If you are counting on taking a winter holiday trip in North Carolina this year then you may want to consider the Nantahala Stream Gorge area. If you are not born on a ranch, weaned on horses and cattle, precisely how does one go about achieving that all-American dream? I always wished to be a cowgirl but by some bizarre accident I was born in Philly and lived the best part of my adult existence in Jersey. But I wrangle horses, can saddle and care for them, and I'm able to teach others the fundamentals. If not, volunteer to scrub stalls at any barn anywhere. I used to volunteer at the Atlantic Riding College for the Handicapped. Do whatever you can to start getting a genuine comfort level with horses.
Read, read, read about the cowboy way of living, about life in the West, roughly a day in the life of a cowboy. You cant truly aim to this, but you can totally become a ranch hand, a wrangler, and a dude pony coach. To get the full experience of being outside in the gorge area you may wish to consider camping. The campgrounds that are around the stream are probably going to be nearly empty in this time of the year so you may want to call ahead and see what opportunities are available.
