Yippee Ka Yay

Back in my youth I used to ride horses, but that was a long time ago. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to check out something new to me -- a dude ranch. My three kids and I packed up the old Ford Expedition and headed to New York.

Yep, that’s right, New York. Well, not Manhattan, but about 90 minutes north to a small town called Highland and a place called the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort. This was a quick getaway before the holidays organized by a great organization called Single Parent Travel, and since I am single, a parent and I like to travel, I persuaded my kids that it was time for a road trip.

Let me be the first to admit that my kids are spoiled. We usually fly, and I am usually able to obtain upgrades to first class with points or by charm, so the prospect of a five-hour road seemed a bit daunting to me. But with a GPS, a borrowed radar detector, a charged-up E-ZPass and a lead foot, we shaved about 40 minutes off the trip, and arrived unscathed and in good spirits.
I am not sure what we expected. After all, New York is not the center of dude ranch country, but after 48 hours we were converts to the Northeast cowboy experience. For anyone within 350 miles of New York City, this is a perfect year-round getaway for families, couples and singles. There are activities and amenities to appeal to literally everyone from toddlers to octogenarians.

The ranch is what I call “mostly-inclusive,” i.e., you pay for incidentals like the snack bar, video games, gift shop purchases and your booze. But the activities and meals are included in a very reasonable price. Our weekend for three kids and one adult (sharing a basic but very good-sized room) was under $700.

After we checked in, our first stop was to sign up for the trail rides and our dining time. The ranch maintains a stable of 135 horses (all Western -- after all, it wouldn’t be a ranch if they were English), a full blacksmith shop and a huge group of wranglers to make sure the experience is safe for everyone. Kids must be 7 to ride, no exceptions. The hour-long trail rides are ranked beginner (walk), intermediate (walk, trot) and advanced (yeee hah!); five rides are offered each day at each level. We decided to all ride together and over the weekend moved from beginner (two rides) to intermediate (three rides). We had a blast.

The dinners had a cruise-like feel. We ate at a large table with other single parents who were a part of our group, and the food was very good and plentiful. The menu varied each night and there were always enough choices to please even the pickiest eater (my younger daughter). My son says he has had better ribs, but my prime rib was outstanding. Breakfast was a buffet with open seating and eggs cooked to order -- a perfect way to start the day. Lunch was the lowest-key meal of the day. To be honest, we never ate lunch; we were too busy with other stuff!

It was almost winter when we visited, but the resort had a ton of indoor activities to keep us busy, including archery, a rifle range, arts and crafts, an indoor pool (with a faux tree that dumped buckets of water on your head), a fitness room, and a fun-packed barn that had Ping-Pong tables, moon bounces, an automatic rock-climbing machine, volleyball and an area for shooting foam balls at each other with air powered “guns.”

For those who don’t mind a little nip in the air, there was miniature golf, rock climbing, paddle boats, fishing, hiking, pony rides for the little guys, tennis, basketball, outdoor volleyball, softball, shuffleboard, bocce and more. Since we were between seasons, the outdoor pool and many of the other water activities (water skiing, banana boats) were closed down, and the ski area had yet to open. But the resort can make snow when the temperatures drop low enough, and the ranch looks like a great spot to learn to ski or just zip down a hill on an inner tube. This truly is a year-round resort!

Since the ranch is out in the middle of nowhere (it really is), the resort has put together a great evening program for everyone. There were bands, comics, magicians, karaoke and a mentalist who really freaked me out. The indoor pool is open late, as is the rustic and very Western-looking lobby bar and the game room in the basement for the kids. The Cactus Lounge is the place for teens to hang out and grab some grub. On Saturday night, the mentalist was an adults-only show, so the kids were ushered out, supervised and sugared up with a huge ice cream party -- perfect for settling down around 1a.m. (not!).

The Single Parent Travel group had a few private parties to meet and get to know one another. On Friday afternoon there was a wine and cheese party, and on Saturday evening, we had a get-together in the night club with a house band and a buffet of warm appetizers and some Rocking Horse Punch (which it packed). Single Parent Travel (SPT) offers a great program for single parents who want to travel together and share common experiences. Their prices are very affordable, and their trips include everything from weekend jaunts like ours to a weeklong Harry Potter trip to Britain and a full-scale South African safari. SPT also offers a free newsletter and an online forum.

