Branding This Dude Ranch Vacation a Success

CODY, Wyo. —  It’s difficult enough for two parents to plan a trip with children, but for the busy single parent with double the obligations, gearing up for a family vacation can be a, well, bummer.

Expenses are a big problem, of course, but so is the burden of sole responsibility. That’s why so many “unmarried-with-children” types spend their holidays on visits to relatives. A trip to grandma’s house or a week at your sister’s place offers a change of scenery and a break from full-time parenting.

On the other hand, if any family needs a real vacation, it’s the stressed-out single-parent family. In my case, a divorced mother with sons of disparate ages, 10 and 21, finding a vacation spot that would please all of us was even harder. The younger boy, Noah, needed space to roam, while the oldest, Jared, wanted a place to relax between summer job and senior year at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. We wanted a place with limited distractions where we could “just be” as a family.

The solution came last August in the form of an invitation from Wyoming. Dude ranch owner Marshall Dominick, a one-time Peace Corps volunteer (we had served together in Chile), was hosting a Peace Corps reunion at his place: the 7-D Ranch, 50 miles northwest of Cody, Wyo., about 50 miles from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. I accepted.

In her book “Traveling On Your Own” (Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1990), travel expert Ellen Berman begins the chapter on vacationing with kids with a nod to the dude ranch. “Ranch vacations are made to order for single parents,” she writes. “Everybody is in jeans; nobody puts on airs.” And busy single parents “can look forward to a rare relaxed and unscheduled time to have fun together, family time to really talk and share.”

Sounded good, but let’s face it: Dude ranches’ primary customers are conventional families--often extended families, sometimes with three or four generations worth of grandparents, babies and in-laws. Recently divorced, I feared feeling odd-woman-out in such a cheerful celebration of togetherness. My sons just thought the idea of a dude ranch vacation sounded “pretty weird.”

But as it turned out, it was almost impossible to feel out of place at the 7-D Ranch. A stay here is like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting: warmth, friendliness and good-natured Western hospitality are branded into the setting. Yet there is also a certain elegance and old-fashioned decorum that pervades the place, an almost New England kind of reticence. If this seems surprising given the 7-D’s “Marlboro Country” setting, the ranch’s history makes it understandable.

The place was a working dude ranch in 1958 when Marshall’s father, Dr. Dewey Dominick, then a physician in Cody, and his wife Lee bought the property and renamed it the 7-D Ranch, after themselves and their five kids. The 7-D is now into its third generation of family management.

The Dominicks’ connections were forged on the East Coast, where Dewey attended Yale and Lee, Smith College in Massachusetts. Since most guests hear of the 7-D by word of mouth, most guests come from the East Coast. At times, it seemed, some of those Eastern visitors projected an air of privilege that didn’t always mix well with the more liberal leanings of our small California contingent.

But when, on occasion, discussions at the family-style dinners became especially lively, the Dominicks’ smooth touch invariably steered the collective mood back to the activities at hand. Lee Dominick, now 84 and widowed, plays a crucial role as ranch matriarch. Marshall’s wife, Jane, works alongside him. The children--Sarah, 18, and Meade, 14--act as children’s counselor and ranch hand, respectively. And that teen-age boy I noticed, sweating all day while replacing a rotted fence post? Marshall’s nephew.

“I could have put up that post in a half-hour, but it’s his turn to learn,” said Marshall with a smile. Other nieces and nephews turn up among the wranglers and kitchen staff.

A visit to the 7-D Ranch can even be relatively economical, especially for larger families. Once you’ve paid for your stay, that’s the bottom line. Prices for this year’s summer season (June through September) range from $900 for one person to $775 per person in a party of five or more. The fee for children 12 and younger is 15% less. Everything is included except tax, tips and the cost of a state fishing license should you wish to dine on trout. The 7-D doesn’t have a liquor license, so guests who care to must bring their own alcohol.

With only 12 guest cabins and a staff of 22, there’s plenty of personalized service. You can arrange a tour of nearby Yellowstone Park, a day of canoe fishing complete with guide and a great lunch, or a three-day pack trip to a remote lake.

Or you can just hang out in a beautiful setting. The log cabins are spaced far apart in an aspen grove that surrounds a brilliant green meadow. Each is different, but all have an old-fashioned charm, private bathroom, wood-burning stove and daily maid service.

