A covered or indoor riding arena is a significant capital expense and many riding facilities may find it out of their fiscal reach. Despite the financial commitment that an indoor arena demands, we have found that the addition of our…
The culinary experience here at California's dude ranch can be described as "garden to table cuisine" and "wholesome original". Thanks to Heidi's and my Danish ancestry, we have also sometimes laughingly been called the "Klamath River butter-fest". A true Dane…
At Marble Mountain Ranch we have been practicing sustainability long before the term became fashionable. We like to refer to sustainability in simple terms as being good stewards of our ranch land and the associated resources. Whether you call it…
1. Know your traveling grandchildren! Most importantly, start by knowing essential personal data about the medical history, medical insurance policy numbers, personal interests, and capacities of your grandchildren. This is key information. Create a small travel log to carry this…
Each year Marble Mountain Ranch offers special events in our guest ranch off-season months to encourage our guests with special interests to join us when we can better serve these needs. We are pleased to offer two new events this…
Guest Ranches and Dude Ranches usually share a common thread in their ranch histories and origins. Most dude ranches tend to be heritage sites with generational roots firmly based in the cattle ranching industry. This is understandable and expected for…
Some of the Perks of running a California guest ranch are the connections we make with guests and the periodic healing we see in our visiting guests. The following unsolicited e-mail illustrates this point so well, I think I will…
Kentucky Horsemen Join California's Marble Mountain Dude Ranch The Marble Mountain Ranch "Cole Family" has been shrinking! Three of my children have now graduated from college, married, and moved on to other careers and locations. While my youngest son Adam…
Ecotourism is becoming an increasingly visible part of the travel industry. In some regards I consider the term to be an oxymoron, since tourism is driven by capitalism and the profit motive, while the thesis of ecotourism is based on…
Like most trade groups, dude ranchers have a trade association that they can make application to join. In owning and managing Marble Mountain Ranch, I have resisted the call to join the Dude Ranch Association (DRA) for over 20 years. …