The Rustic Charm Of A California Dude Ranch Vacation
By  Search EzineArticles.com 

With coastline, forests, mountains and deserts, California is among the most geographically diverse states in the country. At any one of many California dude ranches, guests can experience the parts of the Golden State that beautifully contrast the hustle and bustle of the major cities.

Many California dude ranches are working cattle ranches that have existed for generations. Over the years, they’ve added modern amenities to cater to guests looking to experience life on a cattle ranch. Some are luxurious, others are simple and unpolished. The “right” ranch depends entirely on what the guest is looking for. The more rustic accommodations can provide an authentic feel for ranching in the early days, while lavish resorts offer a mix of the old west with the indulgence of being pampered.

At many California dude ranches, guests are encouraged to participate in the chores of the ranch. Feeding livestock, roping cattle, and tending horses all allow a visitor to directly experience the daily life of a cowboy. Family members preferring to watch from the sidelines are, of course, welcome to as well.

In addition to horseback riding, the key element in all dude ranches, guests may find that fishing, swimming, golf and tennis are also available. Wagon rides, campfires, square dances, and nightly entertainment can bring families together in a safe and wholesome environment.

California has a long-established history in ranching. That history can be seen and experienced on the acres and acres of California dude

Cruising on Star Princess, Part 5
Mustering, meals and midnight strolls The sun is setting low in the sky over Fort Lauderdale as we leave on our cruise around the Caribbean. We have the ports of Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and the private island of Princess Cays to look forward to, and we can?t wait! Mustering is over, and we have waved goodbye to Port Everglades, so we take a stroll around the deck before going down to our cabin to get ready for dinner. We have lots of choices, but tonight we are going to eat in one of the main dining rooms, where you can dine when you like. This really suits us because there are just the two of us, as we have left our children behind this time ? we feel a bit like naughty children, and we keep thinking we have forgotten something ? them! This trip we have nobody to please but ourselves and we feel a bit guilty ? but we have to admit it is something we are getting used to. After 28 years of child-rearing it is a strange sensation. We get changed and stroll down to the restaur...
The 50 State Quarters Programme
Our fascination with State Quarters began several years ago when we first visited Florida, and we now have a substantial collection of these interesting coins. In 1999 the US Federal Government began releasing commemorative quarter coins on a regular basis. These unique quarter coins were originally designed to heighten awareness of the geography and history of this amazing country. Almost half of the US population began collecting these coins, and the ?50 State Quarters Programme? has since become the most successful numismatic programme in history, making the government an amazing $3. 88 billion from coins being taken out of circulation by collectors. This programme started in 1999 and although due to end in 2008, it has now been extended by a year. A new commemorative coin is released every 73 days, or every quintile, so five designs are featured each year. The quarters are usually designed by a resident of that state, and feature a design which honours the state?s unique tradit...
Getting Wet at Universal and Seaworld.
You cannot visit the many theme parks in Orlando without experiencing the water rides at least once ? after all, on a boiling hot summer?s day there is nothing more refreshing than getting a soaking, or so my children would have me believe. Personally, I would rather sit with a nice cool drink, but luckily I am in the minority! Millions of visitors to Universal queue for hours just to get completely drenched, so it must have huge appeal. For those of a nervous disposition here is a brief guide to what you can expect if you are tempted to try the water rides. Whilst I usually give the water rides a miss, my children are first in the queue, and I have many a photo of them plunging headfirst down a steep slope ? well, actually I have to admit I usually miss them and end up with photos of complete strangers, as I really have no idea who I am photographing because you have to be SO quick! Popeye and Bluto?s Bilge Rat Barges can be found in Toon Lagoon at Islands of Adventure. There is d...
Houlihans Restaurant
In my opinion, for a fabulous dining experience you just have to try Houlihans Restaurant which is located on West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee (also known as Highway 192) and is approximately three miles south of Highway U. S. 27. It?s just about directly across the street from JT?s Prime Time and to the left of McDonald?s. You?ll see a beautiful, large building with architecture that reminds me of something an oil sheik or Greek god would design. Very impressive. As you enter the iron gates at the front of the restaurant you?ll pass by the outside bar (lounge) on the left which looks like a really swanky cabana with a round bar with seating all around it and then tables around the outside of the bar. As with all restaurants in Florida smoking is permitted in this outside area only. Music is normally playing, putting you in a ?tropical? mode. After you enter the revolving door you will be greeted by the hostess who will ask you if you want to be seated in the lounge ...