A spring-fed brook meanders through the property, and Starlite Creek, which looked like a big river to me, is steps away from the barn, beckoning visitors to fish.

The Old West atmosphere of the ranch is reflected in the average day’s program: breakfast (with pitchers of milk from the ranch cow). Ride. Lunch. Ride some more. Dinner. Collapse into bed.

But the variations to this theme are many. There’s hiking, softball, volleyball, square dancing, cookouts and horseback riding competitions. My oldest son Jared served as his brother’s coach during some intense Ping-Pong matches, and Noah watched in awe as his big brother learned the fine art of trap shooting.

With every hearty meal in the cozy dining room, I could see the boys’ initial resolve to dislike this place fade away. I even caught Jared writing to his girlfriend about the “awesomeness” of the ranch-style food.

Guests can make their own fun singing around the ranch’s two pianos, holding scavenger hunts or pitching horseshoes. Cocktail hour in the library may feature the Chardonnay that you cooled in the creek, since guest cabins--while extremely comfortable--are rustic enough to forgo refrigerators.

First-come seating in the dining room means ever-changing table partners. Sometimes Marshall hosts a Chilean barbecue, called asado --a lamb roasted on a rack over an open fire.

Service is one key to the 7-D’s success, but another is its horses. If you’ve never been in a saddle, the wranglers will search the string of 70 horses for a patient old steed who’s seen it all. An expert equestrian? You’ll get a feisty one that’s just your match. I’m a novice, but somehow the twice-daily, three-hour trail rides felt easy. I never complained about those “unused” muscles being overworked.

Yet another key may be that the 7-D is so real . Life here is stripped down to essentials. Weather takes on a sudden fascination--an afternoon squall means that you take a rain poncho on your ride; falling temperatures mean you’ll build a cozy fire in your cabin’s wood stove.

During our visit, a guest’s 10th birthday provided two days of fun for the rest of the kids. There was a surprise party, a pinata and a birthday banner--all involving great amounts of whispering and giggling.

Our time at the ranch was an investment in memories: the 7-D is where my younger boy developed a deep affection for an old horse named Trump, where my older son taught me to play billiards, where the three of us spent an afternoon reading on our cabin’s front porch. The kind of stuff you remember when you’ve taken a really satisfying vacation.

Skeptical at first, my sons were entirely won over by trip’s end. “Do we have to go home?” Noah asked. Within a week, the boys had persuaded me to return to the 7-D Ranch this year. And I’m letting them think it was their idea.

GUIDEBOOK

Family Dude Ranches

Getting there: From Los Angeles, United/United Express or Continental/Continental Express offers flights to Cody, Wyo., changing planes in Denver. Round-trip fare is $278. Or fly Continental, United or Delta to Billings, Mont. (with at least one stop), for $298 round trip, $178 for one child accompanied by an adult. The 7-D Ranch provides valet service for guests both to and from Cody, a 50-mile trip ($60 per party), or Billings ($120 per party), 125 miles.

Reservations: Dude ranches are becoming increasingly popular vacation destinations, and the 7-D’s 1991 summer season (June through September) has been booked since last fall. Cancellations do occur, however, so call for availability. Prices range from $900 single to $775 per person in a party of five or more. Children 12 and younger cost 15% less. In September, the ranch is limited to adults and prices are $100 less. Two-week stays are discounted by about $100 per person, depending on the size of the party. The 7-D does have openings for its 2- to 7-day extended horseback trips from the ranch into the remote Absaroka Wilderness Area. These luxuriously comfortable pack trips are custom-outfitted for each group. Prices range from $225 to $275 per person per day, depending on the group size. Minimum age is 8.

What to bring: Comfortable and informal clothing, warm jackets, hats and rain gear are recommended. Cowboy boots or hard-soled shoes are essential. Liquor is not available on the ranch, but guests are welcome to bring their own. If you are using the valet service, the driver will stop in town for last-minute shopping.

For more information: Contact the 7-D Ranch, Box 100-Y, Cody, Wyo. 82414, (307) 587-3997 (summer) or 587-9885 (winter). Other family-oriented dude ranches in the area include Rimrock Ranch, 2728 Northfork Highway, Cody, Wyo. 82414, (307) 587-3970; Paradise Ranch, P.O. Box 790, Buffalo, Wyo. 82834, (307) 684-7876, and Double Diamond X Ranch, 3453 Southfork Road, Cody, Wyo. 82414, (307) 527-6276.