Category: Culinary Experiences

Do you dream about a dessert you had at one of our dude ranches? We sure do! Some of our ranches have been perfecting their recipes for decades. A lot of ranches guard their favorite desserts with their life. However, we asked some of them to share their most requested dessert recipes and they did not disappoint! Here are some top-secret dude ranch recipes that will surely satisfy any sweet tooth and tie you over until you can experience the real thing again at your favorite ranch! Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch’s Amaretto Cheesecake What You’ll Need: o 1 1⁄2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs  o 3 tablespoons sugar o 1/3 cup butter, melted o 4-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened  o 1 cup sugar o 1 teaspoon vanilla  o 4 eggs o 1⁄2 cup Amaretto 1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar and press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.  2. Beat cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until blended.  3.... Read More

The Newest Millennial Travel Trend The hospitality world literally idolizes millennial travelers and their trends. They have changed the standards of accommodations and amenities. This generation expects different activity, cuisine, and service. However, dude ranches have always offered many of the confusing or even cryptic components of millennial travel. Let's dig deeper into the good-time of an Instagramable dude ranch... Experience  Millennials crave authentic, experiential travel over packaged or conventional travel. Nothing is more authentic than Western Dude Ranches and the nearly 100 different options of ranches in the DRA portfolio that offer everything from working ranches to luxury-based stays across the country and Canada. Brand names are still important; however, access to unique, obscure, or even, first-ever sports and adventures are more on par with millennial travel trends than a more traditional three-night hotel stay. A bonus, many ranches such as White Stallion in Tucson, Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Eaton’s in... Read More

From Arbuckle and bear sign (cattle-range lingo for coffee and doughnuts) over an open flame to pizza ovens and prickly pear margaritas on patios under the stars, these are the top dude ranches with the best outdoor meals and dining experiences for late summer and early autumn. Nature’s bounty is at its finest this time of year. Breakfast rides with fresh confections, four-course lunch atop a mesa and evening cuisine fireside, the DRA has some of the most intimate and exquisite land in the West with access to local food and secret dishes. Fork’s up!  Home Ranch, Clark, Colorado Gardens and Greenhouses Galore Nestled in the Elk River Valley is Home Ranch, definitively one of the most idyllic settings for an outdoor brick oven rolling out over a dozen varieties of stone-fired pizzas. The Home Ranch, a Relais & Chateaux property, 30 minutes from Steamboat Springs, focuses on cuisine year-round; however, their weekly... Read More

Venturing to a new place and experiencing the culture of its food is one of the great pleasures of traveling. But if you’re a vegan, vegetarian or have any dietary limitations, you know it can also be a challenge if you don't select the right location. At these Dude Ranchers’ Association member dude ranches the chefs delight in providing ranch cuisine for your whole family - regardless of any special dietary needs. With enough notice the ranches creatively and effectively cater for meatless diets, gluten free, dairy free and most food allergies. Foodies will even enjoy the culinary adventures on dude ranches where family style meals can be not only enjoyed by the whole family but also savored until the last bite. And what’s even more special than this? Some ranches are able to offer farm to table cuisine straight from ranch gardens.  Here are some great dude ranch vacations for... Read More

The Dude Ranchers' Association has scoured the Western United States and found the best dude and guest ranch vacations money can buy. As with the nature of a ranch, horseback riding is a key outdoor adventure of the day's activities, but for some foodie families, the magic really starts with hors d'oeuvres, runs with a full course meal and culminates after dessert with a glass of fine wine and a peaceful sunset. We've picked out some of the best dude ranch vacations for foodies. We promise, you'll certainly get a craving for the culinary experiences offered by the dude ranches below. But, don't just settle for one ranch, try them all!   Dude Ranch Vacations for Foodies   Mountain Sky Guest Ranch You'll soon discover that at Mountain Sky the meals will be one of the most memorable parts of your stay. The ranch kicks things off with hors d'oeuvres and drinks in the saloon... Read More

