Dude Ranches Out West: Then and Now

Teddy Roosevelt was one. So was Billy Crystal. Abraham Lincoln was not, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure notwithstanding. They were "dudes," Eastern effetes who came West to live or vacation with the cowboys and ranchers. Many stayed months, working for free, in exchange for hunting and fishing privileges on the land. According to this tape, the difference between a "dude" and a "tourist" is that "dudes want to stay awhile and get their hands dirty." This well produced video shows the history of dude ranches, beginning from the mid-1800s, when a journey by horseback into the Yellowstone region was still a trip into unexplored territory. Good archival footage shows the 1920s as a peak time for dude ranches, while profiles of modern dude ranches point out that their facilities now sometimes include chefs, maid services, swimming pools and theatrical performances by Jack Palance look-alikes. The word "dude" is thought to come from an English term meaning "greenhorn" or "fancy person." So, the next time your children say "hey dude" to you, say "hey dandy" right back at them. Or, if they are female, call them a "dudeen" and see what they say. If they look a bit puzzled or contemptuous, it could be time to saddle up them valley kids and take that long awaited vacation to Wyoming. Recommended, I reckon. Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Ray)