Why choose a private villa for your holiday
The first time we went to Florida we stayed in hotels and then in a timeshare. Although the timeshare gave us the privacy we had to leave the condo every time we wanted to use the pool, and there were restrictions on the times this could be used. We then decided villa holidays were for us. This would give us the luxury and freedom we wanted and enable us to really relax when not visiting the parks. Most people come to Disney with children and long days are spent at the Theme Parks. These can be very hot in the summer and always exhausting no matter what time of the year. With young children you often want a break in the middle of the day so what better than to come home to your very own private air-conditioned villa and cool off in your private pool and relax with a cool drink, what could be better? A fully equipped kitchen is a godsend when the kids are tired and do not want to go out again in the car to a restaurant, a meal at home is so much less stressful. Many private villas h...
Lake Louisa State Park
Despite passing it every time we went up Highway 27 we had never visited Lake Louisa State Park so this time we made the decision to go so one Sunday morning off we set. Drive 5 miles north on Highway 27 from Highway 192 and you will find this beautiful state park, noted for its six beautiful lakes, rolling hills, and scenic landscapes. Lake Louisa is the largest in a chain of 13 lakes connected by the Palatlakaha River, which is designated as an Outstanding Florida Waterway. Lake Louisa, Dixie Lake, and Hammond Lake, the park and rsquo; s most accessible lakes, provide access for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Anglers can fish in four of the park and rsquo; s six lakes. The entrance fee is a very modest We drove up to the parking area near Lake Louisa and with the little trail map that they give you at the entrance we set off for a walk. Stupidly we forgot our bottles of water and as the temperature was over 85F we began to feel very hot and weary. So instead of walking for about...
Boggy Creek Airboat Rides
Do you need a rest from Disney if only for a couple of hours? If the answer is yes and you have a couple of hours to spare then head off to the Boggy Creek Airboats Rides. Located at the bottom of Poinciana Boulevard this is a great way to see natural Florida in all it?s glory. The drive from Highway 192 is around 15 ? 20 minutes; it?s also on a straight run so you will have no chance of getting lost along the way. We went at the end of July and just took our tickets along with us; there was no need to book the ride in advance. When arriving at the office we showed our tickets and were allocated a ride in 15 minutes. After sitting cooling off by the lake our airboat arrived, we took our ear guards, boarded and took our seats. As the driver knew the lake like the back of his hand he knew exactly where to take us, first we rode through reeds and we taken to see a female alligator on a bank watching over her eggs, this really was as close as we were going to get and it was truly...
Spectromagic
Just when you thought a Disney parade was fantastic the Spectromagic parade only makes it 100% better. Do you remember as a child how you felt on Christmas Eve, waiting in anticipation to see what Santa had brought? Do you remember believing in the tooth fairy and placing a lost baby tooth under your pillow? Do you remember when you would be excited to be celebrating a birthday? Many of you reading this won?t remember those feelings, the butterflies in your stomach, I didn?t, but you will???I promise. We made our way to wait outside the Hall of Presidents to take our places to watch this fantastic Parade, we arrived half an hour before the parade and found lots of people sitting on the kerb side ready. In future I will be arriving at our favourite spot even earlier. We waited in anticipation for the parade to begin and sure as sure is we were not to be disappointed. The lights on the street lamps went off plunging the whole place in darkness, lots of little Disney type lights wer...
Hot Air Ballooning in Florida
As a birthday treat, my husband had booked a trip in a hot air balloon for me and my youngest son (one child goes free). As Stuart (hubby) and Jamie (eldest son) were afraid of heights, it was left to us two to try this. We booked in for the first Sunday in Florida, as my body clock would still be on UK time, having arrived on the Friday and getting up early (the meet at the hotel was 6. 00 am) would not be a problem. We were dropped off at a local hotel for the drive to the launching spot in Poinciana and 44 very tired-looking people set off in two mini-coaches. We arrived at the launch site just as the sun was rising, and it was a real treat to watch the balloons being inflated as the sky brightened to daylight. My son was a little apprehensive about the trip as his initial bravado as a 9 year old, started to wear off. However, he was entrusted with the camcorder and busily filmed the inflation of the balloons and the colourful sunrise, which took his mind off the actual flight. ...
