TARRYALL RIVER RANCH HONORED IN THE

2012 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELERS’ CHOICE HOTEL AWARDS

Newton, Mass. – January 18, 2012 - TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), the world’s largest travel website, today reveals Tarryall River Ranch was chosen as a winner in the “Top 25 Bargain Hotels in the United States” by TripAdvisor in its 2012 Travelers’ Choice® awards.

Now in its tenth year, the annual TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards honor the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers. Unlike any other hotel honors, TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winners are based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.

“With the help of millions of travelers around the globe, TripAdvisor is thrilled to recognize the world’s most outstanding hotels for the tenth year of the Travelers’ Choice Awards,” said Christine Petersen, president, TripAdvisor for Business. “From the best bargain hotels to best luxury hotels, remarkable service, value and quality are the hallmarks of our Travelers’ Choice winners.”

As TripAdvisor has continued its growth globally, featuring sites in 30 countries and in 21 languages, the Travelers’ Choice Hotels awards now highlight a broader range of spectacular properties across the globe.

For reviews on the Tarryall River Ranch, click here.

For the complete 2012 Travelers’ Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world’s largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor’s millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 18 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 65 million unique monthly visitors**.  TripAdvisor’s travel media brands include: ww.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August 2011

**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, August 2011

©2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE TripAdvisor, Inc.

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The evening started at 6:00pm with homemade hors d’oeuvres and punch followed by a three-course dinner including Mocha Chocolate Cheesecake and Lemon White Chocolate cheesecake for dessert! My mouth is watering as I write this!

This is one of the special dinners we offer at our guest ranch during the bed and breakfast season. Thanksgiving is also another big day and includes a hayride between the big feast and dessert to let things settle a bit. This year we had around 30 people for the traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings! Other offerings include retreats for groups of all kinds, Christmas parties and meals, and day horseback rides. We love sharing our corner of the West with as many people as possible and enjoy doing different kinds of events during our bed and breakfast season.

The dude ranch season is just around the corner. During this time we offer dude ranch and guest ranch vacations to wonderful people from around the world! We are exicted and very much looking forward to another summer offering fantastic vacations to families, couples, singles and anyone looking for the vacation-of-a-lifetime!  Our 6-night weekly schedule is filled with adventure, scenery, fun activities, and cherished memories to take home!

Dust off your boots, call us today and join us in the magic of Tarryall River Ranch!

Happy Trails,

Kody Tesch

This life lesson from the lineup at our guest ranch is pretty simple and straightforward.  Probably something you have been told by those older and wiser or even the doctor.  Do you remember the popular phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”?  I remember hearing this phrase many times growing up.  I know it has a lot of good truth to it, but all too often a brownie is just too much to resist!

If you pay close attention to what horses regard as a treat, it seems they have taken this well-known phrase to heart!  At our dude ranch, whenever an apple is around, the horse’s ears perk up.  A few horses have even been known to search in the coat pockets of anyone nearby with an apple.  Not only do our equine friends seem to understand how healthy apple are, they really seem to prefer them!

If you have ever tried feeding horses “people” food, you may be surprised what they like and don’t like.  They don’t tend to like candy, cookies or chocolate.  Maybe they just have great self-discipline and are able to stay away from the foods we so often love to indulge our taste buds with, or maybe these highly understanding creatures are just trying to teach us one of life’s lessons.

So the next time you are out at the store buy some apples and even carrots, another TRR herd favorite.  Then, when you head out to our corner of the West on a guest ranch vacation, be sure to take some along.  The horses at our Colorado dude ranch will be so glad you did!

I feel like having an apple…  :)

Happy trails,

Kody Tesch

Many Colorado dude ranches, Tarryall River Ranch included, offer all-inclusive packages.  These all-inclusive packages really make the planning and booking process easier for that person, typically mom, in the family who gets the privilege of being identified as the “vacation planner”.  For a family trying to fit a vacation into a budget and cover all the details, an all-inclusive package is the way to go!  It is easy to see upfront what all the costs will be and what those costs include.

Once arriving at a dude or guest ranch, everything is taken care of; all meals, lodging, activities, horseback riding, adventures, housekeeping, and more!  There are typically a couple of luxury activities that may include an extra cost like an overnight pack trip or Whitewater rafting.  Other than these few optional activities, all you need to do is sit back, unplug, and enjoy every minute of fun for the whole family!

Check out our all-inclusive rates and escape to the adventure vacation-of-a-lifetime packed with memories everyone will cherish for years to come!