I went into this Western-style weekend a little skeptical, but came away a true fan of the resort. SPT is planning another trip to the ranch in March and I have already put my name on the list. If you are looking for a fun and different experience in the Northeast, check it out. In the meantime, check out some of the pictures on my photo site.

For more information:

Rocking Horse Ranch
800-647-2624

Single Parent Travel
888-2-SPT-KIDS (888-277-8543)

Readers Get Peevish

A while back, I laid out some of my pet peeves about cruising. Being ever so humble, I thought I had covered most of the bases, but I asked for readers' peeves as well, just in case I had missed any. Well, apparently, travel is fraught with peeves. Who knew? My inbox was flooded, but these 16 complaints really caught my attention. I offer hearty thanks to my readers for sounding off.

Why do people need to fill a plate like it is their last meal at an all-you-can-eat buffet? --John, Washington, D.C.

I can't stand it when people feel "special." They know the rules are supposed to apply to everyone, but they feel that they -- of course -- are the exception. You see it everywhere on a cruise. --Annie, Boston, Mass.

My biggest problem on a vacation involves misbehaving kids. Before takeoff, one child was demanding of the flight attendants, loud and aggressive. At times she would turn to me and tell me to get out of "Harry Potter's seat." Her parents did nothing. Daddy put on his noise-canceling headphones and Mommy "fell asleep." --Chad, Billings, Mont.

My biggest pet peeve on a vacation is the cell phone users. Cruises, resorts and restaurants! People, it is vacation, and you are probably not that important! --Mary, Dania, Fla.

Learn how to use the elevator! When the elevator stops for you to board, step back and give those passengers in the elevator room to step off. I don't know how many times I've had to push my way out through the crowd or wait for others to get in the elevator before I could get off. --Catherine, Carroll, Iowa

People who think that society rules/customs in other countries are the same as here, in the United States. Example: One of the things I admire (among a host of others) about the Riviera Maya (Cancun/Playa del Carmen) is that unlike here [in New York], you are allowed to actually smoke in bars and restaurants. What peeves me is when other people start crying about "how rude it is" to smoke in bars and restaurants! Different society = different rules! --David, Westchester, N.Y.

My peeve: the person(s) who seem to feel that if they aren't the first in line on the bus, the dining line, etc., the "ship will sail without them." --Jo, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

I have many times seen Americans at a buffet line in a foreign country and they go through picking pieces of food and smelling them. How rude! --Cynthia Tuten, Hong Kong

Get rid of that obnoxious Nextel beep! And while you are at it, ditch the beeps for the walkie-talkies! --Mark, Vancouver, British Columbia

Stop nickel-and-diming me to death! I've cruised enough to know that the art auction, the photographers, the soda charges and the excursions are just ways to rip more money out of my pocket. --Peter, Denver, Colo.

What is the deal with charging full price for my kids when I am traveling with them? Do they really drink that much booze at the all-inclusive resort? [Note: I agree. Check out Single Parent Travel to see about working around that. J.F.] --Hillary, Groton, Conn.

What's with the smuggling of the booze aboard the cruise ship? You would think Internet cruise boards were invented solely to teach others how to hide their booze. If you are that cheap, stay home. --Jim, Fort Worth, Texas

Senior citizens who, because the good Lord gave them longevity, think they have a right to get on the elevator before anyone is allowed off. --William, Santa Clarita, Calif.

If you must talk with someone who is not sitting with you on an airplane, figure a way to do it without sticking your ass in my face! --Kristine, Duluth, Minn.

People who expect all service-oriented staff members to have an excellent command of the English language and cause a scene or get very rude when they don't. --Sam, Anchorage, Alaska.

People who come to the "free breakfast" in their pajamas. --John, Destin, Fla.

I am sure some of these pet peeves are going to make other readers peevish, too. All I can say is: Don't shoot the messenger!

Got more to add? Drop me an e-mail.