← The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein
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- [00:00]
A
The Paint Rock is. I mean, one of the most special things about it is that you're kind of forced to disconnect and just engage with your natural environment. There's no self service, very limited Internet, and you're just so far away from, you know, even a grocery store or gas station.
- [00:19]
B
Hi, I'm Dan Rubenstein and this is the Grand Tourist. I've been a design journalist for more than 20 years and this is my personalized guided tour through the worlds of fashion, art, architecture, food and travel. All the elements of a well lived life. And welcome to our first edition this year of the Grand Tourist Reports. Little podcasts pulled from the pages of our biannual magazine. Speaking of print, we just sent off our next issue to the printer and we'll be all set to introduce it to the world this spring in early May. As you can probably tell, we've been so hard at work on this issue that I've lost my voice, so I'll make this brief. Be sure to snag your copy when we announce it formally, so sign up for our newsletter at the grand tourist.net One of the many reasons I probably lost my voice is this cold snap we've experienced here in New York. It seems like it's gone on forever. It's all made me think about where I'm going to go this summer and my yearning for the great outdoors. Our story today on the program is one of those truly American experiences that many of us never get to have. This brings us to ranchlands, a massive 380,000 acre land management business in four western states. Part of this enterprise, founded by Duke Phillips iii more than 20 years ago is something called Paint Rock Canyon Ranch, which is where we sent our photographer, Adam Kremer on a horseback riding adventure over five days to a remote corner of the state of Wyoming, a few hours drive from Cody Airport, AKA Yellowstone Regional. In Adam's stunning photography we'll feature in the magazine with the COVID option to boot. You'll get to follow him along on his chef, cook meals on site, the austere yet glamping like safari tents he stayed in overnight. The gorgeous horses, impressive vistas, mysterious petroglyphs carved into the rock from eons ago, and postcard perfect examples of flora and fauna with a cute little pony or two. It's all an impressive reminder of the immense beauty of our country, especially worth remembering during these trying times. I caught up with Paint Rock Canyon Ranch's Tess Leach, the Director of Business development who lives on site. She's the daughter of A founder by the way, to chat about life in the most remote regions of the west, what it's like to visit, what to pack and much more. Tell me a little bit about your role at Ranchlands and kind of how did you find yourself there?
- [02:42]
A
Yeah, so I have been working with Ranchlands since, let's see, 2009 and I was really born into ranching. My dad and my brother and I all work together and run ranch lands. I manage the non agricultural part of what we do, so the hospitality, the non profit and education programs and the mercantile that we run online. And then my brother does the agricultural operations although runs the ranches that we have. And then my, our dad is just semi retired at this point, but just involved in bigger picture things.
- [03:20]
B
And tell me a little bit about, you know, for the completely uninitiated, like what is Ranchlands like, broadly speaking? Yeah, ranch lands, you know, 30,000 foot view.
- [03:29]
A
Yeah, of course. So Ranchlands is at its core a large scale ranch management company. We run ranches all across the west for individuals who own ranches and don't necessarily want to manage them, but want to enjoy them. And then we also run them for people that live on the property and just need a little extra help. And then in the case of the Paint Rock Canyon Ranch in Wyoming, we run it for ourselves. It's the only property that we do own and on each different property we look at the land multidimensionally and see how can we use this land to bridge the gap between urban and rural communities. So offer access or business diversification options for the owners or for the landscape that really involve the urban majority in ranching and then also offer an additional revenue stream to landowners. And the biggest way we do that is through hospitality, which is the case here at the Paint Rock Canyon Ranch.
- [04:32]
B
And tell me a little about Paint Rock and sort of how this figures into the bigger picture. And like when did it start?
