I read an interesting article from the July 7, 2006 Wall Street Journal entitled, “The Disappearing Dude Ranch”.  It was fun to read quotations from some of our fellow ranchers and see photos from familiar places, but this was one article in which I was relieved to not see Latigo’s name.  It talked about ranches who have subdivided their property because they just can’t afford not to, and it described ranches who are creating all sorts of spa-type programs to cater to the people who don’t want to ‘rough it’ on vacation.  Many of the mentioned facilities are falling prey to urban sprawl and are no longer out in the country anymore.  At a ranch outside Tucson, guests ride to a bluff and see a Super Wal-Mart.

None of these issues are a surprise to anyone in the dude ranching business, but seeing them in print certainly makes us grateful for our lives at Latigo.  We’re protected from development on many sides by national forest lands, and we seem to attract guests who enjoy more of a “rustic” experience – not the body pampering of a spa.  We try to stay as current as we can on some of the more tolerable trends (like having wireless internet service and coffee makers in the rooms), but we haven’t felt that it’s been necessary to abandon our dude ranch heritage.  As a result, we are privileged to share the beauty of our corner of the Colorado Rocky Mountains with our guests as they become our friends.  What’s better than that?

Lisa…………………………from the best dude ranch in Colorado……..Latigo Ranch