Rainbow Ranch

So many people join us at the Rainbow Ranch because of the beauty & history surrounding our lodge. Our proprietor, Patrick Hurd, has strived to instill this beauty in every detail of our rooms and dining room. Case in point is our wine cellar, also known as the “Bacchus Room,” (translation “the Roman god of wine”). Built in 2001, the Bacchus room entails many features the Rainbow Ranch is known for: Gallatin River Rock archways and weeping walls; old wood from our 1910 Barn, sanded down and intricately placed in the ceiling; and an old –RR sign from the 1950’s now assigned the task as the wine cellar’s long dining room table.

With the capacity to hold up to 10,000 bottles of wine, we also have 600 varietals to choose from. Patrick has built a list with representations from America, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Australia and Spain. He works diligently to provide a wide array of wine choices that pair with the multitude of flavors our chef, Thomas Donohoe, offers on his menu.

I highly recommend anyone coming this way to take advantage of a personal tour. Better yet, experience an unforgettable –RR dinner in the beauty and history of the Rainbow Ranch Lodge’s wine cellar.

All of us at the Rainbow Ranch have our own winter rituals and superstitions. Since I was knee high, I have been a bit cautious talking or even writing about a large snow fall in fear that it will stop falling. In my experience, if you show any sign of excitement when there is talk of a big storm, the dark, looming clouds seem to become wispy and light, splitting in half and snowing everywhere but where you want it to.

But, for the sake of my fellow readers, I will cross my fingers and chance this superstition of mine by letting you know winter is here and it is making a big statement this year with weekly snow storms. It has encouraged even the most fair-weathered skiers, such as our Hotel Manager Meghan, to gather her gear and head to the mountain for some deep powder turns. So far this season I have made it out almost every day that I wasn’t working, and even on some early mornings when I was. The snow has been holding very well and the turns have been great. Any day that you can make fresh turns in powder is going to be a good one!

But skiing isn’t my only topic of discussion. The –RR property has joined in the winter wonderland of Big Sky and is more breathtaking now than ever! In the morning you can go down to the pond and take a glimpse at the Rainbow Trout swimming around in the crystal clear pond. You might even catch our Proprietor Patrick Hurd or our “Do it All” maintenance man Dennis feeding them.

Our lodge mascot minx, Poindexter, looks right at home prancing in the snow. Stop by the outdoor hot tub on any given night and you will find her fast asleep on the largest heated water bed in the history of cats (our mechanical hot tub cover, which is as warm as the water under it).
Then there is the continual early morning presence of elk, deer and moose that come visit the –RR. It doesn’t matter how often you see these creatures, your jaw will drop in awe of their beauty every time.

In short, it is a magnificent time to come and visit us here at the Rainbow Ranch!