Flying In-Direct to Orlando
After worrying about flying with BMI for the first time I thought I and rsquo; d let you share my experience. We booked the flights to Orlando via Chicago. We took our seats on the plane and found them very comfortable, the seat pitch was OK. The staff couldn and rsquo; t have been more helpful if they tried, without offending anyone they were a little older but definatley the most friendly we had come across, the only fault was the childrens meals I ordered didn and rsquo; t come. They were given adult meals which they had a little pick on, they didn and rsquo; t eat much but as we and rsquo; d had a breakfast at Manchester they were not very hungry anyway. The hostess must have noticed this and an hour after lunch was served they brought my children sandwiches, crips and a chocolate bar, which i thought was great as the really didn and rsquo; t have to. For the very first time and probably because my youngest is able to sit for a while now we managed to watch two films. After arr...
Christmas Store at Down Town Disney
The Christmas store at Down Town Disney is a dream to shop around for adults and children alike; I went in August and really felt Christmassy in there, once we were walked through the doors in to the store it could have been December, especially with the cool air conditioning anyway. The shop itself is located on the walk way at the far end by the children?s carousel ride towards the Rain Forest Cafe and it stocks every Christmas decoration you could possibly desire. The decorations themselves come in lots and lots of verities so a handy hint would be to walk around the shop at least twice before picking up a basket to add your favorites otherwise you will find yourself needing a second basket. Apart from tree decorations you make buy lights, table top decorations, wreaths, dinnerware even a Christmas Disney Train Set. All the Disney Characters have been thought of and there are decorations for each and every one, so whether it?s Mickey Mouse you are looking for or a certain Di...
Around Disney Boardwalk and Crescent Lake
One of our favourite places to relax at Disney World, without using one of those precious Disney Days, is Disney?s Boardwalk. Whether you want an afternoon or evening stroll or just a short break from the hurly burly of Epcot or Hollywood Studios, the boardwalk is the ideal place to relax. Set on Crescent Lake, the Boardwalk faces the resort hotels of the Yacht Club and Beach Club with the Swan and Dolphin Hotels behind and to the side. It was opened in 1996 and built in the style of boardwalks of Coney Island, New York, which existed in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Access to the Boardwalk is probably best gained, especially if this is your first visit, by parking at the Boardwalk Inn car park. Head up the slight incline toward the Boardwalk Inn, and as you approach it take the steps down to the Boardwalk rather than going into the hotel itself. This approach brings you to the ?heart? of the Boardwalk. Immediately on your right is the superb ?Flying Fish Café?, with Seaside Sweets next ...
A Taste of Winter Park
Whilst we were driving up to the new Best Buy store at Winter Garden Village recently, my wife was browsing through a book on Florida when she chanced upon an article about Winter Park, and as we were half way there by the time we had reached Best Buy we decided to carry on and see what this suburb of Orlando had to offer. Doing our best to follow the directions in our book we eventually found ourselves on Winter Park?s main street ? Park Avenue. Parking on the main street was limited and while there were directions to a couple of pay car parks we were lucky enough to turn off Park Avenue and find a free public parking lot. On walking back to Park Avenue we found a street so unlike many that I have seen in America. Except for the section of the street occupied by the park itself, either side of Park Avenue is lined with shops and restaurants. Whilst the shops include the likes of Gap and Pottery Barn, these ?bug name? shops are in the minority and small independent boutiques and je...
?Venice of America? ? Winter Park
I had read a small article about Winter Park; ?The Venice of America?, and so while out on a shopping trip decided to press on to this small hamlet which is to be found on SR 426 just 5 miles north of downtown Orlando. Arriving at Park Avenue, the main street in this suburb, we found that parking on the street itself was limited, but were lucky enough to find a free public parking lot on the second side street that I drove down. My wife and I then decided to look for the boat excursions that we had seen advertised in order to see if the ?Venice of America? lived up to it?s name, and were directed down Morse Boulevard. This tree-lined avenue comes to a dead end at Osceola Lake, named after a chief of the Seminole Indian tribe, and this is from where the tour boats depart. We had approximately half an hour to wait until the next departure and having bought our tickets decided to sit on the benches by the dock rather than walk back into the town. The wait proved fruitful as we sight...
