We just returned from a whirlwind vacation that started in El Paso, Texas and took us through Westminster, Colorado to see the Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park being built to Mt. Rushmore, over to Yellowstone with a stop at Eagle Ridge Ranch in Island Park, Idaho. We stayed at many places along the way with the worse being a Holiday Inn in Cody, Wyoming but the very best place was Eagle Ridge. We found them via a brochure at the visitor center for Yellowstone and what caught our eye were the activities. It was a one stop fun fulled vacation stay over for everyone. What started out with giving the girls a trail ride turned into an overnight relaxing stay.
The area was beyond beautiful and the owners and staff were very pleasant and accommodating. Our primary decision for staying other than the beauty was in fact the niceness of everyone there. Our stop first included purchasing the trail ride which is set for certain times but you can pay extra for a private tour guide which we did because of the number of other visitors who showed up. 30 isn't an unmanageable amount but we wanted to ensure the girls would get more personalized attention. After seeing the cowboys (aka guides) split up the groups into smaller sizes, I realized it wouldn't have been a problem but I still liked the idea of us having our own cowboy guide. The ride was longer than expected and too long for an inexperienced little six year old. Our cowboy's name (have to call him that because it sounds better - wink) was Tyler and I can tell you that my six year old really liked him. I never saw her talk to anyone as much as she did him. He was very gracious and good with her as she started to get a bit whiny wanting to know 'how many more hours we had.' He played along with her and even noticed she needed some water so made sure she took a drink.
The scenic trail ride was full of such beauty and we took in many different views of the ranch since they had over 2000 acres. Our guide answered all of our questions and exhibited such professionalism and kind manners. He was very patient with my little ones and even offered to stop and take photographs of us experiencing this memorable trip.
Later, we tried our hands at fishing eventually retiring for the night in the cabin that was loaded with everything one would need. It was rustic yet modern and had a microwave, refrigerator, stove, coffee maker and toaster along with linens and dishes. It even had Direct TV, a VCR/DVD player and your phone would actually work. I mention this as we stayed at a cabin the night before and we had no phone service or TV. You couldn't ask for a better place than this and the price is right. There are hot tubs on each porch and a grill for a fun filled night of dinner and s'mores. Much to our surprise, we also enjoyed complimentary paddle boats, regular fishing boats, canoes, fishing poles and another area to swim that included more paddle boats and a giant inner tube looking thing that looked like it could fit around 20 people to sit, lay on or to jump off into the lake to swim. While fishing, you get the beauty of seeing free roaming horses who might even greet you as a delightful experience to my children.
Everything about Eagle Ridge is breath taking and beautiful! I've already told my friends and family that this IS the place to plan your next vacation. I have no complaints other than we had to return home as this was a stopping point on the return back. We went a little down the road to eat at a lodge and the people there were also very nice and the food was delicious with no wait. This was the perfect vacation spot and they have activities for summer and winter!
Check out Eagle Ridge in Idaho here by clicking the link.
