Creating Memories on Horseback

Our grandson is ecstatic. His horse, the one he was afraid of just a few days ago, broke into a trot, and 6-year-old Jeremy is grinning ear to ear. "I didn’t fall off," he says proudly. My husband snaps a picture. After all, our goal is to create memories.

Photo courtesy of Paradise Guest Ranch

We’re at Paradise Guest Ranch near Buffalo, Wyo., with our son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, and we’ve settled into a glorious routine. Basically, we eat, play, and bond.

We’ve gone on trips with our grandchildren before, yet this one is special. Other grandparents, we find, feel the same way. Although ranch vacations come in a variety of styles — from regal to rustic, laid-back to activity-filled — they’re all a throwback to simpler times, the kind of times that we remember and that we want to recreate for our grandchildren.

A Slower Pace, a Safer Place

Photo courtesy of Red Rock Ranch

“There are fewer distractions. There’s not the hustle of going to museums or restaurants. There are no computers, no shopping. There’s more time to talk,” says Carol Devine. She and her husband, John, traveled from their home in Savannah, Ga., to the Red Rock Ranch near Jackson Hole, Wyo., with 10-year-old granddaughter Gabby. It was a long trip but absolutely worth it. Gabby wants to go back as soon as possible.

“We wanted a vacation that would be magical for her,” laughs Carol. “And that’s what we got.”

Photo courtesy of Dixie Dude Ranch

Pauline and Henry Husband, who live in Houston, so enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that they have turned ranch visits into annual family reunions. Every year since 1989 they’ve spent Easter weekend with their grandchildren and adult children at Dixie Dude Ranch in Texas Hill Country. Some of their grandchildren — they have 13 — have never spent an Easter anywhere else.

“As grandparents, it gives us the opportunity to be with our family without jumping up every minute to fix dinner,” says Pauline. “It also gives us a chance to be with our grown children. We can just sit back and talk long into the night and then, in the morning, start all over again. When we’re home, even though we don’t live that far from one another, we’re too busy to do that.”

Children, too, seem to relax into the slower pace. This isn’t to say they don’t keep busy; they do. But, “it’s a place where kids can be kids,” says Pauline. “They can run free, scream, holler, play without adults hovering over them. There’s no place for them to get lost, no cars to run them down.”

The Days Are Just Packed

Photo courtesy of Cibolo Creek Ranch

All ranches have riding, of course, but beyond that, offerings vary. Some, like Cibolo Creek Ranch, two hours north of Big Bend, Texas, don’t have much in the way of organized programs. Guests can hike, fish, or paddle around the small lake as the mood strikes.

At the other extreme are ranches where there’s a planned activity available at all times. At Paradise Ranch, sign-up sheets for special hikes and fishing trips are posted every morning. Children can choose to do crafts, eat together at “exclusive” kid-food dinners and camp out overnight.

Photo courtesy of Lost Valley Ranch

The children's program at Colorado's Lost Valley Ranch is similarly extensive. In fact, Don and Sue Armstrong of Indianapolis were afraid their 10-year-old grandson, Liam, would be so busy that they’d never see him.

“But it all worked out,” says Don. “Liam had a blast, and Sue and I had fun, too. We usually saw Liam a number of times during the day and again at dinner. When we got back home, he told everybody what a good time he’d had with Grandma and Grandpa.”

And, to adapt the old saying, while the kids are away, the adults can play. Depending on the ranch, adult activities range from rigorous hiking and fishing trips to spa treatments and massages. “I hadn’t ridden a horse since I was 18,” says Carol Devine. “I thought I’d have a hard time doing this, but there I was, by the end of the week, cutting cattle!”

Leah Miller, owner of Paradise Ranch, strongly believes that it takes at least seven days for the ranch to work its magic. "When families arrive, they're harried. They're stressed. But after a few days with no television, no phone (except for emergencies) and no responsibilities, we see folks begin to unwind. We literally see the progression as the week goes on,” she says. “People relax and reconnect."

Other ranches, including Dixie Dude, allow shorter stays, perfect for people who have neither the time nor the funds for a weeklong visit. “You can pack an awfully lot of fun into two and a-half days,” says Pauline Husband.

For our two grandchildren — Jeremy and his 9-year-old sister, Samantha — our ranch vacation provides so many "firsts" that we lose count. It’s their first experience horseback riding, fishing and square dancing. It’s the first time they see a moose in the wild, wear cowboy boots and eat s’mores ‘round a campfire.

Watching them experience all these new things gives us an incredible high. Although we snap photos with abandon, we know we won’t really need them. These memories will be stored in our hearts.