Walter Elias Disney
Central Florida?s landscape would almost certainly been very different today if it had not been for one man with an incredible imagination ? Walter Elias Disney ? and his never-to-be-forgotten statement ?If you can dream it, you can do it?. The creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Theme Parks was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1901 being one of five children, four boys and a girl. Walt was raised on a farm in Missouri, and became fascinated with drawing at a very early age. At the age of seven he was selling his first pictures to neighbours. In 1918, Disney tried to enlist for military service, but was turned down, as he was only 16. Not to be denied, he joined the Red Cross and spent a year driving a military ambulance. As may be expected, his ambulance was covered all over with drawings and cartoons! Returning to Kansas City at the end of the war, in 1920, he created and marketed his first original animated cartoons. Three y...
Shark Dive ? Sea World
What an experience! ! This is your chance to come face to face with some of natures most feared, but beautiful creatures. Having pre-booked five months in advance, there were no problems upon arrival at Sea World on the day of our dive. We arrived fifteen minutes prior to our two hour long experience and were greeted in typical friendly and welcoming fashion by our expert. From the main reception desk we were taken ?behind the scenes? of the park via golf buggy, to a small building where we would be briefed about the dive and also to learn more about the sharks and fish we would be encountering. Our expert delivered a fascinating insight into the world of sharks and also showed us examples of rare sharks teeth and scales, which were dated over three million years old. After approximately thirty minutes of learning and discovering facts about sharks and their environment, we were taken to don our wetsuits. As you can imagine we all look super in a wetsuit! ! Once kitted up you a...
Truly a?MAZE?ing
We had visited Mount Dora on a couple of previous occasions and the lure of its charming tree lined streets, together with its craft shops and waterfront cafes was just too great to keep us away on this visit. At different times we had sampled the thrills of the train journey, which takes visitors along Lake Dora to the county seat of Tavares to the west, and also a lake cruise, which included the ecological delights of the Dora Canal, so on this trip we were looking for something new to experience. We had remembered that the Tourist Information Bureau, in the centre of town, had always been extremely helpful to us on our past visits and had come up with a number of really good ideas for spending a day in Mount Dora, so we made that our first port of call. After explaining that we had visited before and what we had previously done, the representative on duty suggested we try the Cornfield Maze, which was located just on the edge of town. We had seen these mazes advertised back in...
Disney?s Boardwalk Dining
There are a variety of ways to reach the Boardwalk, but for the majority of visitors the most convenient approach is to park at the Boardwalk Inn car park. If challenged at the entrance just tell the guard that you are going for a meal, snack or even just a stroll, show some ID (drivers license) and then head for the self-parking areas. After parking, walk up the slight incline toward the hotel, and as you reach it descend the steps down to the Boardwalk rather than going into the hotel itself. Immediately on your right is the excellent ?Flying Fish Café?, named after a Coney Island roller coaster, called ?The Flying Turns, ? with cars emblazoned with ?Flying Fish?. Here starters such as Aged Sherry-Laced Maryland She Crab Soup, and quot; Peeky Toe and quot; Crab Cakes (the Fish?s signature starter) or Chardonnay Steamed Mussels cost from as little as $9 and entrées range from $29 to $39 and include Herb-crusted Pacific Northwest Halibut, Oak-Grilled Maine Diver Scallops and Pasta ...
Epcot ? Wine Seminars
Each time my wife and I have visited the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, held from the end of September to mid November, for some reason we have never managed to attend one of the many complimentary wine seminars that are held throughout the festival. This was partly due to having family with us, and so not wanting to waste time queuing, and partly down to the locations of the seminars, which from memory seemed to vary in location daily. This year however we corrected that anomaly! Not only were we on our own, but even more importantly the wine seminars now have their own home, situated in the Festival Centre ? the former ?Wonders of Life? building that used to house ?Body Wars? and ?Cranium Command?. Within the Festival Centre are two seminar areas, the Estate and the Vineyard, which each hold approximately 100 guests. We arrived at our first seminar with about 35 minutes to spare, which was quite fortunate as we soon realised that some of the attendees are almost ?professional?; dash...
Seaworld - Brewmaster Club
Each time my wife and I visit Florida we always spend at least a day in Sea World, and without fail include at least one visit to the Anheuser Busch Hospitality Centre for a complimentary libation (or two! ). Until this year however, we have never managed to book a visit to the Brewmaster Club, which is run in the same building. This was initially due to lack of knowledge, but then due to the limited capacity bookings being fully subscribed by the time we arrived at the hospitality centre; this being the only ?behind the scenes? activity which, until recently, could be booked at Guest Services at the front of the park. This year we made it! It was a quiet-ish Friday and even though we did stop off at Blue Horizons first, we still made it to the Hospitality Centre by 11. 30 and were fortunate enough to be allocated places for the next sampling at 12. 30. I have to admit that I was unsure of the format that the Brewmaster Club would take. Thinking that it may have been a ?theatre? ty...