- [04:38]
A
Yeah, the Paint Rock Canyon Ranch is our headquarters property at this point. We moved our main operations out of Colorado last year to this ranch in Wyoming and we took, we bought the ranch in 2022 and slowly transition to it being our headquarters property over the last year. And yeah, I mean it's just an amazing property that really blends everything that Ranchlands has become. It has a very large scale working ranch component. It has a farm component, a hospitality operation that is based in canvas tents, currently glamping style Safari 10. And then it also has a very modern set of buildings that is currently leased out but will become the next iteration of our hospitality in the next few years. And then it's surrounded by the Bighorn Mountains and a ton of water. So it's really like. It has all these amazing elements that make it a pretty special place.
- [05:46]
B
And as part of the story that we shot there, you know, the landscape seems totally incredible and kind of very storybook like, but. But you're in sort of northern Wyoming and can you tell me a little bit about like, what that part of the country is like for those that may be listening from either a different part of the US or even from abroad? Like, tell me about that corner of the country.
- [06:08]
A
Yeah, it's really varied. You have, like I was saying at the Paint Rock, we have big meadows in the bottom that are farmed and they are flanked by. Locals call them creeks, but they, to us from the prairies of Colorado, they're definitely seem more like rivers. And then the rivers are at the bottom of the canyon that goes all the way up into the Bighorns to the base of Cloud Peak, which is just under 14,000ft and the highest peak in the Bighorn Mountains. And then on the other side, you have red hills that lead to mesas, Very kind of picturesque western vist leading to desert and, you know, wide open spaces. So I mean, it's very much a place where you can kind of wander around and see, you know, five different ecosystems in just a couple of hours.
- [07:06]
B
And, you know, for when people come there or when you maybe go and visit someplace else and come back, like, what would your. How would you describe in your own best words, like, what is it like to sort of. To be there and to like visit Paint Rock?
- [07:21]
A
Yeah. So what I was saying, the Paint Rock is. I mean, one of the most special things about it is that you're kind of forced to disconnect and just engage with your natural environment. There's no self service, very limited Internet, and you're just so far away from, you know, even a grocery store or gas station. And you know, it's. It's truly an.
- [07:45]
B
How far is the most local grocery
- [07:48]
A
store there is A local grocery store 45 minutes away. It's pretty bare bones. And so the one that we typically use is an hour and a half in Cody, Wyoming. And you know, you just get an extra fridge and plan. Plan well and freeze a lot of food. But yeah, I mean, the, the ranch itself is. I mean, it's really stuck back in time in all the best ways, I think. And you know, I do feel very lucky that we are able to have this Hospitality component because it brings all these really amazing, creative, inspiring people to this landscape. And it, you know, it really brings together the best of both worlds.
- [08:35]
B
And tell me a little bit about the experiences that you guys offer. I know that our photographer, Adam, went on his particular journey and I think was on a pack trip. So can you just explain to me, like, for the. For people that do want to visit at Paint Rock, like, what kind of options there are and so on?
- [08:54]
A
Yeah, Adam was great. We. We had so much fun with him, but we. We offer a couple different types of trips. The main two are ranch vacations, where guests come and stay for five nights and join in on hiking and riding activities to get to know the ranch and become a part of the landscape more intimately. And that, to some people, is just, you know, day hikes and day rides, you know, for a couple hours just to go see the vistas or, you know, just kind of get out a little bit. And then for other people, it's really riding all day and. And. Or hiking to completely see a different part of the ranch and learn more about horsemanship or just kind of push themselves a little bit more with riding. And the ranch vacations are something that we've been doing for the past. How many years? We've been doing them really since 2000, and those started on the Chico Basin, where we grew up, on a much smaller scale, and then we honed them on the Zapata Ranch in the San Luis Valley and then brought them to the Paint Rock three years ago. And I would say they are our cornerstone product in that they really aimed to give people insight into life on a working ranch. And then the other main thing that we offer are workshops that are based around some sort of a craft or skill set that participants come and learn from an expert in their field alongside experience in the ranch. So they still ride and hike, but it's all integrated with itinerary that's led by an expert, like in painting or poetry or blacksmithing, that sort of thing.
