Sister Country is also giving away a Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show package – including a 2011 Hat, T-Shirt, poster and so much more!  Also included are TWO tickets to see the QuiltMaker’s of Gee’s Bend in Sisters on Tuesday, July 5!  There is limited time to enter, be sure to log on today for your chance to win! www.SistersCountry.com/QuiltShow

For more information on the Quilt Show visit:   http://www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org/

Then the big Black Butte Ranch 4th of July Parade Begins at the Sport Field and ends at the Rec Center with a big BBQ at the Lakeside Lawn area after the parade.  As always Biff Harley will be there with fun and games for the entire family!

The Ranch is featuring six new Ranch Rubs and three smoked salts for sale on the Ranch this summer.  The Ranch Rubs are: Beef, Chicken, Coffee Pork, Vegetable, Seafood and Beer Can Chicken. The three smoked salts are Hickory Wood, Apple Wood and Alder Wood. The salts and spices are the same great blends used in our cooking at the Ranch!  They are available for sale at the Lodge Espresso Shop, Robert’s Pub and other outlets.

We are excited to add these elements to our farm to table food concepts for our guests, homeowners, and visitors to Central Oregon to enjoy.  At a time when people want to know where their food comes from, we are excited to showcase local Central Oregon raised pork, our Ranch grown vegetables, selected herbs and house blend spices on our menus!

On the Sisters Rodeo website there is a historical recap written by Bonnie Malone, a longtime rodeo supporter, and current secretary on the Sisters Rodeo Board.  Malone writes that the rodeo first started in Sisters in 1940 and dubbed itself “The Biggest Little Show in the World,” a name it still uses to this day.

After about 13 years, financial struggles coupled with the diminished wild buffalo herd, the rodeo tradition ended.

But with the hard work of many passionate cowboys and cowgirls through the years the rodeo made a comeback.  In 1963 Mert Hunking, a ”cowboy with rodeo in his blood,” as Malone puts it, reorganized the rodeo association and the Buckaroo Breakfast.  He insured top quality stock which attracted the best of the national rodeo cowboys.

As the rodeo’s reputation grew, it found a permanent home on its current 33 acre site. In early 1988 the Sisters Rodeo was accepted as a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the “Big Daddy” of professional rodeo. It joined such other well-known rodeos as St. Paul and Pendleton.

Today the Rodeo offers a weekend of central Oregon “cowboyin’ the whole family can enjoy. Why not enhance your experience by staying at a ranch – Black Butte Ranch that is.

So when you’re done bull riding and ropin’ steers (spectating is hard work), come and relax in the luxurious setting of the Ranch. You’ll enjoy peaceful views of the Cascade mountain range as you watch our own horses meander through the meadow.  If you’re looking for a little more action, participate in one of the family-friendly rides at Black Butte Stables.

Also be sure to stop by the Welcome Center and take a look at the original rodeo art work of Don Griffith on display.

We’re offering up some pretty good grub too.  Check our seasonal menu – there’s something for any cowpoke in your group.

Either way, we hope you will make us part of your rodeo weekend.

See ya around the Ranch!

Katie

The Ride for Two Rivers represents a continuation of the unique relationship established between the National Forest Foundation and Cycle Oregon (a week-long cycling trip through the state of Oregon).  In its second year, this event brings these two icons together for the benefit of two very special waterways – the Metolius River and Whychus Creek – now a part of the National Forest Foundation’s “Treasured Landscapes” campaign.

The Metolius River, which was already designated a “Wild and Scenic River” is well-loved, but suffers from heavy recreational use because of its popularity.  The lesser known Whychus Creek has only recently been rediscovered, after years where unsustainable irrigation forced the river to dry up by the time it reached the town of Sisters. As the creek has been found again, a new wave of uncontained recreation is damaging this ruggedly beautiful watershed.

On Saturday, June 18 cyclists will have the opportunity to pedal their way through the stunning landscapes of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, while supporting the conservation and stewardship of these beloved waterways.