Happy trails from the snow covered mountains of Tarryall River Ranch!

Kody Tesch

At the head of this fantastic guest ranch activity is our two Belgian draft horses, Bonnie and Blanche.  Belgian draft horses have been dubbed gentle giants.  We have found out over the years how true that statement is!  Bonnie and Blanche stand 17 hands (very tall for horses) and weigh about 2500 pounds each.  They are very powerful animals and could easily do whatever they want, but they don’t.  They are gentle and work very hard pulling the hayrides for our guest’s enjoyment and Colorado dude ranch experience.  Sometimes it is easy for us as ranch owners to forget what amazing animals Bonnie and Blanche are.

Thank you Bonnie and Blance for all your hard work!

They truly are a great pair!

Kody Tesch

It strikes me as funny that when you do something for others, usually you are the one who is more blessed in the end.  This is exactly what we experienced with this woman and her family.  She was so appreciative to simply see and touch the horses.  All she did was walk in the corral to pet and hug Wyatt and she was so thankful.  The woman told Kelvin how she loved the smell of the horses, the hay, and even the poop!  She talked about her paint palomino she had growing up and how the smell of our horses brought back wonderful memories she cherishes and holds dear.  Especially with the illness she is facing in her life now, those memories offer her much comfort and peace.

We were thrilled and honored to have this family at our Colorado dude ranch with their mother to fulfill one of her last wishes.  As she was hugging and petting Wyatt, the sense of contentment and peace was very evident on her face and in her whole person.  Her visit truly was a privilege and blessing for us.  We would just like to say thank you to this woman for visiting!

God bless,

Kody Tesch

It was a typical Saturday morning at the ranch that starts with feeding pasture, checking on the horses, and doing the rest of the barn chores. Suddenly, we started to notice Billy acting strange. She walked like she was slightly off balance. It was hardly noticeable at first, but within 15 minutes her balance was clearly getting worse. Billy was starting to struggle with walking and even standing. This greatly concerned us and we rushed Billy to the vet right away.

The thing about guest ranch dogs is they too are members of our family and mean a lot of us all. My mom, Lisa, calls Billy her grand dog. We all chuckle whenever she calls Billy her grand dog but that is a small example of how much these wonderful companions mean to us and our dude ranch.

Once at the vet, Dr. Shannon knew right away that Billy had gotten into poison somewhere. She hooked Billy up to an IV and pumped fluids through her along with making Billy eat charcoal. The fluids help flush any poison out of her blood stream and charcoal absorbs any poison on her stomach. About a half hour after getting Billy to the vet, she was unconscious for three hours. We all waited anxiously by the phone at the ranch until Dr. Shannon called and said Billy was awake and doing extremely well! What a sigh of relief!

Knowing how Billy and Snickers go on all their adventures together, we kept a very close eye on Snickers, and sure enough she started showing the same signs. We got Snickers to the vet much sooner and the case was not nearly as serve as Billy’s.

Within a couple of days both dogs were back at our dude ranch and 100% recovered! The source of the problem has been found and precautions taken so this never happens again.

See the video below of Wyatt, Carson, and Harlie playing with Billy and Snickers after the dog’s happy return to TRR:

Dude Ranch Dogs

These two dogs are great ambassadors to all our guests visiting on dude ranch or guest ranch vacations. Come experience the West with us at TRR and these two will be your biggest fans!

Happy Trails!

Kody Tesch

Tarryall River Ranch

Every summer at our Colorado guest ranch we have the privilege of hosting family reunions of all sizes to experience the magic of the West.  It is truly a joy to share our little slice of heaven with so many wonderful families from around the country and the world!  My family and I were guests at a Colorado dude ranch before owning Tarryall River Ranch, so we understand how special guest ranch vacations really are.  It is a unique opportunity for a family to find a vacation destination where kids and parents alike genuinely have a great time. The environment is safe, scenery is captivating, and outdoor activities and adventure are new every day! The trip home is sure to be filled with the excitement of stories and memories of the week the whole family just spent together!  For my family, the trip home was also spent wishing we could have stayed another week to do it all over again.

Below is an article by Nancy B. Sova about her guest ranch experience with her extended family.  Check out what she has to say below:

Kody Tesch

TRR

Is The Dude Ranch The Top Place For Family Reunion Locations?