- [10:57]
B
And when it comes to, like, the use of horses for those who do want to come and visit or do one of these pack trips, like, how. What sort of expert level are we talking about? Like, how much experience do people need
- [11:09]
A
for these kinds of things, really, you know, in terms of skill level of horsemanship, you know, or hiking or really any of these skill sets, you don't need to have very much at all. We split groups up based on ability. And. And so, you know, like this week, for example, we're doing a painting workshop with Katie Rogers. And we have somebody that came who really wants to ride a lot and then someone who brought their mom who really has no interest in riding except wants to try it. So she'll go out, you know, with her own wrangler for a few hours and then the other gal will go out all day with a group of similar interests. So we really can make it work for anyone.
- [11:51]
B
And on those packed trips, can you break down a typical day as part of the experience that someone might find?
- [11:59]
A
So the pack trips are something that we might be iterating next year and switching up a little bit just because we want to be able to offer more experiences for more people. And the pack trips only allow us to have eight people at once. But I mean, generally it would be very similar for a ranch vacation. It's just where you're doing the activities. So a typical day on a vacation with us begins whenever you're ready to wake up. Coffee and a cold breakfast are ready around 7am and then hot breakfast is at 8. And that's all that's taken together family style at a long, you know, wooden table down below our kitchen tent. Our chef cooks all the meals. You know, they're all homemade, it's locally sourced to the extent possible featuring, you know, meat. And especially we have a local dairy that serves, that makes raw milk and cheeses that we utilize as much as we can. So our chef does an amazing breakfast and then after breakfast he also packs your lunch for the day in a sandwich tin and you take that with you to head out on your activities around 9am and riding starts at our barn, which is about a five minute drive away on the ranch. And so you're picked up and you're shuttled to your horse and then you head out for the day and are usually gone until around 2, 2 or 3. And then once you get back to camp, people typically want to relax for a little bit, have a shower and then there's an afternoon activity that ranges from leather work to roping to painting and then cocktails and appetizers at five, dinner at six, and then there's always a fire after dinner.
- [14:11]
B
And obviously for like the pack trips and such, you've got these tents, they look, you know, these sort of safari tents. Tell me a little bit about those and kind of like what that setup is like.
- [14:21]
A
Yeah, of course. So our tents are created by, it's a company based out of Denver that has been creating campus style safari tent or safari style canvas tents for, you know, 50 plus years. And the tents are eight by 10 in size. And each has a king bed, a dresser, a rug, bedside tables, lamps, and down bedding, you know, cotton sheets. They're very comfortable. And two big screened in windows on each side and then one at the head of each bed. And then the doors totally open and then are screened in as well to really allow airflow and kind of indoor acts, indoor outdoor vibes for those that want them. There's 14 tents and they're all set about 100ft off of the Paint Rock Creek. And yeah, I mean, they're. We call them safari style. We really. We try to avoid the word glamping, but you know, for some people, that, that kind of paints the picture of what it is.
- [15:36]
B
Our photographer took some snapshots of some petroglyphs, which are kind of like, you know, rock and, and sort of cave carvings from thousands of years ago and so on. Can you tell us a little bit about that area and the history of the area where you can kind of like why we can kind of see these things and, and what you might know about the area?
- [15:53]
A
Yeah, absolutely. So there are a. There's a archaeological site just, just outside the gate of the ranch called Medicine Lodge. And that's a huge. That has a huge wall of petroglyphs that's, I don't know, maybe 30 plus feet long. And I'm not exactly sure, you know, what the date is on. On that collection, but, you know, it's kind of in this area. Definitely the most well preserved and kind of pristine representation that we have. There are also some different drawings on the ranch that people can find. And then it. Honestly, like any hikes that we go on, you're always kind of looking because it is really, it feels very unexplored and wild still. So I think there's probably more that you haven't even been found on the ranch. But the area was home to many different tribes. The one that I know of that was on the ranch is called the Sheep Eaters. And they tracked bighorn sheep throughout the canyon that really defines the ranch, the Paint Rock Canyon. And you know, it was. There's different spots where there's fire on the rock where they would have their camps. And it was definitely a very rich inhabited area well before us.
