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When people think of combining history with a get-away, usually one thinks of the castles and museums of Europe. But one of the most fulfilling historical adventures is out in the American west. There is a surprising amount of nostalgia in a dude ranch vacations, even for those who don’t believe themselves to be Wild West fans.

They have several different types of ranches. Some that cater to the more historical ‘what life was really like’ aspect, some that cater to the outdoorsy, horse-riding, camping, adventure aspect, and some that cater to hunters.

The good thing about dude ranch vacation is, though they are a niche market, there are several different choices and a very large span of the western United States, Mexico, and Canada from which to pick. This means you can find one in your specific realm of interest in the right climate at all different times of the year in many different price ranges.

Dude ranches are not specifically for children or for adults, so you are capable of designing your own vacation in order to please everyone. For quality assurance, go through the Dude Ranchers’ Association, which represents the best vacation spots and makes sure they all follow the guidelines and regulations of the Association and Federal and state laws.

There has been some debate regarding the hunting portion of some dude ranches, especially when non-native species are imported purely for the purpose of hunting. Booking a vacation through the Dude Ranchers’ Association might help squash any qualms on that front, since the hunting at those ranches is done in accordance with the strictest of laws.

Dude ranches tend to have the quaintness of a bed and breakfast but with specific activities that bed and breakfasts lack. Since they cater to a niche market, however, the lodging tends to be cheap–a family of four can stay for a week for under a thousand dollars with meals and activities included. Try finding that in Europe!

Learn more about living the cowboy lifestyle at dude ranch vacation, especially at beautiful Montana Dude Ranches. It will be the vacation you always dreamed about!