Riders can choose between two routes: one is 50-mile route that starts at Black Butte Ranch and climbs up the McKenzie Pass Highway (one of the new additions to the Oregon Scenic Bikeway) to the Dee Wright Observatory, then it’s all downhill back to the Ranch; the second is a family-friendly 25-mile route from Black Butte Ranch around Camp Sherman and back to Ranch.

Riders looking for a soft place to rest their road-weary bodies can book a stay at Black Butte Ranch between June16-19 and receive a 10% discount (just mention “The Ride for Two Rivers”). Included in the registration fee is a good old fashioned Ranch barbecue and music.

Come and support a worthy cause; have a great meal, spend the night, and while you’re at it enjoy all the other activities here at the Ranch such as fly-fishing, great Central Oregon golf or a relaxing spa treatment.

Eight new routes designated as Oregon Scenic Bikeways, three of which are in Central Oregon.  The McKenzie Pass (one of three) is a 40-mile linear route following Hwy 242 over McKenzie Pass between Sisters and the McKenzie Bridge.  The Ride for Two Rivers route goes from the Ranch up the McKenzie Pass to the lookout then comes back the same route to the Ranch.

Click here to register online.

Black Butte (Photo courtesy of Jim Williams Photography)

Welcome to springtime in Central Oregon; a time when Mother Nature has a bout of schizophrenia. Even though we expect it, it’s never easy.  The weather can be a frustrating proposition as our desires switch from wanting to ski at every opportunity to tuning up our golf game or our bikes.

This is the time of year where you must have three seasons of clothing and sports gear in your closet. On a perfect spring day you can achieve any combination of activities: get in 9 holes of incredible mountain golf at Big Meadow (when it opens) and then ski a half-day up at Hoodoo; or you could golf then ride your bike on the more than 18 miles of meandering bike paths at the Ranch; or golf, ski, bike and then head to the spa.

Lucky for us, there is an activity that isn’t weather dependent – Easter Brunch.

Ahhhh, brunch buffets.  William Pearson  ponders the wonderfulness of buffets in his 1965 novel The Muses of Ruin. He refers to the buffet as “the eighth wonder of the world.” He goes on to say, “How many times you go through the line is a private matter between you and your capacity, and then between your capacity and the chef’s evil eye.”

Yum! Cheese Display

The Easter Brunch at the Lodge Restaurant is exquisite. Executive Sous Chef Adam Kapela puts his creative touch on each dish.  Try the truffle potato salad with roasted mushrooms, or the Ranch benedict with Parisian ham and Pepper Vodka and herb hollandaise.  You won’t want to miss his special Herb crusted Beef Prime Rib with black pepper horseradish cream and Brandy grain mustard Jus.

Easter is April 24, so don’t wait too long to make a reservation for the whole family (kids 4 years and under are free). Call 866.901.9261 for more information.

See ya around the Ranch!

Katie

In Line for the Autobahn (photo courtesy of Jim Williams)

Black Butte Ranch is the sponsor of Presidents’ Day weekend at Hoodoo and is offering a special ski package  for your holiday weekend getaway.  Book your weekend for four at only $115 per person and that includes a Country House vacation rental for the family, four lift tickets to Hoodoo and four guided snowshoe or cave tours with Wanderlust Tours.

When you are playing at Hoodoo don’t forget to pick up a trail map to get the $10 Apres Ski food voucher good at BBR’s Aspen Lounge (minimum two drink purchase).

With Hoodoo a short drive from the Ranch your ski weekend won’t be spent on the road, but enjoying all that the Ranch has to offer.  Enjoy a cocktail or warm beverage out by the fire pit while gazing at the full moon (that will be around all weekend). Get a relaxing massage after a full day of winter activity at the Spa then treat the family to an exceptional meal at the Lodge Restaurant.

So make Black Butte Ranch your Central Oregon base camp, and leave your cares behind.

See ya around the Ranch!

