Anyone know USA? Montana or Kentucky?

[SquishyBones]

Hoping to get the USA for my 40th next year. We’ve done NY, California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and New Jersey.

I’d like to include a horse ranch stay ... looking for open country, lakes, mountains etc ...

Montana or Kentucky?

Montana - combine it with a trip to Yellowstone if the time of year fits.

Montana. Beautiful. But both are pretty different from most of the places you've been before - solid Trump/NRA land.

Montana. Big sky country but different from Kentucky. Miles of nothing but Yellowstone is there, well in Wyoming but 3 states meet around there

Montana--but some parts are more amazingly beautiful than others. It's very different looking than the UK. And besides, Fuck Mitch McConnell.

Montana--but some parts are more amazingly beautiful than others

Yes, forgot to say, do your research, I15 from the Canadian border to Great Falls is possibly the most boring road I've ever driven, and I've driven through Kansas!

But it also reminds me that might be worth looking into combining trips to Glacier NP and up into Banff/Jasper

Montana for the beauty, but Kentucky would have fabulous food and the possibility of a couple of days in Nashville and Memphis.

Montana.

But you could do the Deep South and encompass Kentucky?

Montana. Some areas are incredibly beautiful. I haven’t been to Kentucky but I’ve heard it’s very pro Trump with lots of racism

Montana is beautiful.

Kebtucky and deep south I'd be careful as that's Trump territory and very racist hut if you are white than you have no worries. Personally, I'd rather not visit America while Trump is in office. But I'm also not white so I don't have that luxury.

Looking like Montana might be the way to go! If we were to do Kentucky we would include New Orleans as we like to do a road trip when we’re in USA.

I forgot about Yellowstone ... how does it compare to Yosemite?

I'm actually curious about why you've arrived at the idea of Kentucky? It's not somewhere i think of as a holiday destination for people a plane ride away. I lived just over the border in Missouri and whilst I've driven through and been to a few different places, none of it strikes me as very memorable.

@WaffleCash Kentucky is horse country if op is into horses probably why

I know nothing about either but Utah is on my list just so I can stay here.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/21739874?sourceimpressionnid=p315915265688AvewQ3TYVVEmyGQO&guests=1&adults=1

@ChilliCheese123 - of course, i associate Kentucky with horse racing rather than horse ranches so it didn't click. Plenty of my colleagues and friends had worked on ranches in the past but all were further west - Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana

We stayed on a working ranch many moons ago (but its still there) it was in Wyoming but we went to Yellowstone and areas in Montana as it was not to much of a drive.

Loved the whole staying on a ranch, but it was not a dude ranch, so be sure to look at the different options they offer. Rode each day and lots to do.

I would diffidently visit Montana again, and having also been to Yosemite, which I found very crowded (29 years ago), Yellowstone is very different and I feel offers more, but thats just my view

Yellowstone is a really amazing place. I loved Yosemite too but Yellowstone is a bit 'wilder' if you get away from the crowds. Remember camping there and hearing the wolves howl!!

Have you thought about Colorado? Lots to see and do,

@CoquettishIngenue

That looks amazing! I love Utah ... we stayed in a traditional mud built hogan on a Native American reserve last time. It was so beautiful. Never seen so many stars ... they had Pyrenean mountain dogs that came across to say hello whilst we were cooking on the fire ... in the pitch black darkness I just saw this white ghostly face appear and I thought it was a wolf ... I shit myself 😂
The woman made us traditional native porridge the next morning with homemade tea. I’ll never forget it. I’ll be remembering that place when I’m on my death bed.

Not sure why Kentucky came up, I think I looked for ranches in America and Kentucky kept coming up.

Loving the responses, thank you! @Bobbybobbins

We stayed in Sedona Arizona a few years back and decided to go for a short walk at night ... it was surrounded by forest and after hearing coyotes howling in the distance we made a quick u-turn and went back 😂 decided to sit listening to them in the hot tub instead 😂

What is a dude ranch?

Dude ranch...kind of like this

''a cattle ranch converted to a holiday centre for tourists.''

As I mentioned, different ranches cater to different visitors, some are like Disney, then some not so more dude ranches then proper working ranches that have some people stay on thier property, but you can join in with the workers if you want (but do check your travel insurance to make sure your well covered!)

What time of year are you thinking of going OP? And how long will you have?

We were in Yellowstone just after Labor Day and it was a great time of year to go, not too crowded, Geysers, Bears, Wolves, Coyotes, Moose, Bison, a totally different feel to Yosemite. But summer is so short that it can be very crowded between Memorial and Labor Day

I found a ranch before when I was looking and it looked lovely, can’t remember where it was now but definately a dude ranch by the sounds of it. Had a restaurant and social hub type thing there but I think I’d prefer a proper working ranch. I’d live to see them cowboying (is that still a thing? Lol)

One thing I do remember being on the ranch was the Sunday after lunch all the guys waited on the porch , the pastor came by, and gave them all a haircut one by one....