We’re lucky to have a town like Creede so close to our Rocky Mountains Vacation Dude Ranch. For many ranchers, holiday shopping means the internet or days in the car. Not so us.

Hidden wonders in Creede, Colorado.

Creede has been awarded the Governor’s Arts Award for its efforts to improve the community and grow economically through the arts. Creede could have dried up and died with the mine, but it didn’t. Instead, members of the community looked around and saw beautiful land and a great deal of potential.

The Creede Repertory Theatre was established in 1966 to help draw people to the area during the summer; today it creates award-winning production and draws 20,000 theatre-goers to town each year. Artists and authors with international followings live here, along with a talented bunch of artists whose fame is more regional.

Kiera Gibbons, wife of Head Wrangler Damon Gibbons, owns and operates the Creede Beadery. Many guests of our Family Dude Ranch have taken home a piece of wearable art (made by their own hands) thanks to Kiera and the Creede Beadery. In addition, there are ceramics at Abbey Lane gallery and a fabulous collection of jewelry, antiques and rare natural wonders at Rare Things.

We’re lucky we can head over to Creede to shop for Christmas. Many of you will have to wait until next season, when you return to our guest ranch. See you then!