Post by ~Lori~ on Jul 28, 2008 21:30:04 GMT -5
We only seem to get away for a vacation every couple years.... this is one of those years when I decided we just HAD to get away. I came up with a few choices that weren't too far away. 1) Disneyland, 2)Silverwood or 3) Guest/Dude Ranch.... I then asked the kids what they would like to do. They both quickly replied a Guest/Dude Ranch.... So with two weeks left before our scheduled week off, I started looking. They seem to be pretty spendy. I found two down in Oregon, 1 was really expensive, the other was in the process of being sold. I also found one in Idaho that looked really nice but then stumbled across Bull Hill Guest Ranch in Kettle Falls, WA (http://www.bullhill.com). I myself had never been to the Northeast corner of our state (other than Spokane) and had always heard about how beautiful it was..... Boy, is it! I love the country up there.
There is a lot of history to the ranch. It was homesteaded back in 1903. The owner was on his way to Washington when he ran out of money in Montana. He went to work there in the mines. He ended up leaving his wife and baby there, came to Washington and homesteaded the land (160 acres) and built the house before returning to bring his wife and child home. It is now run mainly by two of his Grandsons and many other family members. There is only two employess that are not family running the now 50,000 cattle and Guest ranch known as Bull Hill Guest Ranch.
The kids and I got up very early Thursday morning and made the trek over. It was a long drive, I think it took us about 7.5 hours. We got there right after lunch, unpacked the car and immediately went out for a 2.5-3 hour ride. Friday my husband Gary joined us. We found out Friday morning they were going to be filming a commercial for the Washington Beef Association so they were going to be rounding up some cattle and also driving them to a new part of the ranch. We were invited along. It was a lot of fun even though the wranglers did most of the work. After 7 hours of riding that day we were given the chance to head back with one of the wranglers if we wanted.... otherwise it was another 3-4 hours in the saddle. Jason and Jenna were all gung-ho to keep going when asked if we wanted to keep going (still had 1.5 miles to go to turn-off). By the time we went the other 1.5 miles, they had changed their minds.... I would have continued on if they wanted but was glad they made the decision they did (I wouldn't have been able to walk, let alone ride the next day!). Friday was also my daughters 12th birthday, what a great memory for her! The ranch cook was nice enough to bake a combo cake for Jenna's 12th birthday as well as a 38th anniversary cake for a very nice couple we met there... Congrats Phil and Diane from Portland.
The meals we absolutely wonderful! It was really nice to have someone else doing the cooking and cleaning and WOW you couldn't beat the view from where we ate. The ranch is literally located on the top of a mountain at 3500 ft.
We went for a morning and afternoon ride again on Saturday. There was also a catch and release only private lake that Gary and the kids really enjoyed fishing and Jason even took a dip out there. Jason also got to try Skeet shooting on Saturday evening.... he seems to be a bit of a natural at it, he was able to hit 4 in a row with a 12 ga. shotgun.
I know we made the right choice, when I hear everyone talking about the trip. We're already talking about when we got back next year.... except next year we will go for longer and both Gary and I have decided we will definitely ride more prior to going next time!!! I think I figured out that the kids and I in approx. a 3 day period spend 17.5-18 hours in the saddle. It was for me a trip of a lifetime.... that is truely my lifestyle!!!
****************************************************
Here are the pictures from Thursday. We are riding with a gentleman we met from Portland, Phil and Tucker a great grandson of the original homestead owner:
Headed down the trail on the way to the old homestead:
Old homestead:
Jenna taking a picture of the homestead with Phil and Tucker in the background:
Jason in front of the homestead:
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i328.photobucket.com/albums/l338/BPQHshared/2008%20Bull%20Hill%20vacation/LorisBullHillPics070.jpg[/IMG]
Views of Columbia River:
And another shot:
Jenna and Phil:
****************************************************
This is what I woke up to on Friday morning... horses right outside our cabin!
Headed to the Cookhouse:
View from the deck at the Cookhouse:
Friday morning, some of the horses coming in:
Friday, during the cattle round-up and drive:
Jenna and I:
Pics of the cattle group staying cool in the shade while they filmed the commercial. There were also 3 nice people from Germany, 2 of which I believe this is their 10th year coming to the ranch:
Sunset on Friday night:
Jenna's Birthday cake:
Jenna blowing out the candles on her Birthday cake:
Me, Jenna and Gary..... Jason trying to get a Birthday picture, but his sister wasn't cooperating:
Jenna, now a 12 year old:
****************************************************
Saturday:
Woke up to lots of horses.... again:
Deer out in the pasture during breakfast, I know it's hard to see.... I'll try to get one zoomed in too:
Morning ride:
Morning ride... view from one ridge over, this is the Ansaldo Lake:
Pic of Jason, Jenna and Gary two ridges over from the ranch... yes, we did lots of steep climbing and going downhill.... Great very surefooted horses!
Returning to the barn:
Rocky, my daughters daily mount after morning ride:
My daily mount Clyde after our morning ride:
Me, my son Jason, husband Gary and daugher Jenna after our ride:
Rocky, my daughters mount at the end of our afternoon ride:
Lurch, aka Bob (due to his bobbing head) after afternoon ride:
Some of the views from Saturday afternoon ride:
View with Gary on his horse (he actually enjoyed himself) on Ty:
View of the Columbia river (we went back to same place because I really wanted Gary to see this view):
Pics of Jason Trap shooting:
I was feeling sad that we had to leave the next morning and took these shots between reading in the evening on the bed....