Florida Botanical Gardens
Just a few miles to the south of Clearwater lies the town of Largo (not to be mistaken for its better known namesake ? Key Largo! ). This where the Florida Botanical Gardens are to be found, and if you are looking for somewhere to spend a leisurely afternoon strolling through some of Florida?s most beautiful cultivated gardens, then this could be the ideal place for you. The gardens spread over some 30 acres and you will need a minimum of a couple of hours to fully explore them. You can call in at the Welcome Centre where you can pick up information brochures and maps to aid your wanderings, although you can even start your visit by a circuit of the pond situated in the parking lot, which contains a variety of aquatic plants and whose banks are planted with a mixture of exotic and native plant species. If you exit the Welcome Centre on the opposite side to the parking lot you will pass the groundcover display, which attracts butterflies, and then the tropical fruit garden, before...
The Dry Tortugas National Park
The Dry Tortugas is one of Florida?s three National Parks. Visitors to Florida will almost certainly know of the Everglades National Park and may possibly have heard of the Biscayne National Park, but the Dry Tortugas are much less well known, mainly due to their remoteness. This park is made up of a cluster of seven islands some 70 miles west of Key West. The islands were discovered by Ponce De Leon in 1513 and are made of coral reef and sand. The original inhabitants of the island were turtles and they became a source of fresh meat for the first human inhabitants, so much so that the Spanish for ?turtles? -Las Tortugas ? became the new name for the islands. They soon marked on maps as the Dry Tortugas as there is no fresh water available on the islands. Now known for its exceptional marine and bird life, along with legends of lost pirate gold, the park includes the largest of Americas coastal forts built during the 19th Century. On Garden Key in 1825 a lighthouse was first buil...
In search of the Florida Scrub Jay
On our most recent visit to Orlando we took along my sister and brother-in- law who were very much into the natural habitats of the many species of animals, reptiles and birds that Florida has to offer. We, on the other hand, had got rather used to the more man-made attractions of Disney, SeaWorld and the like that we needed to come up with a compromise that would suit us all. Our relatives had already left us for a three-day excursion to the Everglades National Park, which they thought was absolutely wonderful, but now was the time to enjoy some quality time together. After studying the map for a little while we came upon the idea to visit the Space Center at Cape Canaveral and then go on to explore the wildlife at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge which was also the home of a bird my brother-in-law was desperate to see?. the Florida Scrub Jay, a long tailed blue bird with white patches in the wings and tail, which can only be found in Central Florida. So armed with our Fl...
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth ? Epcot
If you are spending any time at Walt Disney World?s Epcot make sure you stay until the park closes to watch the spectacular illuminations and firework display, which takes place each evening. The show debuted in 2000 at Disney?s Millennium Celebrations and was such a hit with visitors that it has continued ever since. Lasting thirteen minutes it takes place on and above the lagoon in World Showcase There are plenty of good viewing areas all around the lagoon and for a variety of different reasons. If you want a quick exit, after the show has finished, the best place to watch is near the entrance to World Showcase. This gives you a head start over all the other guests leaving the park at the same time. Another good place is from the bridge near Italy. Although this spot is often used for private events, when it is not in use, it makes for an extremely good viewing point. If you would like to combine a meal with watching the fireworks, book a meal at the Rose and Crown Dining Room i...
Hollywood Studios with Toddlers
Disney and rsquo; s Hollywood Studios has a good number of attractions that are probably more geared to adults, but there are still plenty of wonderful experiences for your toddlers to share in as well. It won?t take you the full day to experience all the toddler-friendly attractions at Hollywood Studios, so don?t feel the need to get there bright and early unless you plan to take a break mid-day and head back to your accommodation for nap-time. Your day will not be fast-paced or hurried, so allow your children time for hugs and photos with their favorite Disney characters that you may encounter throughout the park and make sure you take in the parade! Find a good spot at least a half hour before the parade begins and have refreshments, books and toys handy to entertain the children while you wait. But, let?s start at the beginning! First I should clue you in to avoid 3-D movies (my kids were always terrified of these! ) and also the flight simulators are too intense though your todd...

ranches that continue to thrive today.

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