Colorado|dude ranches|family travel|family vacations|horse riding|skiing|snoeshowing|snow vacations|Steamboat Springs|taking the kids|winter vacations|x-country skiing

This year, I decided to mix it up—opting to spend half our winter ski week at a dude ranch, Vista Verde Ranch, on 500-plus gorgeous acres about 25 miles outside of Steamboat Springs and as far away from the crowds and tumult of a major ski area as you can get.