****************************************************
Sunday early morning, the usual horses grazing around our cabin:
Pics Jenna took of our Cabin, every inch of it before we headed out:
One of the ranch dogs, Ringo:
Headed down the road, towards home:
A few video's (mainly shots of the horses coming in each morning):
There is a lot of history to the ranch. It was homesteaded back in 1903. The owner was on his way to Washington when he ran out of money in Montana. He went to work there in the mines. He ended up leaving his wife and baby there, came to Washington and homesteaded the land (160 acres) and built the house before returning to bring his wife and child home. It is now run mainly by two of his Grandsons and many other family members. There is only two employess that are not family running the now 50,000 cattle and Guest ranch known as Bull Hill Guest Ranch.
The kids and I got up very early Thursday morning and made the trek over. It was a long drive, I think it took us about 7.5 hours. We got there right after lunch, unpacked the car and immediately went out for a 2.5-3 hour ride. Friday my husband Gary joined us. We found out Friday morning they were going to be filming a commercial for the Washington Beef Association so they were going to be rounding up some cattle and also driving them to a new part of the ranch. We were invited along. It was a lot of fun even though the wranglers did most of the work. After 7 hours of riding that day we were given the chance to head back with one of the wranglers if we wanted.... otherwise it was another 3-4 hours in the saddle. Jason and Jenna were all gung-ho to keep going when asked if we wanted to keep going (still had 1.5 miles to go to turn-off). By the time we went the other 1.5 miles, they had changed their minds.... I would have continued on if they wanted but was glad they made the decision they did (I wouldn't have been able to walk, let alone ride the next day!). Friday was also my daughters 12th birthday, what a great memory for her! The ranch cook was nice enough to bake a combo cake for Jenna's 12th birthday as well as a 38th anniversary cake for a very nice couple we met there... Congrats Phil and Diane from Portland.
The meals we absolutely wonderful! It was really nice to have someone else doing the cooking and cleaning and WOW you couldn't beat the view from where we ate. The ranch is literally located on the top of a mountain at 3500 ft.
We went for a morning and afternoon ride again on Saturday. There was also a catch and release only private lake that Gary and the kids really enjoyed fishing and Jason even took a dip out there. Jason also got to try Skeet shooting on Saturday evening.... he seems to be a bit of a natural at it, he was able to hit 4 in a row with a 12 ga. shotgun.
I know we made the right choice, when I hear everyone talking about the trip. We're already talking about when we got back next year.... except next year we will go for longer and both Gary and I have decided we will definitely ride more prior to going next time!!! I think I figured out that the kids and I in approx. a 3 day period spend 17.5-18 hours in the saddle. It was for me a trip of a lifetime.... that is truely my lifestyle!!!
****************************************************
Here are the pictures from Thursday. We are riding with a gentleman we met from Portland, Phil and Tucker a great grandson of the original homestead owner:
Headed down the trail on the way to the old homestead:
Old homestead:
Jenna taking a picture of the homestead with Phil and Tucker in the background:
Jason in front of the homestead:
i328.photobucket.com/albums/l338/BPQHshared/2008%20Bull%20Hill%20vacation/LorisBullHillPics070.jpg[/IMG]
Views of Columbia River:
And another shot:
Jenna and Phil:
****************************************************
This is what I woke up to on Friday morning... horses right outside our cabin!
Headed to the Cookhouse:
View from the deck at the Cookhouse:
Friday morning, some of the horses coming in:
Friday, during the cattle round-up and drive:
Jenna and I:
Pics of the cattle group staying cool in the shade while they filmed the commercial. There were also 3 nice people from Germany, 2 of which I believe this is their 10th year coming to the ranch:
Sunset on Friday night:
Jenna's Birthday cake:
Jenna blowing out the candles on her Birthday cake:
Me, Jenna and Gary..... Jason trying to get a Birthday picture, but his sister wasn't cooperating:
Jenna, now a 12 year old:
****************************************************
Saturday:
Woke up to lots of horses.... again:
Deer out in the pasture during breakfast, I know it's hard to see.... I'll try to get one zoomed in too:
Morning ride:
Morning ride... view from one ridge over, this is the Ansaldo Lake:
Pic of Jason, Jenna and Gary two ridges over from the ranch... yes, we did lots of steep climbing and going downhill.... Great very surefooted horses!
Returning to the barn:
Rocky, my daughters daily mount after morning ride:
My daily mount Clyde after our morning ride:
Me, my son Jason, husband Gary and daugher Jenna after our ride:
Rocky, my daughters mount at the end of our afternoon ride:
Lurch, aka Bob (due to his bobbing head) after afternoon ride:
Some of the views from Saturday afternoon ride:
View with Gary on his horse (he actually enjoyed himself) on Ty:
View of the Columbia river (we went back to same place because I really wanted Gary to see this view):
Pics of Jason Trap shooting:
I was feeling sad that we had to leave the next morning and took these shots between reading in the evening on the bed....
****************************************************
Sunday early morning, the usual horses grazing around our cabin:
Pics Jenna took of our Cabin, every inch of it before we headed out:
One of the ranch dogs, Ringo:
Headed down the road, towards home:
A few video's (mainly shots of the horses coming in each morning):
