Rope In Some Happy Memories At Dude Ranch

Once upon a time, before common sense and aching bones reared their ugly heads, I wanted to be a cowboy or, to be anatomically correct, a “cowgirl,” a term that sounds way too sissified for what I imagined in my youthful mind.

The dream persisted, although somewhat altered, into adulthood. My ideal vacation would have been to pack up our family of six, plus a favorite nephew, and head out for a week at a dude ranch. I imagined us sleeping under the stars (later modified to a sensible but comfy mattress in a bunkhouse), sitting on fallen logs around an open campfire, drinking steaming coffee from a blue-and-white-speckled galvanized cup as we greeted the sunrise, then saddling up and riding horses along the trail.

Unfortunately, it never happened.

But for those who still want it to happen, a free 1999 directory, “The Dude Rancher,” is available to help dudes find the perfect ranch for them, depending upon the state of their common sense and lack of aching bones.

There are more than 100 member ranches in 12 Western states and two Canadian provinces listed, with such fanciful names as Tarryall River Ranch, Tumbling River Ranch, Whistling Acres Guest Ranch, The Hideout (for Butch Cassidy wannabes) and Horseshoe Ranch on Bloody Basin Road.

Following each listing are one to four cowboy boots, indicating price comparisons. One boot means the ranch costs less than $960 for one adult for one week, double occupancy. Four boots, on the other hand, are for ranches that cost $1,480 and above for the same criteria. (Maybe that’s why the dream was never fulfilled.)

To become a member of The Dude Ranchers’ Association, there’s a rigorous two-year inspection and selection process to undergo. Member ranches range (pun intended) from rustic cattle ranches to luxurious resort-type facilities (for namby-pambies?).

To order “The Dude Rancher” directory, write: The Dude Ranchers’ Association, P.O. Box 471-G, LaPorte, CO 80535, or call (970) 223-8440. There’s also an e-mail address: duderanches@compuserve.com.

For RV rookies

There’s a new publication for wanderers who continuously roam the country in recreation vehicles.

It’s the brainchild of Ronald Dawson, a self-acknowledged beginning RVer. It’s written by a “newbie” for other full-time RV newbies.

RV Rookie Newsletter is “intended to emphasize this amateur status as opposed to the usual viewpoints offered in books by experienced RV people,” Dawson said.

Each quarterly issue will follow Dawson’s travels and include information on RV parks, attractions, restaurants and the continual learning process he experiences as a full-time RV traveler.

“We will deal with budgets and expenses, and things we discover on the road that affects both,” he said.

A year’s subscription to RV Rookie is $18, and can be ordered from Mountain Rain Publishing, 4951 Netarts Highway West No. 2085, Tillamook, OR 97141.

It’s snow good

Snow conditions on Mount Bachelor near Bend, Ore., are great, according to Alana Audette, spokeswoman for the Central Oregon Visitors Association.

More than 150 inches have fallen on the mountain this season - and more than 300 new lodging units have come on board, Audette said.

Some 50-plus resorts and motels are offering the “Three and Free” package, which breaks down to: Stay three consecutive days in one of the accommodations and you can stay and ski free on the fourth day. The deal is available through April 18.

There are other things to do beside ski: Visit the High Desert Museum, take guided showshoe tours, dog-sled rides, go ice skating or Nordic skiing - and there’s lots of places to eat and shop.

For more information, contact the visitors group at (800) 800-8334, or visit its Web site at www.mtbachelor.com.

Kayaking up north

Want a tremendous outing next summer? Read on.

Northern Lights Expeditions has added the Sister Ship, a classic 40-foot wooden vessel, to its fleet, giving kayaking a new dimension.

Each eight-day voyage takes four guests and a professional guide and skipper to places only the imagination can match, said Beth Bailey, spokeswoman.

The company has taken luxury sea kayaking adventures and added the comforts of on-board accommodation, Bailey said.

The Sister Ship allows more territory to be explored than would be possible by kayak alone. It also provides exceptional opportunities to view and photograph wildlife in the hundreds of islands, fjords and old-growth forests along the British Columbia coast. Orca whales often cavort about.

Guests explore by boat, kayak and on foot the spectacular environment known as the Great Bear Rainforest.

The company’s Web site (address is below) states kayaking experience is not necessary, and Bailey of Northern Lights says that’s absolutely true. Vacationers should, however, be reasonly healthy and fit.

The kayaks are doubles - two paddlers per boat - and have a low center of gravity and hardly ever tip over. It’s happened a couple of times, Bailey said, but no one has been hurt.

And, they serve gourmet meals!

The price is a bit sobering - $1,095 for the Inside Passage tour, which, unfortunately, is in American dollars since the company is based in Bellingham.

Trips depart weekly June through September.

For more information, call Northern Lights Expeditions at (800) 754-7402, or visit its Web site at www.seakayaking.com. The e-mail address is slim@seakayaking.com.