A new year, a new Rainbow

A new year brings forth many positive changes for Rainbow Ranch, including a new blogger! Allow me to start off by saying if there is one thing that people off all ages can enjoy, it's the magical, captivating power of Mickey Mouse and friends. The characters just seem to put a smile on our faces. I write this in the spirit and memory of our old website which was rainbowranch.com. If you visit that page now, it directs you to a wonderful world of Disney innocence and laughter, which we all need! Due to a very good reason, we left that site behind and can now be found at rainbowranchbigsky.com. This is how we wanted to start the year off at Rainbow Ranch, with a big smile and a lot of laughs :)

Keeping that positive energy, it's almost been a year since our devastating fire and we have made incredible progress as one can see from our construction photos. We have a new manager, Bryan Conway, and and will re-open on July 1st with a new main lodge that will house our restaurant, wine cellar, and reception area along with the newest addition to the ranch, our spa! After touring some of the worlds most prestigious spas everywhere from Morocco to Italy, Rainbow Ranch has put together a menu that will satisfy everyone's needs. We can't wait to share all of this with you.

Smiles and laughter,

Your new blogger

Rainbow Ranch Lodge featured in Forbes Traveler 400 World's Very Best Hotels and Resorts

Forbes Traveler recently unveiled their 2008 list of The Words's Very Best Hotels and Resorts. Listed among these 400 luxury properties spread around the globe is the Rainbow Ranch Lodge.

View the full list.
Rainbow Ranch Lodge review.
The story behind the list and the distinguished travel experts who compiled it.

We are proud to be a part of this distinguished group of properties. Since Proprietor Patrick Hurd took the reins at -RR over a decade ago, it has been his goal to be on par with the finest establishments in the world. Reaching this goal is truly exciting. Now our task is to maintain it. We anxiously await our June 2009 reopening and the opportunity to once again provide our guests the best possible product and service. Thank you all for your continued support.

Autumn visitor

Karen snapped this photo the other day of a cow moose nibbling on succulent greens in our trout pond.

Bite of Bozeman

The 31st annual Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts kicked off last night with the Bite of Bozeman. Friends, family, and visitors strolled down Main Street sampling a wonderful variety of cuisine from area restaurants while listening to music from a various local musicians and bands.

Here's a photo of the -RR crew serving PLT Sandwiches (-RR Cured Pancetta with Hearts of Romaine, Grape Tomatoes, and Aioli on Ciabatta), Shrimp Rolls (Sauteed Tiger Prawns Tossed with Tarragon, Celery, and Mayonnaise on Brioche) and Strawberry Tarts.

Rainbow Ranch Lodge featured in Wine Enthusiast Magazine

The Rainbow Ranch Lodge is featured in the August issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine (pg 26). It is always nice to see the lodge mentioned in a reputable national publication. Our thanks to writer Michael Schachner.

Moonlight on the Madison

During the summer I tend to spend most of my time in the Gallatin River valley—it is where I work, live and play and I love it here. However, when the opportunity came up to travel a valley over to experience Moonlight on the Madison River Camp I jumped at the chance.

Meghan and Karen drove from Big Sky, I drove from Bozeman, and we met there. The drive itself was fantastic—there were storm clouds out the window on my left and clear blue skies out the window on my right. I wondered which would stick around for dinner. As it turns out the rain never came, only the beautiful lighting that accompanies the mix of dark clouds and sunshine. It was a perfect evening for river camp.

When we arrived at camp Anne warmly greeted us, gave us an orientation of camp, and invited us to enjoy games (croquet, horseshoes, Bocce ball), fly fishing or a cocktail by the river before dinner. Although no children were there that night, there is a “Little Fletcher” teepee for children to hang out in and play games. I know my 4-year old would have loved it!

After touring the cabins with Janette, Director of Resort Sales and Marketing for Moonlight Basin, Meghan, Karen and I joined some friends from Buck’s T-4 at a riverside picnic table for dinner. The four-course meal of regional, farm fresh cuisine and local beef on the grill was fantastic.

As the sunlight faded and the sky filled with stars, I sipped coffee by the campfire and thought about what a beautiful setting this would be for a wedding or family reunion.

Whatever the occasion may be, Moonlight on the Madison Riverside Camp is definitely worth adding to your list of things to do when visiting the Big Sky area.

Thanks to Janette for inviting us.

- Turi

-RR June wrap-up

It has been a little over two months now since the fire devastated the main lodge. It seems the worst of it is now behind us and we are starting to see glimpses of the phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Although we still do not yet know what caused the fire, we do know that no foul play was involved. I have been truly amazed by the CSI-like investigation and the whole insurance process. As anyone who has dealt with a business loss like this knows, it is a rather complex and time-consuming process. Nonetheless, we are planning for the rebuild as we await the final okay to knockdown the burnt structure and rebuild a new one. In brief here is a list of what we have done, are doing, and are hoping (keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able) to do.

• We are closed for this summer.
• Our guests have been contacted and relocated.
• We will rebuild the lodge to look like a replica of the previous.
• We are striving to rebuild in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
• We’d like to be rebuilt and have a grand reopening in June of 2009.
• We are currently taking reservations for next summer.

In the meantime, we will be doing a few events this summer to keep us on our toes and to keep Chef in the kitchen. In addition to the Bite of Bozeman and the Big Sky Food Festival, Chef Tom Donohoe will be involved in cooking classes, special dinners and fundraisers all using the wonderful facilities at the Bridger Kitchens. Contact us or check the blog for details over the coming months. Also, feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns, or just to say “hello”—we miss interacting with our guests.

Thanks again for all your support.

- Turi