For the ultimate authentic vacation experience, set your sights to the West – where legends come to life and tall tales beckon visitors to create their own. Below is our very own “round-up” of destinations, hotels, and events where you can “get your cowboy on” with horseback adventures, high-energy rodeos, cattle drives, late night campfires and modern-day cowboys.
Destinations
Cheyenne, WY: One of the last destinations in the country where the spirit of the Old West is alive and well, Cheyenne is considered the nation’s rodeo and railroad capital. On any given day, visitors are likely to see real cowboys frequenting the area’s attractions and events. Here, visitors can shop at authentic western wear boutiques; visit Terry Bison Ranch featuring nearly 30,000 acres of rolling countryside and more than 2,000 bison; sling one back at the local saloon; and explore the Old West Museum featuring one of the largest Western carriage collections in the nation.
- CAN’T MISS EVENT: Frontier Days: The world’s largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration, Cheyenne Frontier Days gives attendees a true taste of the Old West. The festival features nine days of PRCA Rodeo, professional bull riders, USAF Thunderbirds, shopping and cultural villages, an art show and sale, nightly concerts and much more.
Estes Park, CO: Visitors can be one with wildlife and nature just like the original western settlers in the quaint mountain village of Estes Park, tucked high in the mountains of Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park. In addition to laid-back guest ranches and a variety of camping options, this family-friendly, outdoor adventure destination offers visitors a number of authentic backcountry horseback riding experience. Eat a steak dinner near a campfire where everything is cooked the way settlers did; take a course in Rocky Mountain National Park about birding, wildflowers or the night sky; take a fly fishing or rustic hiking excursion.
- CAN’T MISS EVENT: Rooftop Rodeo: Estes Park’s annual Rooftop Rodeo, recognized as the best small rodeo in the nation and the top medium-sized rodeo in the Midwest, returns for its 106th year. The event kicks off with a parade featuring hundreds of horses; marching units; hitches; cowboys and cowgirls; floats and antique cars; and rodeo participants. Throughout the rodeo, there are behind-the-scenes looks at the rodeo action, a Tough Enough to Wear Pink night on July 9th and much more. Rodeo kick-off performances start at 7 p.m. each night with rodeo events beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds at Stanley Park.
Utah: Home to the twisting desert canyons once favored as hideouts by Butch Cassidy and his “Wild Bunch,” it’s no surprise that the visitors can find authentic western vacations throughout the state. Visitors can horseback ride on soaring mountain trails, send time unwinding at a 4-Diamond rated lodge located on a working ranch, experience llama and camel pack trips, and learn about cattle drives. And, if someone doesn’t behave, there are ranch chores to experience.
Cowboy Luxury
Travaasa Austin: Located in Texas Hill Country, Travaasa Austin is an all-inclusive resort and modern-day cowboy paradise featuring horseback riding, an on-site farm, mechanical bull riding workouts, as well as Texas two-step and roping lessons. At the “Equine Encounter” guests develop self-awareness through interaction with horses. Not surprisingly, the staff roster includes authentic cowboys.
Four Seasons Jackson Hole: New this summer, Four Season Jackson Hole resort is home to the “Wild West Academy,” a series of seven experiential offerings for guests of all ages who want to get in touch with their inner cowboy/cowgirl. Learn “How to Be a Cowboy” for a day with an intro to rodeo, leather stamping and barrel racing, or foodies can turn indigenous huckleberries into a delicious sauce paired with locally raised elk and bison.
Cordillera Residences: This luxury residential community with stunning rental properties nestled in the Vail Valley of Colorado offers guests an indoor/outdoor Equestrian Center on-site as well as access to the Bearcat Stables. Each Tuesday, Bearcat Stables throws an evening “Extravaganza” featuring horseback riding, dinner and a campfire. Bearcat Stables offers a variety of horseback riding trips and even a four-day Vail-to-Aspen horseback riding trip with overnight hut camping.