Katie

Maybe it’s just me, but have you noticed how very few people wish each other “Merry Christmas?”  I can recall during my childhood when everyone seemed to jubilantly wish you a Merry Christmas.  As I pondered this thought I was curious as to how the phrase “Merry Christmas” came about.  It apparently is most common in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

The  ”Merry” is derived from the Old English word myriage, which originally meant “pleasant and agreeable” rather than joyous and jolly (its current meaning). Though Christmas has been observed since the 4th century AD, the first known usage of any Christmastime greeting dates back to 1565 , when it appeared in The Hereford Municipal Manuscript: “And thus I comytt you to God, who send you a merry Christmas.”   “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” (incorporating two greetings) was in an informal letter written by an English admiral in 1699. [1]

In 1843, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was published , during the mid Victorian revival of the holiday.  The word merry was then beginning to take on its current meaning of “jovial, cheerful, jolly and outgoing. “Merry Christmas” in this new context figured prominently in A Christmas Carol. After Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas his thoughts on the holiday are transformed as he exclaims, ” I am as merry as a school-boy. A merry Christmas to everybody!”

As much as thesalutation of “Merry Christmas” is a tradition, so is Christmas here at the Ranch; with Breakfasts with Santa, Carriage Rides, the festive Lodge Christmas Tree, and the amazing Christmas Buffet.  For decades families have been spending their holidays here  enjoying the peacefulness and simpleness that can’t be found many other places.

On behalf of everyone here at Black Butte Ranch and in the tradition of the admiral – we’d like to take this time to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Se ya around the Ranch,

Katie

References

1. Holiday Greetings (en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas)

If you  enjoy the outdoors you can experience this optical phenomenon either at sunrise or sunset.  In mountainous areas, like here in the Central Oregon Cascade region, we call it “alpenglow.”  That’s when the snow-capped mountains begin to glow a rich pinkish-orange color just before the Sun rises above the horizon.  The illumination occurs because the angle of the Sun’s light forces it to travel through more of the earth’s atmosphere, thereby reducing the intensity of direct light.  More blue light is scattered, so that light from the Sun appears more reddish.

Alpenglow Near Hoodoo Ski Area (Photo courtesy of Jim Williams - Williams Photography)

I recently got up very early one morning to catch the alpenglow at Hoodoo with my husband, Jim Williams.  When we arrived the darkness was just beginning to lift and the air was very cold and frosty.  We donned our snowshoes and were enjoying the deep powder left from a recent snowstorm.  As we began our trek we could see that the impending sunrise was going to produce an epic alpenglow.

I love the Hoodoo area.  They call themselves the “ski hill in your backyard” and they offer a great family- oriented ski experience and they are a perfect partner for the family getaway at Black Butte Ranch.  You don’t have to go far to enjoy the alpenglow on the Three Sisters or Mt. Washington.

Winter can be one of the most amazing seasons, if you will take time to explore and enjoy all that it has to offer.

Another truly American tradition is the pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey.  Since 1947 the National Turkey Federation has presented the President of the United States with one (and in recent years – two) live turkey(s) in a ceremony known as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. The live turkeys are pardoned and live out the rest of their days on a farm or, since 2005, sent to either Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World in Florida, where they serve as the honorary grand marshals of Disney’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. While it is commonly believed that this pardoning tradition began with President Harry Truman in 1947, the Truman Library has been unable to find any evidence for this. The earliest Thanksgiving Presidential Pardon on record is with President George H. W. Bush in 1989.

Amazing Autumn at Black Butte Ranch

There is a tradition here at Black Butte Ranch and it’s one that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. That is the Thanksgiving Day Buffet.  It is resplendent with all the traditional trimmings, but with a few delicious additions such as herb crusted prime rib and maple cheesecake with roasted pumpkin seeds.  What could be better that enjoying our sumptuous buffet with all the fuss and muss and slaving over a hot stove.  You could actually enjoy time with your family, playing in the snow (I hope) or strolling down to the lodge for a cup of hot cocoa or spiced cider and enjoying the warmth of the Lodge fire-pit.

We here at Black Butte Ranch would like to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

See ya around the Ranch!

Katie