Though not everyone in my large family is a rider, we all agreed that our experience at a dude ranch showed that these themed ranches have got to be one of the best family reunion locations in the world. In fact, although these ranches are great destinations for horsemen and horsewomen for clear reasons, they are even more perfect for those who have no experience with horses or living the cowboy life whatsoever. For this latter group of people, a trip to a working ranch is like being dropped into a completely foreign land and time.

One wonderful thing about staying at one of these ranches is that they are set to cater to riders of all ages and capabilities from the true-beginner to the truly accomplished horse-person. So, as long as you want to get some riding under your belt, you will have all sorts of opportunities to do so. A good number of dude ranches even have cattle driving opportunities that can go on for many days. For those who have no desire to ride there is at many ranches hiking, swimming, fishing, relaxing, photography and all other sorts of activities one can enjoy.

Most destination ranches have accommodation ranging from comfortable to somewhat luxurious so that you can be confident that even the pampered in your gathering will agree that these ranches are fun and relaxing family reunion locations. The rooms that a ranch offers are usually in a main house somewhat similar to what one might find in a hotel or in separate cabins or bunk houses. The rooms and the buildings as a whole are of course all decorated and designed to match the whole ranching theme. Furthermore, these ranches are normally situated on beautiful plains and in hills beneath dark, star-filled skies at night and wild flowers and pastures and riding trails to explore during the days.

Read more…

Below is an article on our very own professional fishing guide, Robert Younghanz, who teaches fly-fishing lessons at the ranch on Tuesdays during our Colorado guest ranch season. He is very enthusiastic and his love for flies and fly-fishing is simply contagious! He is an expert on bugs and the science of fishing.

If you have a fish lover in the family or are yourself, head out to Tarryall and let Robert share his expertise. He will uncover a new love for fishing never experienced before!

Kody Tesch

Entomology is your friend, fly-fisherman

By Scott Willoughby

The Denver Post

Anglers interested in catching more trout have long been encouraged to “think like a fish.”

Robert Younghanz suggests thinking like a bug might help more.

“I think it’s ironic that people aren’t comfortable with aquatic entomology simply because it’s really the fulcrum of everything we do in fly-fishing,” Younghanz said. “You can be a horrible caster and eventually work it out. You can eventually learn to decipher fish feeding behavior. You can learn to read water. But, ultimately, without insects, we don’t have fly-fishing. If you want to go out there and be successful and not just guessing, you need to know your bugs.”

Going by the title of “The Bug Guy,” Younghanz describes himself as an aquatic entomologist, fly-fishing guide and instructor working through the Angler’s Covey in Colorado Springs. He’s also the “star” of a new double DVD, “The Bug Guy: Entomology for the Fly Fisher,” designed to take the fear out of fishing.

“It’s the hardest thing to learn in fly-fishing,” Younghanz said. “It’s funny how it gets dismissed because people are intimidated by the discipline. Yet, when they take the time to go out there and learn it, their fishing production goes up exponentially. That’s proven all the time.”

As a first-time presenter at last weekend’s International Sportsmen’s Expo in Denver, Younghanz drew crowds throughout the weekend as he walked anglers through the basics of bugs. But the aquarium set up at his booth proved to be the bigger showstopper, crawling with impressively large insects known as Hesperoperla pacifica, a medium brown stonefly he pulled out of the

South Platte River near Deckers before dawn on the cold winter morning the convention got underway.

“This is one of your first big stoneflies that’s actually going to emerge across the United States, as early as March. But people don’t know about it, even though it offers a chance to get into some big fish,” Younghanz said. “Last spring I went out to the South Platte at Deckers and everyone was fishing these little size 22-24 midges, teeny stuff. And I walk out with a size 10 black Pat’s Rubber Leg because I knew these guys were moving, and I caught the largest trout I’ve ever caught on the South Platte other than the Dream Stream — a 7½-pound rainbow that was almost 26 inches.”

Read more…

We hope you enjoy this recipe and with every tasty bit, picture yourself horseback in the mountains of Colorado livin’ the West!

Happy Trails,

Kody Tesch

Old Fashion Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

¾ cup milk

Mix and sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut shortening into mixture until it becomes a fine crumb mixture. Stir in milk with spoon. Knead 12 times on a floured surface. Roll ½ inch thick. Cut out and place on ungreased thick-bottomed cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Topping:

1 quart sliced strawberries

1 cup sugar

Mix and let soak for at least an hour.

Whip cream topping:

1 cup whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream until fairly stiff then add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy, just be careful not to make it into butter.