Vermejo Park Ranch, spanning close to 914 square miles in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, is the largest Ted Turner Expeditions (TTX) vacation property and one of the premier eco-tourism destinations in the American West.
SONOMA, CA – A ranch of nearly 600,000 acres in Raton, New Mexico, which is under the auspices of Ted Turner Expeditions, recently became the newest member of ranchweb.com, the world’s leading website for sourcing domestic and international ranch vacations.
“This easy-to-use resource showcases amazing places where vacationers can get into the Western state of mind. Some ranches are downhome and intimate; others, like Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch, are by any standards magnificent. The land, its superior accommodations and service are the equivalent of the Jaguar of ranch vacations,” said Gene Kilgore, the expert behind ranchweb.com and the equally authoritative site, www.top50ranches.com. Kilgore, a lifetime member of the Dude Ranchers’ Association is also the best-selling author of nine editions of Ranch Vacations: The Leading Guide to Guest, Resort, Fly Fishing, and Winter Ranches.
Vermejo Park Ranch, spanning close to 914 square miles in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, is the largest Ted Turner Expeditions (TTX) vacation property and one of the premier eco-tourism destinations in the American West. Vermejo welcomes families and groups of all ages, offering unparalleled opportunities to explore nature and to witness herds of elk, deer, pronghorn antelope and bison, along with black bears, mountain lions and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Activities include hiking, biking, Nordic skiing, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, bird watching and photography tours. This is also an Orvis-endorsed fly fishing lodge.
Also in the TTX portfolio of leisure opportunities are additional ranches in New Mexico and a private island off of the southeastern coast of South Carolina. This organization allows Turner, who, among others, is the founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting media empire as well as a philanthropist and environmentalist, to share his love of nature, wildlife and the wholesome traditions of the Old West.
“Leveraging financial success into the joys of owning a western ranch is an ongoing trend that we are seeing,” says Kilgore. According to Landreport.com, in 2015 Ted Turner ranked second among the list of America’s 100 largest landowners. This list resonates with American titans, some of whom, according to Kilgore, are also in the dude ranch business: Philip Anschutz (Emerald Valley Ranch), James E. Manley (Ranch at Rock Creek), and Arthur Blank (Mountain Sky Guest Ranch).
Today, says Kilgore, a ranch vacation is more popular than ever offering, among many other positives, a safe haven from a world in turmoil; escape from urban, industrial and technical worlds; down-home cooking with a gotta-be-fresh flair; the joy of bonding with a mount suited to a guest’s temperament and riding ability; and always the beauty of the natural world.
“Ranch life remains one of the last authentic traditions in a landscape of technology where everything is instantaneous and ‘virtual’ in reality. A dude ranch vacation is a down-to-earth immersion that helps us reconnect with the natural rhythm of the earth,” Kilgore explains.
The world’s leading authority on ranch vacations, Kilgore brings over three decades of passion for ranch experiences via his advisory involvement in and endorsement of ranchweb.com and top50ranches.com. He has visited and personally vetted most all of the properties represented, while also serving as goodwill ambassador to the ranches, bringing his knowledge of the needs of ever-more-discerning travelers to the ranchers and advising on how a business might tweak accommodations, food, overall hospitality and activity offerings. He also helps guide businesses into the realm of hosting corporate and other groups, and whether or not their facilities and activities lend to being meeting-friendly.
For the prospective ranch visitor; solo, in a group or with family, the knowledge and experience incorporated in these two online resources are invaluable.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
