Ditch the med and head to the wild west this summer

With the 2008 credit crunch forcing travellers to rethink their dream holidays, many adventurers might be planning to downsize the usual summer break. However, a holiday with Ranch Rider in the US could set you back far less, as many of the tour operator's ranch stays feature price tags lower than that of 2007. A dream vacation for those looking to fulfill their childhood Wild West fantasies - America is even more of a bargain ticket this summer as the pound is a strong contender compared to the dollar.

With cash stretching further than it might in the Med, Ranch Rider also has suggestions for several Wild West fests ranging from the intimate to the more up-sized shindigs - some events forming part of an additional self-drive combined with the usual seven-night stay at home on the range.

1. VIP in Native America: Only ten travellers will be VIP's at the Crow Fair on August 16th - all courtesy of the Lonesome Spur. The ranch owners have close, personal ties to this tribal group enabling culture vultures to gain a first hand insight into the practices and traditions of the Crow's in a non-commercial setting. The event will include an authentic Crow rodeo, dancing, rich cultural ceremonies, wild horse racing, parades and a feast of traditional delicacies - travellers being invited as guests of honour at this special event. (6-nights at the Lonesome Spur Working Ranch with Ranch Rider £1,645pp - entry to the fair is free)

2. Roping in the air: From 12 July to 13 July, the sky over Steamboat, Colorado will be filled with colour for the Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo, with over 40 hot air balloons competing in an airborne rodeo roping event and a "hot hare" balloon race. The crowd-pleasing festival also plays host to Art in the Park, an arts and craft fair featuring unique creations from jewelry to paintings. Combine the multi-coloured festival on a 7-night stay at the Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Steamboat with Ranch Rider from £2,498pp and soak up the blue skies of Colorado at the festival and on horseback.

3. All-Out Wild West: Dubbed as the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration, Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming from 18 July to 27 July is chock-full of non-stop bronco rodeos, chuckwagon cook offs, and grand historical parades. Held annually since 1897, the event also features free pancake breakfasts, with flapjacks served hot off the grill to tens of thousands of people - a feat that requires the pancake batter to be mixed in cement trucks (minus the cement of course!) Play out West and combine a 7-night self-drive (£450pp) with 7-nights at the Bucking S Working Cattle & Guest Ranch in the Alcova Mountains (£1,348pp, gratuities left to guests' discretion).

4. Grizzlies behind the glass: Beginning on 21 June, the streets of Cody, Wyoming will become a gathering place for grizzly bears, but travellers need not be alarmed; as these bears are fiberglass replicas painted by different artists for the 2008 Festival of Grizzly Sculpture. Aside from symbolizing America's rugged wilderness, the grizzly also stands for the West's frontier spirit due to its penchant for solitude. Situated in this same town rich with artistic heritage is the UXU Guest Ranch, a guest ranch nestled in lush pine forest. (6-nights with Ranch Rider £1,593pp).

5. Feel the nostalgia: Montpelier, Idaho celebrates its history with the annual Butch Cassidy Days festival from 24 July to 26 July. The event features a reenacted shootout, a log-cutting contest, and an old-fashioned parade to commemorate the famous outlaw, who robbed the Bank of Montpelier in 1896. Also on the agenda are a community dinner, dancing in the park to live music, and spectacular fireworks in the evening. Immerse yourself in the history of the Wild West and combine a 7-night self-drive £450pp with a 7-night authentic working ranch stay at the Silver Spur with Ranch Rider £1,576pp.

6. Hikers and fire starters should head to South Dakota: As many as 15,000 hikers will trek up the world's largest mountain carving in progress on the annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch (first full weekend of June), sharing the view of the Lakota chief's colossal profile. For fire starters who want more of a pyrotechnic thrill there will also be night blasts to shape the granite mountain, the first on 26 June to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and the second on 06 September to mark both the 1877 death of Crazy Horse and the 1908 birth of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski. Combine a 7-night self-drive £450pp and 7-nights at the Fortune Working Ranch in South Dakota (situated just two hours from Rapid City) £1,072pp with Ranch Rider, gratuities left to guests' discretion. Other nearby attractions include; Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, the Black Hills and the Badlands.

7. Rhythm and rhymin' in California: On 18 May, the traditional music of the Old West can be heard at the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival, featuring fiddle competitions, banjo sing-alongs, cowboy poetry, line dancing and hoedowns. The festival is held at the Paramount Ranch - a nostalgic location used in many of the Wild West films of yesteryear. Beginners and professionals from age four to 98 compete at the event while their banjo-less counterparts can simply sit back and enjoy the melodic Western ambience. Combine a 7-night self-drive £450pp with 7-nights at the Coffee Creek Guest Ranch in California offered by Ranch Rider £1,345pp, gratuities left to guests' discretion, car hire recommended.

For full details, visit Ranchrider.com. Dates of festivals may be subject to change. All dates are subject to availability. Information on ticket prices and availability at events should be discussed with independent event organizers.