Out west in the USA

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Did anyone grow up in what I would call cowboy country on a ranch out west? If so, what is there to do or see where you grew up. ex: horseback riding, dining out, small town hotels,easy site seeing, does not have to be disney world event, just a simple vacation spot ...
 
Take a look at Sheridan, Wyoming=several 'dude' and other ranches in the area with the Big Horn mountains-history-western town, ect. I like the area.
 
I didnt grow up on a ranch but there were not many people around and plenty of dirt roads in the Victor Valley in the 70's and early 80's. My neighbor hood is/was made up of 5 acre lots that go back to the small tract act of 1938 so I didnt have close neighbors.

I remember seeing Roy Rogers and Dale Evans around town. I also remember kids riding horses, dirt bikes and 3wheelers to high school.

We only had 4 sheriffs. They did a shift change @10pm so between 9:45P and 10:15P was the time to bring out the serious racecars at our local road we raced on.

I can drive 1.5 hrs to the beach, 45 minutes to snow, lots of old mines,jeep trails etc just minutes from my house still. I can still take off from home on my quad or bike and ride all day.

IMO Oatman az, Pioneertown,Ca,Randsburg,Ca and Calico are fun to check out as is death valley,
 
I would spend all summer at my aunts and uncles 1000 acre cattle ranch . It had all the ranch things .Horses, Spent lots on time on them, cows sheep ponds to fish, in dogs cats guns and chores. We would have a great time shooting things with bb guns . We had 22s as kids but the ammo costs to much . You learn lots of things on a ranch like when your 8 year older cousin shoots you with a bb gun you never tell because what happens after isn't pretty!
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I didnt grow up on a ranch but there were not many people around and plenty of dirt roads in the Victor Valley in the 70's and early 80's. My neighbor hood is/was made up of 5 acre lots that go back to the small tract act of 1938 so I didnt have close neighbors.

I remember seeing Roy Rogers and Dale Evans around town. I also remember kids riding horses, dirt bikes and 3wheelers to high school.

We only had 4 sheriffs. They did a shift change @10pm so between 9:45P and 10:15P was the time to bring out the serious racecars at our local road we raced on.

I can drive 1.5 hrs to the beach, 45 minutes to snow, lots of old mines,jeep trails etc just minutes from my house still. I can still take off from home on my quad or bike and ride all day.

IMO Oatman az, Pioneertown,Ca,Randsburg,Ca and Calico are fun to check out as is death valley,


Hi Chris,

Out of curiosity, I plugged Apple Valley, ca in mapquest, It's just 2355 miles to your place. I-40 all the way. I passed through the area in Nov. 1965 when I moved back to Michigan. I-40 was just being built at that time and there were several stretches of detours and 2 lane roads. along the way.
grin2.gif
 
"Did anyone grow up in what I would call cowboy country on a ranch out west? If so, what is there to do"

Do? WORK ranch life isn't for everyone, hence my choice of profession. The draft made decisions for many of us who were "country" folk and we left the ranch to serve our country and just never returned for various reasons.
If you can find a working ranch, and have some adventure in your soul, you can have a memorable time and help some folks who's kids are gone or not grown up yet. You'll be tired, but fulfilled.
Smoky
 
Been thinking, I guess by the responses, the days of growing up out west on a ranch are really gone, now its gated communities, asphalt and WalMarts.....
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Been thinking, I guess by the responses, the days of growing up out west on a ranch are really gone, now its gated communities, asphalt and WalMarts.....


That's pretty much true.

An extremely small segment of our society live a "ranch style" life.

It's almost all gone.

I grew up, in part, around families that ranched...way back in the early to mid-70's. Even back then it was almost gone.

It's a shame. This kids I knew from rancher families were always so well mannered and hard working. They all had crewcuts, wore straw cowboy hats, and respected adults.

Different world now.

Those areas I lived are all malls, hotels, golf courses, and expensive resorts.
 
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Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Been thinking, I guess by the responses, the days of growing up out west on a ranch are really gone, now its gated communities, asphalt and WalMarts.....

I think the days of small commodity farms anywhere in our countries are done. There is a resurgence near large cities in small specialty farming, but its not replacing all the families that lived off of 200-300 acres in the east.
I guess its technology driving profit per acre down.
 
Grew up in NM like the other poster. I was not a rancher or in a ranching town but knew several.

It is a lot of hard word to live in a fairly remote or small town that you hope there is a Walmart within 30 miles. Lots of poverty and social issues that go along with it.

There are some great areas where you can live a hour away from the "city", ie, Albuquerque or Santa Fe or Las Crusas down south, and still have your land. But it's not the old timey west that was romanticized, if that ever existed at all.

What to do? I grew up shooting, off-roading, motorbikes, hiking, running around in the forrest and in the canyons. Lots of open space and my town was safe, so it was a great experience. It is tricky because it is very different to visit a place like this than it is to live there. When I visit NM, i don't get to do a lot of stuff I would like to because I don't have a house to park my truck, motorcycles, guns, etc. Only can bring so many suitcases.

If you are looking for the "out west" living experience, I would see if there are any religious mission trips or non-profits that can get you to some western state for a week or two. Specifically, I would research organizations that might be trying to help Indian tribes or underserved populations that are far from technology, health care, education they need.
 
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