Marsha and I just returned from her “big birthday” trip to Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, MT. (I’m not allowed to say which birthday it was). But anyway, we had a great time!
I had asked her months ago what she wanted to do for her birthday, including maybe a trip to Hawaii, but this is what she really wanted. Marsha seems to be happiest on the back of a horse, and this particular weekend at the ranch was themed “100 Clicks for Chicks.” You guessed it. Except for a few long-suffering spouses like yours truly, the weekend was all about a 3-day, all girl ride, totaling 100 km (60 miles) through some of the prettiest country any of us will ever see. But don’t envision a rustic, camping out in the snow experience. Wranglers trailered the horses to a new starting point each day, delivered the women to the trailhead in 4-wheel drive vehicles, cooked them a gourmet quality lunch with wines every noon, then picked them up late every afternoon and brought them back to their beautiful private cabins with steam showers, fireplaces, full bars and king-sized beds! It also didn’t hurt that the ranch includes its own 5-star restaurant and evening cocktail hour as part of the deal.
You can check out the ranch at www.triplecreekranch.com. It’s owned and operated by our close friends Craig and Barbara Barrett, and has become a popular getaway for the likes of Washington politicians, NASA astronauts, foreign heads of state, and industrialists like Bill Gates and Michael Dell. (FYI, Craig is the retired Chairman and CEO of Intel Corp. & Barbara was US Ambassador to Finland during the Bush 43 Administration. She currently serves on the board of the Smithsonian Institute.)
Jim