- [17:22]
B
And tell me a little bit about what it's like to live there from your point of view.
- [17:29]
A
From my point of view, I love living here. I also love going to urban cities and seeing friends and getting my culture fix and my food fix and, you know, all these things that you Miss being way out here. But I do find that, you know, after a couple days away, I'm. I'm really always very excited to come back, and I find a lot of inspiration from being out here. And I have, you know, my husband and I have three little boys that live here, and we're just really grateful that this is kind of what we get to call home.
- [18:11]
B
And are your kids, like, excited to, I guess, kind of be there? I mean, if they're kids, then, you know, that's all they know. Probably. But, like, it sounds like sort of an ideal place to grow up and explore and run around outside.
- [18:25]
A
Yeah, it is pretty dreamy. And I tell them that all the time. I think, you know, two of them really love fishing and hiking and hunting, and then one of them really loves art. And so he and I always sit along the riverside while the other two are fishing and make fairy houses and draw with watercolors. And, you know, it's. There's that. And then, you know, of course, we have movie nights and do all the normal kid stuff, too, but they definitely spend a ton of time outside, and, yeah, they really love it.
- [19:00]
B
So that brings up a good. A good question that I kind of wanted to ask you is, like, tell me about the horses on the ranch and, like, how many are there? And, like, what kind of horses are they? And, like, you know, I'm sure taking care of them alone is, like, a massive job.
- [19:15]
A
Yeah, absolutely. So the horses, we have a herd that's here year round, and then we also lease a handful of horses for. For guest use, but we are able to get the same ones every year. So some people have their favorites, and they get to keep those favorites. We have really a mix of everything from, you know, part draft horses to quarter horses to halflinger ponies, and just. Just truly something for everyone. And the ones that go up into the mountains, they are shooed, and, you know, the guests are. We do one night where we have drinks with the horses as well as just seeing them every day. So they're. They really are kind of an important part of every guest experience.
- [20:10]
B
I know that Adam did. I know that Adam did want to mention the incredible team that you guys have there working with everybody from, like, a wrangler named Lois, you know, who owns horses in the Netherlands, to. To Taylor, who I think works on the ranch more often. Tell me a little bit about the team and the people that, you know, will be taking care of you when you're kind of. When a listener might be there and on the ranch and on one of these adventures.
- [20:44]
A
Yeah. So the team is, you know, we put a ton of time and energy and thought into our team and really look like, look at them as an extended part of our family. Most of the team has been here for more than a year. Lauren, who runs the program, this is her fifth year with us. And Lois has been here a couple of years. She is from the Netherlands and then works. Works with us during the season. And then we have Grace, my sister, who is another wrangler. Oliver, who is from Australia but has been working with us for a couple of years on the ranch and then started working in hospitality this year. Taylor, like Adam said, she spends the other part of her life in Argentina and then works with us for the last two years in hospitality. And AJ or. Yeah, AJ has just stepped in now. He was. He came for the last part of our season, but worked with us last year. And then we always have a few amazing new team members. This year it was Lucien and Ashley who, you know, we're both brand new to ranchlands, but we're scheming on ways that we can keep them around somehow. So, yeah, I mean, it definitely takes a certain kind of person to want to work in a remote environment like this and then do it in hospitality and not in ranching. But it's turned into, you know, one of my favorite parts of the jobs is being able to work with that team. And it's just. It's a really inspiring, hard working, just really kind and genuine group of people that I'm grateful to be able to work with.
- [22:36]
B
And, you know, when people go on these trips and when they, you know, they're prepared to leave, like, what's the number one bit of feedback that you get from them? Like that they're kind of maybe something that surprised them the most or just a kind of a bit of story that you might get from people that kind of comes up again and again.
