An absolutely extraordinary place, it far exceeded our expectations. Driftwood Ranch offers a level of luxury that we had not expected of a ranch experience. Rooms are absolutely beautiful with custom made furniture, large stone gas fireplaces, large bathrooms with heated toilet seats, and a design style that welcomes you and makes you feel that you are in a one-of-a-kind place. Our room had a bed canopy of branches filled with fairy lights, while our daughter's room had an amazing 15' long sculpture of a cattle drive done from a single log.
The outdoor setting was equally beautiful. Within very short walks are fields that contain longhorn steer with the longest horns you can imagine, horse pastures, stall barns for the horses, a leather and gift shop, the dining area, and the indoor arena, and roads that lead to the two gates. There are two ponds on site with docks and places to sit, kayaks to borrow, and one has a giant caldron in which they light fires each night to sit around and make smores. In several places there are amazing sculptures from the on-site artist and others.
The dining is family style with the primary members of the staff. Breakfast is what you would imagine having if you got up at 5am and worked a full morning of chores, eggs, bacon, biscuits, fruit, sausage, cinnamon rolls, yogurt, toast, etc. Prepare to gain weight. Lunch was typically a soup, bread, and a protein and grain bowl, and they were excellent. Dinner was huge and varied, and absolutely delicious. Everything was prepared by the fabulous Chef Craig who was a wonderful a person as his food was.
The people who run Driftwood Ranch are extraordinary. The owner is a famous rodeo champion with multiple titles who now designs the most beautiful and unique homes I have ever seen. His partner was a successful barrel racer who is training horses and making gorgeous jackets for dogs. The husband and wife team who supported our riding experiences were a famous quarter-horse jockey who also makes amazing leather work and an acclaimed race horse trainer. Every person we met was pleasant, helpful, and had amazing stories from their event filled lives.
We rode everyday we were at the ranch, including work in the barn and out on the private road. Our all-inclusive package included riding every day. In retrospect I wish I had added a lesson because three of our party are absolute beginner riders.
In summary, Driftwood Ranch offered a chance to meet some amazing people who shared their enthusiasm and beautiful surroundings with us, and to whom we are grateful for the opportunity. read more