Dude Ranch Blog Musings from the wild west

Experience. You won’t find a better run ranch. Managers Doug & Addie Hare make this ranch feel like home and are wonderful people. In fact the human experience is arguably the essence of this ranch. The owners, Dave and Debbie MacKenzie, will often have drinks, dinner and breakfast with you, and are charming as well. Red Rock is located in a scenic valley bounded by National Forest; great views – you can feel the spirit of Teddy Roosevelt in the Wyoming wilderness. Crystal Creek runs right through the property. The cabins form a sort of neighborhood, the main dining/meeting area is a great building with incredible Western art. Morning and afternoon rides, swimming in the afternoon, fly-fishing clinics, cowboy campfire singers (outstanding), square dancing, and my favorite: Doug’s sporting clay shotgun course – don’t miss this! Addie leads hikes with incredible vistas if you don’t feel like riding. Kids absolutely LOVE this place – and won’t stop asking when they are going back. Staff. Friendly, couldn’t do enough for you. Best overall staff in any place I’ve ever stayed. Wranglers were accomplished riders. One was a retired San Diego County Sheriff, others were college students or pros – mostly from Texas (Hurrah for Texas). Kids wranglers deserve all the praise in the world for their efforts with the children. Wonderful professionalism evident in the kitchen staff – they take deep pride in the meals served. Wait staff was the best bunch of kids and so willing to please. The cleaning staff did a terrific job – they always went above and beyond in tidying up the entire cabin, delivering ice in the afternoon, and offering a friendly smile. Ranch hands always worked behind the scene – delivering wood for the fire, keeping the place looking great, mowing, haying, etc. I enjoyed each and every member of RRR staff. Lodging. Log cabin type individual dwellings with plenty of room, porches; comfortable and clean. Sitting outside your cabin after a day’s ride and just listening to the sounds of Wyoming can’t be beat. No TV, but that’s the best part (I am a TV news junkie) – you just don’t miss the world at Red Rock Ranch. You live life without all the modern distractions – trust me it’s good for the soul. Food. Hearty, healthy, and outstanding. Chef pays attention to detail. Fresh fruit and veggies, great meats & even fresh seafood!!! Fresh seafood in the middle of Wyoming impressed me. The range of offerings was great. The attention to food should come as no surprise; manager Doug Hare was tapped by Gordon Ramsay to be an apprentice chef in London. In addition to standard cowboy fare they had sophisticated meals with wine pairing. Warning: co- Manager Addie Hare makes the best cookies in all of Wyoming, along with the best bread. She also made three birthday cakes that week which were THE BEST cakes I’ve ever had. Horses. Multitude to choose from. Well trained and healthy animals. This ensures that you will be given a horse that matches your ability, temperament, and size (I tip out at 225lbs.). Doug Hare makes sure that the horses are ridden for a number of years by the wranglers before they are released to the guests. They know the exact personality and disposition of each horse they own. This was my first time on a horse and I had no problems. Safety is paramount at this ranch. They provide helmets for the kids – all the kids wore helmets. My eight year old didn’t want to at first, but other kids convinced him to wear one (thanks, Luke!). Facilities. Pristine swimming pool and hot tub with incredible views. Pool towels provided. Kids have their own clubhouse, pickle ball court and other games. There is one washer/ dryer. They have a library. Great campus feel, and they even have a little general store run by Addie Hare. You can buy RRR t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and sundries. Best purchase: Red Rock Ranch belt buckle. Other Guests. Great group of people. Families, older couples, empty-nest couples and we even had a clan (the Brownells). By sheer chance one elderly guest, Fred, was a former 4th grade teacher of the Brownell brothers (all in their 40s now). Fred can still shoot a shotgun – the Marine Corps never leaves a man. One family came from England. I enjoyed all the other guests; the RRR experience puts everyone in a great mood. Overall. I told Doug, Addie, Dave and Debbie that I had a Western Epiphany at Red Rock Ranch. The people, scenery, activities and food combine to produce a rare experience of elation. It connects you to an important piece of our heritage and you will discover that old fashioned American values and warmth still exist here. Wyoming will overwhelm all your senses. I joked Red Rock produced many ‘Jesus Christ’ moments – you come over the top of a ridge and see the majesty of the Grand Tetons and gasp, “Jesus Christ!” If you want to experience the Old West and be moved by it, spend a week at Red Rock Ranch.