Selina

When we welcomed our first guests to The Home Ranch in a frigid December of 1980, our goal was to keep them warm, feed them well and make them welcome in the new venture we'd begun in this remote and snowy valley of Northwest Colorado. The activities that first winter included Nordic Skiing, followed closely by eating, and then sleeping. It was a modest formula for success. But the skiing was sublime, the food was delicious and the sleeping came easy. Over the ensuing 40 years we would welcome many new friends to The Home Ranch -- and many of you would become old friends too -- in what might just be one of the happiest accidents of hospitality that a family could have ever lucked into. Over that time the simple concept of guest ranching has gone through many changes, but the core values that Steve and Ann [...]

Insider Tips on Winter in Steamboat Springs As the leaves start to turn, you may be thinking about your next winter getaway, which might include a trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado and The Home Ranch, Relais & Chateaux. Let your ultimate outdoor adventure begin this winter at The Home Ranch, located just outside of Steamboat Springs! The luxury guest ranch resort allows you to get a close look at the stunning Colorado mountains as your all-inclusive winter vacation playground. At The Home Ranch, there are plenty of winter activities to keep you busy and smiling! Steamboat Springs is home to Winter Olympians, a world-class winter playground and is an easy three-hour drive from the Denver area. Steamboat and The Home Ranch have co-existed and complimented each other since the 1980s. What makes this so special is the opportunity to stay at and experience an authentic, off-the-beaten path [...]

Food & Wine: Unmatched Farm-to-Table Cuisine at The Home Ranch While farm-to-table cuisine has been most successful in today’s culinary, there are only a handful of opportunities to experience a true farm-to-table dining while also enjoying the full experience of a luxury guest ranch. Just outside of Steamboat Springs is The Home Ranch, Relais & Chateaux, is Colorado’s all-inclusive resort that offers a traditional western-style ranch vacation. Plan your luxury Colorado vacation and make your experience most memorable. At The Home Ranch, every activity, room, and dining experience offers a simpler, more unique way to relax with authentic ranch traditions and a wide variety of all-inclusive adventures. One experience that sets The Home Ranch apart? Farm-to-table dining! Farm-to-Table: The Home Ranch Way As one of Colorado’s popular guest ranch resorts, The Home Ranch seeks to find the perfect balance of “Ranchy and Fancy.” This outlook on farm-to-table [...]

It is the beginning of September, and the cold bite of autumn has started to grace our mornings in the garden; although we are still hopefully weeks away from snow, the drop in temperature reminds us that we are growing closer to winter and closer to the end of our growing season. Autumn has always been my favorite season - it is a time of transition and change, but also of harvest and bounty. Our greenhouse is yielding many favorite flavors of years past, like our Cinnamon Girl pumpkins and citrus basil, and some new ones such as Double Red sweet corn and hot fresno peppers. The squash plants, although weathered and stunted by early-season hail, are now taking over the garden and bear abundant fruit. Withered potato plants indicate that a harvest of spuds are hiding under the soil, ready to fill our pantry and stomachs. Most of [...]

If you've never visited a guest ranch before, then you'll most likely have many questions. We have identified a list of FAQs below to assist you with initial knowledge on The Home Ranch, Relais & Chateaux, in colorful Colorado. Don’t see the answer to your question here? Please call 970-879-1780 or email info@homeranch.com for other inquiries. We would be happy to assist you further. 1. What makes The Home Ranch different and unique from other guest ranches or dude ranches? What sets The Home Ranch apart is our intimate size (14 accommodations and 45 total guests) that allows us to provide exceptional service, immersive, personalized experiences and the finest in cuisine. We were the first guest ranch member of Relais & Chateaux and have pioneered the luxury guest ranch experience since 1980, all in the spirit of fine accommodations, service and culinary offerings you have come to [...]

Why Every Couple Should Book a Guest Ranch Vacation Thinking about having a getaway with your significant other? Choose one of the Colorado luxury resorts in the Elk River Valley. Here at The Home Ranch, we offer guest ranch getaways for couples looking to spend some quality time in an immersive and secluded setting. Nothing is more romantic than reconnecting while surrounded by spectacular scenery. From August 25th to October 12th, The Home Ranch offers an Adults Only program, where couples can retreat for some peace and quiet. As summer winds down, and children are off to school, this is the ideal time for the best fall vacations for couples. These weeks are designed for the interests of couples. Your stay includes exciting activities and events, upscale accommodations, and fine dining. Are you ready to book the most romantic ranch retreat for you and your [...]

Your Colorado Foodie Vacation Starts Here: Meet Courtney Lynn, Master Gardener at The Home Ranch Master Gardener at The Home Ranch in Colorado, Courtney Lynn has had a long and colorful journey on her way to our Colorado luxury resort. If there is anyone who truly appreciates seeing fresh ingredients make their own journey from seed to fork, it would be Courtney. Her skills in horticulture are only matched by her love of food, not just how it tastes but where it comes from. Learn a little more about how Courtney Lynn makes the food and garden experience at The Home Ranch so immersive. The Home Ranch’s Master Gardener’s Roots A graduate from the University of Kansas with a degree in Environmental Science, Courtney Lynn first discovered her passion for all things grown when she took a summer job working on a vegetable and cattle farm. Even [...]

Often used synonymously, "guest ranch" and "dude ranch.” Why are these two terms similar and why, in today’s marketplace, are they so very different?... Well, ranches who accepted outside guests, started as "dude ranches" - they were dirty, dusty, a slice of the old west - the experience was centered only around horses and rodeos  - the food was a chuckwagon BBQ served under the stars - you stayed in an accommodation referred to as rustic, but really it was simple, basic, no frills. Today, luxury has had an influence on certain ranches to include culinary journeys, immersive experiential offerings, fine accommodations, spa offerings, world-class guest amenities and the first-class service you would expect when purchasing a luxury experience. This, ladies and gentleman, is a "guest ranch” that still pays tribute to the old west, but with the refinements today’s traveler expects and today’s travel trends dictate. Since 1980, [...]

Stephen Stranahan 1934-2019 When Steve and Ann Stranahan first came to Clark they found an unspoiled alpine ranching community a short distance, yet a world away, from Steamboat Springs. It was a three-wire winter and that first encounter with the land that would become the Home Ranch is memorably described in Ann's poem, Inspecting the Property ...We skimmed white meadows that might grow our hay, flew over fences that would keep the cows out, slid down the creek to consider the trout, caught in a wide net of ice. Over 41 years not too much has changed. Those skimmed white meadows became the Home Ranch, of course. The road into Clark is a little better, and for that, the distance to town may seem a little shorter. Yet, for many of us, the noisiness of a world outside of Clark reliably begins to quiet on the drive up from town. [...]

We are excited to welcome accomplished horseman Clint Weaver and his family back to The Home Ranch June 23 - 30, 2019. This is an opportunity to join us to facilitate a week of fun learning with horses. Time spent focusing on fundamentals will be balanced with plenty of trail riding, cow working and exploring, as we apply what we have learned. Clint enjoys working with diverse groups, with a wide range of riding abilities, and approaches each horse and rider as an individual with their own needs and abilities. Clint is originally from Mississippi, but found his way out West and for the last two decades has developed his passion with horses. “Clint believes the best way to advance one’s horsemanship is to slow down and focus on the foundation. He has learned to break down “the pieces” of horsemanship, work on them separately, then weave them back together. His [...]