There is a certain measure of comfort in knowing when we visit a franchise hotel or restaurant that their standardized operations will give us a known and expected experience. When we drive by a Taco Bell, we all know just…
Solitude is a quality not often accounted for when considering the value of a recreational venue. Rather than focusing on a rather ethereal quality such as solitude, the Western culture tends to look for those signature physical features such as…
Grandpa Van (Harold Van Wagonen) was the "only thing that worked" on our guest ranch when we bought it 21 years ago. He stayed. Everyone and almost everything else went. Gramps was no blood relation, but he took to our…
When we purchased the parcel now known as Marble Mountain Ranch, it was in a vastly different condition. Some might have called it any number of slanderous terms, all connected to a variation of the word "hovel". The property was…
I wish that I could lay claim to the strategic advantage of starting a dude ranch that is at a relatively low 1000 feet in elevation. Unfortunately, I am the recipient of some serious serendipity and I cannot claim…
In my ongoing attempts to monitor and grow guest satisfaction, I survey most of our guests near the end of their riding holiday. This is my most telling survey question: "Is there any significant discrepancy between your pre-holiday expectations and…
Dude ranches usually bring to mind images of cattle drives and horse rides across expansive high plateaus in states like Montana or Wyoming. The Dude Ranchers Association lists 22 member ranches in Montana, and 29 association ranches in Wyoming. In…
How does a Dude Ranch Holiday with kids work? It's interesting to me to see the variety of approaches to traveling with kids to dude ranches. As I survey the various ranches, and explore their program offerings, I see several…
Can increased occupancy through commissioned travel agents be bad business? A small capacity travel venue may not always be wise to accept travel agent commissioned business. One reason for denying commissioned agency business may be obvious: paying the commission fees…
The spring break push for vacation venues is here, but Mother Nature shipped most all of the West Coast snow to Boston! What to do if the family doesn't want to spend Easter holiday skiing on rocks at Tahoe or…