A Day at the Ranch

My dear friend, Susan invited me for a day trip to her ranch.  I have been decluttering our home for weeks now, and quite frankly, after hours upon hours of shlepping stuff to the thrift store and the professional shredding place, I was ready for a day away with my friend. We left at the crack of dawn when the roads were fairly empty and we witnessed this incredible sunrise. What a way to greet the day! Lucky me!

The car ride was a little over 3 hours, with the last 45 minutes on unpaved state roads.  Once you arrive down the long and bumpy drive, you see this stunning meadow. This ranch is so photo-worthy~~so there are LOTS of them in this post! I used my iPhone camera so the quality is what it is.

The original adobe one room house with its screened in porch is still there and has been restored and renovated as the gathering hub of the ranch.

The ranch is self-sufficient.  All the appliances run off propane; there is a well for water and a generator for electricity. And if you need to make a phone call, you saddle up a horse, ride up to the rim with a satellite phone and hope for a signal.  Seriously.

In order to accommodate family and guests, there are two large tents on platforms with this quaint outhouse located in between.

Susan and her husband recently added two new guest cottages~~manufactured homes by Cavco Industries, Inc.  Sided in rustic cedar and upgrades of ship lap and exposed beams, these homes architecturally complement the surrounding forest.

There is more work to be done~~ stone skirting needs to be added and a propane tank will be installed and connected.

The interiors are light-filled and feel very spacious providing approximately 400 square feet of living space.  Like a boat, every inch is designed for efficiency and comfort. The high quality sleep sofas and mattresses are provided by Cavco and were included in the units when they were delivered.  Each cottage sleeps 8+.  Susan, a talented and thrifty Connecticut yankee,  cleverly decorated the rest with 2nd hand shop finds and items discovered around the ranch.

There is a loft which provides the ideal play/sleeping niche for children.

Bunk beds are perfectly tucked into the hall leading to the master bedroom~~each with a small window for light. Plus there is so much storage!

These certainly don’t look like your typical mobile/manufactured homes, especially with the gorgeous forest views from every window.  If you have a remote location, these manufactured homes are ideal.  This is my kind of roughing it!!

Horses are boarded here for the summer as Susan and her family are avid riders. I wasn’t raised with horses, but I felt comfortable enough to pet their heads and create a wide berth when I walked behind them.

The ranch has many places to get away and be on your own as well as gathering spots for all. There is no internet service and I can honestly say that a day without technology in the fresh mountain air was very rejuvenating.

It was such a gift to spend the day with a great friend~~we got the chance to catch up and our laughter out shined the flat tire we experienced.  Thank goodness for the manly propane guys who kindly changed the tire for us.

Happy Sunday!