The Blog at Rock Creek

As the forecast hints of snow, we’re starting to think about our exciting winter season. This year we’re offering three new special offers for leisure travelers. However, we don’t want to ignore a very special kind of travel to The Ranch—destination weddings.

We’ve had the privilege to work with Laurie Arons, one of the world’s premier wedding planners, for the past two years. Laurie has been featured on Vogue’s “The Ultimate Wedding Planner Master List,” and we have the pictures to prove that she deserves her title as a “master.” In 2015, we did a Q&A with Laurie after her spring Wedding Planner Masterclass. This week, we welcome her as a guest blogger as she showcases her experiences at the 2016 winter Wedding Planner Masterclass. 

Planning the Ultimate Winter Wedding by Laurie Arons

As a wedding planner, I’ve long been inspired by the beauty of winter weddings—so cozy, intimate and romantic.

Masterclass attendees enjoy a farm-to-table welcome dinner in the Blue Canteen. Photo by Jose Villa.

The past two winters I’ve spent at The Ranch at Rock Creek opened my eyes to the potential of a winter affair where guests get to snuggle by the fire and warm their hearts when it’s cold outside.

Sweet Grass Canvas Cabin – A three-room glamping tent open year-round. Photo by Jose Villa. 

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Sunday, April 8th marked the close of a memorable, powdery snow season at Discovery Mountain. Winter refuses to be ushered out without a fight, so late spring skiing was some of the best we’ve ever had. This year, our guests enjoyed all-inclusive downhill skiing and snowboarding throughout the winter, meaning we spent a lot of time on our wonderful local hill.

In 2014, National Geographic chose Philipsburg as one of the Best Secret Ski Towns in North America. We are inclined to agree, although it’s anything but secret in Western Montana.

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Wintertime Glamping at The Ranch

We’re switching gears to our winter glamping season. If you’ve fallen in love with luxury glamping like we have, you may picture gourmet picnics amidst wildflower meadows and bespoke tents within earshot of a babbling stream. Now, it’s time to update that image to include all the possibilities of glamping in the snow.

What makes winter glamping so enjoyable is that it’s not summer glamping disguised in wool and down. Instead, it’s comprised of an entirely different set of adventures and amenities. Following on the heels of winter features in Collective Quarterly and Architectural Digest, we wanted to attest to the reasons why winter glamping is fit for your wanderlust list. To take advantage, check out our winter special offers. For example, The Indulgent Frontiersman special highlights the frontier experience, along with the best Big Sky comforts.  Read more…

The 2015 Granite County Festival of Trees

This year, we started celebrating Christmas early. With Thanksgiving still on the horizon, we had the opportunity to welcome the Granite County community to The Ranch at Rock Creek for the second annual Granite County Festival of Trees. Fifty decorators on 17 teams gathered to transform the Buckle Barn into “A Mystical Mountain Christmas,”the theme for this year’s event.

This fantastic local event allows friends of The Ranch to gather for “the season of giving” to celebrate charity, creativity and community, as well as Christmas. It is the main fundraiser for the Granite County Medical Foundation, a local non-profit that we’ve supported for several years. Our Mercantile Manager, Shannon Drage, sits on the board and several staff members volunteer their time to support its projects. Each year, The Ranch aims to give back to local charities that we believe will improve the quality of life for local residents. Read more…