Round'em Up! Take The Family On A Modern-day Cattle Drive
By Peter Shannon, Thu Dec 8th
Looking for a rewarding and memorable family vacation idea? Acattle drive may be just the thing. We're talking about realranchers on real working cattle ranches. Ranch vacations are agood way for them to help support the ranch. But it's not allbusiness with them. They want to share their way of life andeducate people about a quickly disappearing aspect of ourAmerican history and culture.
Don't worry if you've never sat in a saddle before. Sure, someriding experience is helpful but the activities are geared forwhatever skill level you have. All the ranches provide horseriding instruction for anyone who needs or wants it...
In general, the more experience you have, the more you canexpect to get into the thick of things on the cattle drive. Lessexperienced riders put in the back or at the sides. But thatdoesn't mean you will be bored. There's still plenty of actionand hard work for everyone.
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Yes, I said hard work. This is not a lay-about-on-the-beachvacation. But that's the idea. You work hard and you play hard.This is a chance to tackle unique challenges in a fun andadventurous way. A cattle drive vacation can be a rewardingexperience, particularly for children. It's a tremendousopportunity to build their self-confidence and self-esteem.
You can typically expect to spend between 4 and 10 hours a dayin the saddle. This will most likely mean a little discomfortbut the rewards are worth it. Just be sure to bring a long painrelievers for muscle aches and antibiotic cream in case of asaddle sore or two.
Some ranches have cabins or lodges where you sleep at night.Others put you in a tent on the trail. Some will even have yousleeping out under the stars.
Besides cattle drives you can also participate in real cowboystuff. You can help sort and brand the cattle. Learn roping.Check out the fence lines. And it's not all work and no play.Relaxing around the campfire, playing cards, pitching horseshoesor some good old-fashioned saloon dancing.
Every ranch has a different program so check them out for whatsuits you and your family. Whatever ranch you choose, I thinkthe whole family will be challenged and have a heck a lot of funtoo.
About the author:The author, of this article, Peter Shannon, is the owner of thewebsite http://www.1001-vacation-ideas.com. Here you will find alarge collection of vacation and getaway ideas for travelerssearchable by theme and location.
