Gearing up for a trip is almost as fun as shopping for stuff while you're there.

Last summer we went to Crescent H Ranch, an all inclusive dude ranch located just west of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The only thing "dude" about this place is something you might say while relaxing on an elk horn, pony skin chair beneath a mounted buffalo head in their main dining room. "Dude, what about that moose we saw on the trail ride? Are you going to have steak or trout tonight? Did you see the big fish that dude caught?

Crescent H offered daily trail rides and to that end, I needed boots. I opted for an English paddock boot because I was hoping to wear them this winter, a la Ralph Lauren riding-fashion wear.

Most of my fellow dudes, were wearing sneakers or cowboy boots. My boots, Ariats, worked great in stirrups and dusty pastures.

These boots have also been stylish, practical and comfortable to wear this winter. They look like traditional Prada boots minus the orange loop (they have a black ones). Some might want a lug sole in their winter boot, but I wanted something in between–something to wear all day, in the cold, and still go to lunch in! Without a thick lug sole, they make a nice silhouette with a boot cut pant or a thickly cuffed jean. In short, I love them. I'm tickled by the fact that they are intended for riding but I wear them with street clothes.