Hey Dude, We`ve Got Your Ranch!

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Hey Dude, We’ve Got Your Ranch!
Story and photos by Rona Distenfeld
Think a dude ranch is something out of “City Slickers” or just for kids?
Look again.
Horses and ranching are as much a part of the Texas Hill
Country as cedar trees and red tail hawks, but you don’t have to be a cowboy, or even a rider, to enjoy them. Dude ranches (also known as guest
ranches) come in many guises, and you’ll find one to suit your tastes and
interests in the “Cowboy Capitol of the World” — Bandera, Texas.
For those who want a general vacation that includes horses, The
Mayan Dude Ranch and the Flying L Guest Ranch offer lots of activities
in addition to horseback riding. The Mayan has been catering to families
for fifty years. Days are filled with an ongoing agenda of planned activities, from cookie-making to family Olympics. There’s a swimming pool,
and a swimming hole on the Medina River complete with rope swing.
Evening entertainment may be fireworks, a dance, a floorshow (with
audience participation), a cowboy singer, or a band. You get a 50-minute
ride each day at an easy walking pace, and the horses know the route,
making it perfect for beginners. The accommodations are simple and rustic, the meals are sumptuous and plentiful, and snacks, soft drinks, beer
and wine are available at no charge most of the day.
The Flying L is more like a resort than a ranch. The daily trail
ride takes you at an easy walk through very pretty terrain that includes
crossing a creek or two, and when you’re not riding you can get fishing
poles and try your luck in the river. There’s an 18-hole, par 72 golf course
with a pro shop that includes the latest in computerized tools for analyzing your stroke. And while you’re on the golf course or relaxing by the
pool your kids can have their own fun in the day camp. Evenings feature
campfires with s’mores. The accommodations at Flying L are top of the
line. The bungalows are spacious and roomy, and the newer condos have
full, well-equipped kitchens, washers and dryers, and living/dining rooms
with leather couches, gas fireplaces and flat screen tvs — all the comforts
of home. Extra touches include granite countertops and views of the golf
course. Excellent meals are served buffet style in the main building.
When It’s About the Ride
If your get-away is more about riding than a something-foreveryone vacation, you’ve got some great choices. The Running-R Ranch
promises you two rides a day, and makes sure that each ride is different.
The ranch abuts the 5,500 acre Hill Country State Natural Area, and some
TEXAS ROSE
REALTY
www.texasroserealty.com
866-231-0103
830-460-7250
FAX 830-460-7296
TOLL FREE
3917 Hwy. 16 South
Bandera, Texas
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HILL COUNTRY magazine WINTER 2005
Rides at the Running-R Ranch let you see the hill
country up close, and at a leisurely pace.
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Rancho Cortez, located next to the Hill
Country State Natural Area, with its more
than 40 miles of riding trails, offers a riding
experience for any level of horsemanship,
from trick ropers to beginning riders. There
are many other activities offered, as well.
Visit online at www.ranchocortez.com.
rides take you off the ranch to ride the trails
there. These horses are not moving in a preprogrammed course so you feel more like
you’re really riding, but the hour-long ride
stays mostly at a walking pace so beginners
will do fine. More experienced riders can opt
for one long ride, up to 5 hours, that can get
more adventurous. The ranch has a pool and
serves breakfast and lunch to encourage you to
get out and explore in the afternoon and
evening and have your dinner elsewhere. The
cabins are fairly new and roomy and have
small refrigerators and porches that invite you
to sit and relax.
The Dixie Dude Ranch may be the
oldest dude ranch in Texas, entertaining guests
since 1937. You can come to ride and sit by the
pool and relax, or be more adventurous and do
an overnight trail ride. You leave in the afternoon, walking and trotting as the terrain
allows. You ride for about 3 hours and arrive at
camp to find the chuck wagon waiting for you.
After a hearty steak dinner cooked and eaten
under the stars, you’ll enjoy cowboy tunes
around a roaring campfire. You sleep in openair bunkhouses with bunk beds to lay your
sleeping bag on, and wake to the smells of
cowboy coffee and bacon. After breakfast you
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ride back in time for lunch. It’s an easy,
relaxing adventure that the whole family can
enjoy. They also offer a Native American
Spiritual/Vision Quest led by a true Shaman
from the Puebloan region of America’s
Southwest.
If you’re at home in the saddle, the
Silver Spur gives you more riding options
than most guest ranches. There are easy
walking trail rides for beginners (and lots of
kid-size saddles), and lessons for those wanting to improve their skills. You can do a 2hour advanced ride that lets you trot, lope
and gallop depending on the terrain and your
comfort level. Really intrepid riders can also
opt for a two or three day trail ride. You’ll
ride for about 5 hours every day, spending
each night at a different campsite. Meals are
prepared from a traditional chuck wagon and
you’ll camp in tents (or return to the lodge
for the night if you prefer). For those who
stay at the ranch, the accommodations are
very comfortable, with well-padded couches, large sunny rooms, comfortable beds
with pretty quilts, and the largest swimming
pool in the area. An on-site massage therapist
offers a menu of services to relax those muscles you haven’t used in a while, plus there’s
wireless Internet access in the main room of
the lodge for those who can’t leave the outside world behind.
A Natural Horse Experience
For those who want to enjoy a more
natural way to be with horses, the Hill
Country Equestrian Lodge provides an
opportunity to learn natural horsemanship
techniques and experience the thrill of clearly communicating with your horse as you
ride. You’ll groom and saddle your horse,
take a lesson in the arena, and ride on the
center’s 200+ acres or on the adjacent Hill
Country State Natural Area’s many trails.
After a day of moving your horse from a
walk to a lope as smoothly as breathing, you
can relax on the porch of your comfortable
cabin and watch the horses grazing just a few
yards away. The cabins have full kitchens,
and breakfast foods and snacks are provided.
When the stars come out, take advantage of
the darkness to spot constellations or make a
campfire.
Whatever you want your ranch getaway to be, you’ll find it waiting for you in
Bandera.
When You Go:
Dixie Dude Ranch
P.O. Box 548
Bandera, Texas 78003
(830) 796-4481 or
1-800-375-YALL (9255)
http://www.dixieduderanch.com
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There’s lots to do at a dude ranch!
Above, archery at the Flying L Guest
Ranch; at right, the rope swing at
the Mayan Ranch
Mayan Dude Ranch
P.O. Box 577, Bandera TX 78003
For reservations, call 830-796-3312 or 4603036
Our fax number is: 830-796-8205
http://www.mayanranch.com
Flying L Guest Ranch
173 S. Wharton’s Dock Rd.
Bandera, Tx. 78003
800-292-5134
http://www.flyingl.com
Silver Spur Ranch
9266 Bandera Creek Road
Bandera, Texas 78003
(830) 796-3037
http://www.silverspur-ranch.com
Running-R Guest Ranch
9059 Bandera Creek Road, Bandera, TX
78003-3866, USA
Phone 830-796-3984
http://www.rrranch.com
Hill Country Equestrian Lodge
1580 Hay Hollar Road
Bandera, Texas 78003
830-796-7950
http://www.hillcountryequestlodge.com
Each office independently owned and operated.
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