware that I am no longer in Edinburgh, I know this because the quilt under my fingers is…
Just imagine that you are this guy who owns a really cool ranch in Colorado. You’ve come out to visit for the weekend and are enjoying a beautiful spring morning outside on the deck with your dogs. As you brush these beautiful white dogs, who on this day have decided to stay close by and…