Kick back and chow down at a staple of Colorado Springs food and fun, the historic Flying W Ranch, a working mountain cattle ranch that specializes in authentic cowboy cuisine, entertainment and Western hospitality.Arrive early so you can wander around the Western town that features more than a dozen restored buildings furnished with authentic contents from the 1800s and early 1900s.History: The Flying W got it’s name in 1947 when Don Wilson, a rancher from Kansas, purchased the Douglass Homestead and renamed it. Local townsfolk would rent horses during the summer months and traverse trails on horseback, only to return with a hefty appetite. If the day’s group was small enough, Wilson would invite the riders in for dinner with his family.The Flying W Ranch began it’s entertainment operation in 1953, when 11 guests paid $3 each for the first official trail ride and dinner expedition. Today, the ranch serves a few more folks – more than 100,000 each year and as many as 1,400 visitors each night.Our favorite part: The Flying W Wranglers put on one heck of a Western stage show.If the weather cooperates, you can listen to the beautiful tunes of the Wranglers, featuring three- and four-part harmonies, beneath a luminous Colorado moon. Performing originals and cowboy classics such as “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” the Wranglers combine top-notch musicianship, intricate vocal harmonies and comedy to tell the tale of the American cowboy and the Old West.What’s to eat: With all the W offers, you shouldn’t leave hungry. Your meal includes choice of barbecue beef slices or a tender barbecue chicken breast, a healthy serving of Flying W Beans, chunky applesauce, old-fashioned spice cake, a few hot biscuits and coffee, lemonade or tea. If your tummy is still a growling, jump back in line for seconds.If you want our opinion, the beef slices are the way to go, and the Wranglers agree. Or, for a few extra dollars, you can have a Kansas City Strip Steak dinner.Kids will love: The self-proclaimed “old fossils” known as the Flying W Wranglers put on a family-friendly show the kids will enjoy. Scotty Vaughn, bassist and cowboy comedian extraordinaire, fills the void between Wranglers tunes with clean hilarity. Not to mention that the kids (and everyone else in the family) will bust a gut while Scotty prances around in a six-foot squirrel suit as he sings “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival.”Bet you didn’t know: The Winter Steak House is a reconstruction of the famous Ute Theater from downtown Colorado Springs. When the theater was taken apart, the W purchased every individual piece from the theater during an auction and rebuilt the theater in 1968.Drinks in the Steak House are served from an 125-year-old bar.Darn tootin’: Serving up more than 500 pounds of red beans might sound tasty, but you could be in for a rough evening when your table neighbor offers you some Bean-O before your meal. The Ranch claims to be the largest single user of red beans in the world and serves 500 pounds of beef, 150 pounds of chicken and 46 pounds of barbecue sauce daily.Be prepared: A stray cloud might peek it’s head over the Front Range, so carrying an umbrella is fair advice. But if it does rain, your trip won’t be spoiled – an indoor eating area has elbow room for all. You’ll also be trekking around some hilly terrain, and if you’d like, you can take a brief series of stairs to the top of Christmas Rock Overlook, so wear comfortable walking shoes.Special occasions: The Ranch hosts a special holiday show, “A Chuckwagon Christmas,” at 5 p.m. on Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10 and 17.The W also hosts most any private function for 60 to 1,300 guests.Best time to visit: Midweek nights usually aren’t as busy as weekends, but every night draws a good crowd. You can also visit the Winter Steak House, open from October through mid-May, except January and February, for a hot steak and entertainment on a cold winter night.Souvenirs: The Flying W sells countless Western-themed trinkets in its 10 gift shops. You could grab some cowboy garb, costume jewelry or a vibrantly colored T-shirt boasting a Flying W logo.DETAILSThe Flying W RanchHours: During the summer months, the western town opens at 4:30 p.m., seating for dinner begins at 7:15 p.m. and the show begins at 8:30 p.m. After a rousing performance by the Flying W Wranglers, your evening at the Flying W will conclude around 9:30.Cost: The complete Flying W Ranch package is $19.50 and includes admission to the facilities, a barbecue dinner of choice, the stage show, tax and tip. The cost is $9.50 for children eight and younger.If you would like to have a Kansas City Strip Steak supper instead of the barbecue, the cost is $26.00.Parking: Pull up to the “WHOA” stop sign and attendants will herd visitors into the lot, aimed for a quick exit after the show.Reservations: Reservations are essential! Weekends can book up for the summer, as can entire weeks, so call in advance.Phone: 598-4000 or 1-800-232-3599Web site: www.flyingw.comLocation: The Flying W Ranch is located in Colorado Springs, just north of Garden of the Gods and south of the Air Force Academy, at 3330 Chuckwagon Road.Directions: Take 30th Street north past the Garden of the Gods and head west on Flying W Ranch Road. Follow the sings and hang a left onto Chuckwagon Road.Handicapped-friendly: Yes, but the journey may be a bit strenuous. Although walkways are paved with brick and wide, and there is ramp access to most every building, many pathways are hilly because the ranch is located on the side of a mountain. Some of the bricks are loose, too.Pet-friendly: No. The health department classifies the ranch as a restaurant, so pets are not allowed; Fido must stay at home.

A Dromaesaurus albertensis is installed at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park last year. Photo by THE GAZETTE FILE