- [22:58]
A
Yeah, I think the number one feedback, well, two feedbacks that we get are that how much they have enjoyed being disconnected. So people leave and don't want to turn their phones back on. Like I said earlier, you. You truly are disconnected here. There's no service at camp. There's no wi fi access during your week. You know, for pressing circumstances, of course, we can figure things out and support people, but we really encourage guests to disconnect. And it. It is something that they really find that they love about the time. And then the second is the people, the team, really. We really try to do everything we can to make People feel at home and really have an amazing trip that exceeds their expectations. And then also just getting to know the group that they're with. You bond in a special way with a group that you're camping with for five nights. And, you know, those. Those relationships have go well beyond those five days. And, you know, for many, it's. That has been one of the really, really neatest part. Parts of Ranchlands, I would say, is the community that has extended beyond the ranch that started at. During these vacations and turned into, you know, relationships and business partnerships and friendships kind of around the world.
- [24:30]
B
Yeah. So tell me a little bit about the collective, which is sort of the nonprofit arm of. Of ranch Lands and all about.
- [24:38]
A
Yeah, the Ranchlands Collective is our nonprofit that aims to bridge the gap between urban and rural communities and really offer access opportunities for the urban majority to come out and see what we're doing and be a part of it so that they, you know, that urban majority can really understand the importance of it. And we do that through a couple different ways. One is an artist residency. We have just actually, we're in the middle of our very first residency right now with two girls who are living at the camp, and they do dinners and breakfasts with the guests. And then during the day, they each have a studio in the horse barn where they create work. And then at the end of it, will turn those pieces into ones that they can sell. And then the other is. It's education based in offering. We host with Audubon Society, a bird banding station where we bird migratory songbirds to capture data that goes into a worldwide database. And we offer field trips to students to come and learn about that. And the kids get to actually. Well, a few lucky kids get to. To actually hold a songbird in their hand and release it and then see how that data impacts, you know, just kind of information around the world. And then we also create the Ranchlands Review, which is a quarterly publication that publishes stories about the land and inspired by the land, written by people at Ranchlands. But then we also take submissions from people who, you know, are just inspired by the topic for the time. So for the guests, everybody gets a copy of that review and then get to interact with the artists and the bird banding and just kind of be a part of what makes it all work.
- [26:46]
B
And with all the horses. Sounds like you also have a lot of. I see there's, like, a few pictures of. Oh, gosh, I'm forgetting the. The term for a baby horse. A foal. If I. If I'm. Yeah, seems like. Is that, I mean, with the herd, it must be a fairly common occurrence every year.
- [27:05]
A
Yeah, we, you know, it's sometimes, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. But the baby horse that would have been here when Adam was here, Sprinkle, was a surprise actually, from a rental horse. And he or she, Cupcake is her name, Cupcake came and about two weeks later had a baby in the field. And we called Chad, who we rent the horses from, and asked if we could just keep Cupcake and Sprinkle for the year. And we put her in a little pasture right next to the tents and she quickly became like a very important and loved beloved part of camp. So next year we will miss her.
- [27:53]
B
Do you think you'll stay working on Ranchlands for quite a while? Do you ever think about leaving? Or is this kind of. Do you intend this to be kind of a sort of forever home for you?
- [28:03]
A
I'll always be involved in some level with Ranchlands and, you know, it's. It's my business, it's my home, it's my family. And I think I could see a situation where David and I went and did something else with the boys for a year while they're still young, like go live in another country or just experience another culture fully. But I can't see a situation where I would ever fully leave. No.
- [28:37]
B
Thank you to my guest, Tess Leach, as well as to everyone at Ranchlands and Paint Rock Canyon Ranch, and especially to our photographer, Adam Kremer, for making this episode happen. The editor of the Grand Tourist is Stan Hall. To keep this going, don't forget to visit our website and sign up for our newsletter, the Grand Tourist curator@thegrandtourist.net and follow me on Instagram danrubenstein and follow the Grand Tourist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to listen. And leave us a rating or comment. Every little bit helps. Till next time.