Whether you are an employee or a guest, work and fun are nicely combined on a working ranch vacation.
If you love to travel, love the outdoors, and feel at home on the range, you may want to consider vacationing on a working ranch. There are two options for working ranch vacations- the question you must ask yourself is this: do you want to focus on the vacation, or do you want to focus on the work?
Working ranches, or Dude Ranches, can be found all over the country. They offer vacation packages for individuals and families. For a fee, these ranches provide accommodations, meals, and the opportunity to work with experienced ranch hands in actual ranch tasks such as cattle drives or horse grooming. Many have amenities comparable to good hotels, such as room service, horse back riding, and swimming pools.
On this type of ranch vacation, you are paying for the opportunity to spend your holiday working and playing on a real ranch. You can learn new skills, and enjoy the scenery and atmosphere- but you are a guest, not an employee. A Dude Ranch can cost several hundred dollars per person per week, but when you consider that this price usually includes all of the activities, meals and amenities, it is still a bargain over a traditional vacation for which the price would cover the hotel alone.
Another way for a more budget restricted person to plan a vacation on a ranch is to actually find temporary employment on a working ranch. In this case, you would avoid searching through the travel resources and seek out seasonal or temp jobs through employment agencies or help wanted ads. The benefits are that accommodations are usually modest, but free, meals are usually included, and you'll even earn a salary for your services. On the down side, there is high competition for positions, and, if you are hoping to bring your family along, you may be responsible for reduced or full payment for their accommodations (if you are permitted to bring them at all).
One other issue that can be considered either a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it, is that you will be working, and most likely, very busy with your responsibilities. There will be much less time for recreation when you are a paid employee than when you are a paying guest.
When applying for a job at a ranch, mind that the employers will expect you to have some knowledge and skills in the position for which you are applying. For example, if applying for a job as a wrangler, the employer would expect you to have some experience with horses or cattle. However, if you have never been around livestock in your life, don't give up hope. Think about your other skills- are you good with tools and machines? Perhaps you can seek a maintenance position. Some Dude Ranches that offer vacation packages hire seasonal help to aid them with their guests, such as hosts/hostesses, cooks, camp counselors, waiters, dishwashers, or office help.
As either an employee, or a guest, a vacation on a working ranch can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience that will afford plenty of fresh air, sunshine, a casual atmosphere, good company, good food, plenty of starry nights, and some good, old-fashioned hard, yet rewarding, work.