  Favorite Dude Ranch Desserts   Move over campfire s'mores and simple scout camp recipes that your grandparents taught you, these promising dude ranch dessert recipes are sure to knock your socks off! We have compiled a list of dude ranch dessert favorites from four dude ranches across the United States and can't wait to see which one you like best.   The tradition of great cowboy cooking and how ranchers continue that tradition at dude ranch vacations is one of the big draws for visiting these majestic destinations across the country. The real pleasure lies in tasting - and making -- these delicious dude ranch food recipes. Medicine Bow Mud Pie from Medicine Bow Lodge Relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with loved ones at the Medicine Bow Lodge. 22 miles from Saratoga, Wyoming, in the Medicine Bow National Forest, sits this 100-year-old Ranch. The Medicine Bow Lodge is rustic with a touch of elegance. Activities at this all... Read More

This year's growing season has nearly drawn to a close for many locations for many while others are just getting started. As we at the National Dude Ranchers' Association reminisce about the warmer, growing days of summer we would like to share a few ranches who spend their long, summer days planting and harvesting. The importance and fulfillment gained by growing your own produce is understood. At these accredited dude ranches they garden not only for themselves, but also to share what they reap with you.  So, after a day of enjoying horseback riding, hiking, fishing and every other adventure imaginable, you can sit down and enjoy a family dinner, straight from farm to table. We hope before the winter blues sets in you will book a promising vacation to get your hands dirty in one of these dude ranch gardens.   Farm to Table Culinary Experiences   Honey Bee's and Sweet Garden Produce Diana... Read More

With food tourism being one of the fastest growing sectors in travel and one of the biggest travel trends of 2013, I want to talk about a vacation many foodies may not consider, but would be pleasantly surprised with a dude or guest ranch vacation.   You are probably thinking “culinary chic at a dude ranch?”  And I am here to tell you yes, as a stay at a DRA guest ranch is sure to take your taste buds on a culinary adventure. Below is a list of  the “Top 5 Culinary Facts You Wouldn’t Expect at a Dude Ranch,” as well as a few highlighted ranches where you are sure to experience flavorful, savory cuisine crafted using fresh, high-quality ingredients morning, noon and night.    1). Renowned Chefs When some people think of a dude ranch vacation they picture a guy named Cookie whipping up bacon and beans in the... Read More

There are few things in life more enjoyable than riding a beautiful horse all day, chasing cows and enjoying the vast outdoors.  The only way to top this type of experience is to end that glorious ride by arriving back at the ranch to the smell of fresh baked chocolate brownies made from scratch.  Tammy at Rowses 1 + 1 Ranch in Burwell, Nebraska is an amazing cook and she has kindly offered to share her recipe with us. Tammy's own chocolate brownie recipe will have you itching to visit  1+1 Ranch to get your hands on some of her delicious baked goods and if you're worried about just how sinful they are, get yourself to the ranch for a working ranch vacation and work up a real cowboy appetite for these gooey brownies! Here's the recipe...  Ingredients 1 cup margarine 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 3 eggs 2 tsp vanilla ½ cup... Read More

When some people think of a dude ranch vacation they picture a guy named cookie whipping up bacon and beans in the sagebrush. Sorry to disappoint but you will discover that dining at a dude ranch will be one of the most memorable parts of your vacation. Whether you are dining around a camp fire, under the stars, enjoining a pool side barbecue or sitting at an elegant candlelit table, the food is simply amazing. The fare will range from home-style cooking to the finest western cuisine you will find anywhere. Ranches offer freshly baked pastries and breads, fresh fruits and vegetables (often grown right on the ranch) and some of the most delectable desserts you have ever imagined. Your dining experience is truly one of our highest priorities; special dietary needs are always accommodated upon request. A few of the DRA ranches that really stand out in the “Gourmet Food”... Read More