Planning A City Slicker’s Themed Bachelorette Party

I love City Slickers (1991) with Billy Crystal; so when my engaged friend and I decided on a ranch IMG_1510experience for her bachelorette party I said yeehaw! Having a bachelorette party where chaps were more appropriate than ChapStick was a wonderful reprieve from the standard b-parties at bars. They still have a lot in common too, so don’t think you’ll be missing out. Still a festive b-party, we naturally wanted to ride some animals – though this time is would be of the four-legged variety.The best part of the city slicker themed b-party is that we got to embrace our fierce and fabulous side. Bachelorette parties don’t always have to be feminine in nature (we looked just as sexy on our horses caked in dust). The city slicker theme is a great way to bond and celebrate with friends. It also has the extra benefit of proving that women aren’t afraid to get a little dirt in the skirt. So here are some ideas to plan your own cowgirl b-party experience!

Getting There – For this trip we traveled to Colorado, though I’m sure Utah, Montana, California, Oregon and any of the original Wild West unincorporated US territories will have similar options. We all flew into Denver, rented a car and then used the towns of Silverton and Breckenridge as our home base. All the activities are a small schlep from town (a few hours) and since most activities started in the early morning, there was no sleeping in. However, the sheer beauty of CO and the fun adventures we planned made the lack of ZZZs worth it.

Day 1: Horseback Riding & Cattle Drive – With purple mountains majesty surrounding us, we went on a four-hour IMG_1559horse ride through Colorado’s backcountry at the Rusty Spurr Ranch. “Where we were going, we did not need roads” (for you Back to the Future fans) because we tramped and plodded through deliciously smelling sagebrush in the search for dispersed cattle that we would then lead towards water and fresh pasture. I cannot express what an amazing experience this was. Cantering through open fields and rustling cows, we proved that cowgirls could drive cattle with the same gusto as any cowboy. While an atypical bachelorette adventure, after four hours in the saddle we couldn’t walk properly. It was as if we had just partaken in a four-hour sexcapade instead, which then made the activity entirely appropriate for a b-party! We also figured out that the way to stay in the saddle while canto ring was to mimic sex motions, between our cowgirl outfits and sex analogies it turned out that driving cattle on horseback was an entirely appropriate bachelorette activity!

Hot Springs: Don’t think a rustic b-party excludes pampering activities! After a long half-day in the saddle we deserved, neigh nay, needed a little spa action. Colorado has wonderful hot springs all over that range from huge treated pools to more natural, small springs that boast a wealth of health benefits. We went to Hot Sulphur Springs, which has an array of mineral rich pools from magnesium to potassium. It was a great follow up activity to the horseback riding.

Day 2: White Water Rafting – Taking in more of the outdoor adventures that Colorado has to offer in the summer, we went on a half day white water rafting trip with AVA Rafting. Our guide’s name was even Elvis, which was somehow super fitting for a b-party too. Rafting is a great way to continue the team bonding.

Beer Festivals – Beer or wine festivals are a great way to kickoff a night of fun. It just so happened that our trip coincided with the Breckenridge Beer Festival. Everyone is in a good mood and there’s music and libations. There were even a few other bachelorette parties clad in typical tiaras and costumes. The only downside to these types of events is that the lines tend to get long and you have to deal with crowds. It’s also really hard to be over served. Though flatlanders should take note that at higher elevations alcohol hits you faster. Drinking copious amounts of water between drinks is crucial not just to ward off hangovers, but as the locals like to say about altitude and hydration, “drink [water] or die.” The benefit to staying in ski towns too is that there are free local shuttles, a.k.a. designated drivers.

Other city slicker themed activities: The benefit to having a destination b-party to places like Colorado is that there’s never a shortage of activities – hiking, fishing, biking, animal gazing, zip lining, skeet shooting, etc. And if there are Ski Mountains and long winters – there are bars, so there are also plenty of chances to get in stereotypical b-parties activities too. With a car and a good attitude there are plenty of new adventures to have, being open to completely new ones is often what makes the most memorable of trips too.

Leave a Reply