Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RESORT RANCHES
stargaze at an upscale ranch
COLORADO
Stars are the streetlights of eternity.
—Anonymous
78 |
Rachel Carson, an incredible writer, biologist, and environmental guru, used to bemoan
the fact that because stars are so available, offering us their beauty on a near-nightly basis, we
tend to take them for granted. Because we can see this daunting spectacle almost any night,
she says, perhaps we never will.
How long has it been since you've seen the stars? Not the faded versions that are barely
discernible in a city's night sky, but the swarm of stars thick enough to stir that you can only
experience when you're at least an hour or more from the bright urban lights.
That's what this entry is about—taking the opportunity to really look at the stars and ask
yourself, “What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?”
Far from city lights, these three Colorado ranches, which offer a diversity of activities, includ-
ing wrangling, cross-country skiing, and spa-going, also promise unhindered night-sky views,
not to mention thousands of mountain acres and serenity that just aren't available in town.
C Lazy U.
The C Lazy U and its 5,000 glorious acres have been a lot of things—a stagecoach
stop in the early 1900s, a place to hunt bears and snag trout after that. Since 1946, when it was
renamed C Lazy U (the Willow Creek bends and turns and clearly spells out a
C
and a
U
right
there on the property), it has been known as an elegant place to be a cowpoke.
Unlike some dude ranches that put you on a horse and lead you around on a string, C Lazy
U teaches its guests to really ride. If the Lone Ranger were to come galloping over the nearby
hills looking for a posse to nab the varmints that done robbed the stagecoach, you'd be versed
enough in horsemanship by the end of the week to join in. Of course, you might not want to,
since it would mean you'd probably miss dinner at the lodge—a tragic misstep if you happen
to like such things as lamb chops encrusted with pecans and gourmet mustard or perhaps a
