Just Returned: Brush Creek Ranch
Imagine a place with the most vast blue sky you’ve seen, puffy white clouds like marshmallows, a gentle breeze and rolling hills as far as your eye can see and it’s all-inclusive to boot. Your hardest decisions consist of what activity you want to do today… are you in the mood for a scenic hike? how about a horseback ride? fly fishing on the babbling creek where the cool water laps at your calves? Maybe today you’ll visit the gun club where you can try out rifles, pistols and shotguns (I won the award for best female shooter, not bragging just saying)? Maybe you want to take it easy and enjoy a massage instead (necessary on day 4)? Your activity is followed by a cold drink in the saloon where you can play pool with new friends (or your family because us Moss’ keep to ourselves) or sit outside on the porch and just enjoy the day. In the evening enjoy a steak, an American Wagyu, from the ranches own cattle, vegetables from their very own greenhouse and wine from their 35 million dollar wine collection. No it’s not a place made up in your dreams, it’s Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming and I’m lucky enough to say I just returned.
Upon arrival in Saratoga, we were escorted from the plane by two masked men and ushered into their air conditioned SUV where we were given cold waters and whisked off to the Ranch. First impressions of the property included kind and friendly staff who know you by name upon arrival, luxury log cabin furnishings complete with wood burning fireplaces and rocking chairs. Breakfast was served everyday in the Trailhead Lodge. We indulged in benedict’s, short rib hash and my personal favorite: chocolate chip pancakes which I was told are better than the ones I make. From breakfast we made our way to activities where we grabbed waters, applied sunscreen and met our guides for the day for our chosen activities. We were whisked away in UTVs to the stables, the creek, the gun club, the trails or another location on the 30,000 acre property. After 2-3 hours of amusement we returned to the main lodge for lunch where we ate outdoors at the chuckwagon. Lunch was a different theme every day. One day our family style meal was fajitas with fish, steak, chicken and roasted vegetables accompanied by a salad, rice, beans, guacamole and two types of homemade salsas. Dessert were fresh churros served warm. Other lunches consisted of pizzas from their pizza oven, burgers and bratwurst from their cattle, kabobs and mezze, sandwiches with fried artichokes (delish). Lunch was always gourmet and always accompanied by dessert of whatever the pastry chef dreamt up to match the theme of lunch. After a filling meal we stopped by our rooms to freshen up, change if needed and returned to the activity center to begin afternoon activities. Upon returning between 4-5pm, we made our way to the saloon where people would gather to enjoy a cocktail or soft drink (try the margarita made with their own homemade green juice), discuss the day’s activities, play pool or shuffleboard with newly made friends, or merely sit on the porch with an order of homemade chips, chin tipped up to the sun just soaking it all in (or sit in a chair and shamelessly edit photos but there’s no good way to romanticize that).
Dinner would take place in a variety of locations. Sometimes it’s creekside where we sat at tastefully decorated picnic tables listening to the gentle rushing of the creek. We enjoyed moist cornbread muffins, tender steak and prime rib, succulent duck, melt in your mouth halibut, campfire potatoes, roasted veggies that were picked that day paired with wine by the award winning sommelier, Gretchen. The delicious food was only enhanced by the live music, a surprisingly good duo that played country classics and the fire roaring in the center where we later roasted marshmallows for s’mores. After dinner we partook in hatchet throwing where we competed and my mother shocked us all and won before heading back to our rooms. Other nights we dined at the Cheyenne Club where before dinner we stopped by the ranch’s own brewery & distillery where we tasted and learned about the spirits. After we enjoyed a tour of the 35 million dollar wine collection which we thought would be the highlight of the night, however we had yet to experience our meal. At the Cheyenne Club we chose each of our 3 courses plus a side and the meal was worthy to rival any Michelin Starred establishment. Starters consisted of homegrown potato salad and trout, fresh and succulent beets, pate and more. From the main course we all opted for the steak which is the best piece of meat i’ve ever had in my life paired with our choice of whipped potatoes, crispy wild mushrooms and crisp cucumbers and apples. Dessert was soufflé, chocolate ganache and cobbler. We waddled back to the lodge and to the saloon for one last nightcap before we passed out face first into the plush beds where we slept soundlessly till morning to do it all over again.