Tag: montana summer vacations

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Summer Campfire Chefs Debuts with Chef Beau MacMillan

Campfires are a summer tradition observed nightly at Paws Up. After a long day of floating or fishing, there’s nothing quite like unwinding around the fire pit. Which is why two new Resort programs—Campfire Chefs and Campfire Stars—are sure to be hits with camp guests who enjoy a touch of sophistication and glamour in a rustic, relaxed setting. Campfire Stars features musicians from festivals and shows like American Idol and The Voice. These stars have performed for millions of music lovers at a time, but now they’ll be taking a seat right next to you for intimate performances and maybe even to lead a singalong or two.

Campfire Chefs features rock stars too. Rock star chefs, that is—from the country’s hottest restaurants and culinary TV shows. The chefs will also be up close and personal with our guests—to prepare exquisite cuisine and even have our glampers pitch in and help cook. Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort Executive Chef Beau MacMillan kicks off this summer series on June 6–9th.

We had a chance to sit down and chat with Beau about his upcoming visit.

 What interested you in Paws Up’s new series, Campfire Chefs?

My first experience at Paws Up was at Master Montana Grillers. I was so impressed not only with The Resort itself, but more importantly with the staff and how easy it was for them to be in front of the guests and create emotional contacts in a great setting. With Campfire Chefs, I’ll be able to connect with a small group and cook over open fires—very primal and very fun.

How will cooking at Camp re Chefs be different from Montana Master Grillers?

With Master Montana Grillers, I ran an action station, featuring one to two items. What I’m most excited about with Campfire Chefs is the ability to create the whole menu and the fact that it’s served family-style. I think passing and sharing is one of the best ways to eat and connect with others around you.

Will guests at Paws Up actually get involved in the preparation of meals?

I’m one of those guys that loves to get guests involved. I also love cooking outside and cooking on wood. I think you’re going to see some large cuts of meat that can cook slow. When you can cook large cuts of meat, organic vegetables and fresh seafood on an open flame, life is good.

You’ve made many appearances on culinary shows. Do you have any upcoming appearances?

Right now, I’m filming Best Thing I Ever Ate and Guy’s Grocery Games on the Food Network.

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Top 10 Summer Adventures at The Resort at Paws Up

Summer is the chance to go barefoot, enjoy tasty barbecued ribs, ride go-karts, relax around bonfires and catch fireflies. Summer is about slowing down—and speeding up, getting people together and finding your own space and time. If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit Paws Up during our high season, you already know about our tried-and-true thrills and pastimes. Below is summer’s new bucket list—our Top 10 Paws Up Adventures for 2018.

1. GO JUMP IN A LAKE.

Be among the very first to enjoy Paws Up Island Lodge at  Salmon Lake. Take a sunset pontoon boat tour, water-ski the day away or just visit for the spectacular view.

2. CAST AWAY THE DAY.

For anyone who loves (or is angling to try) fly-fishing, this part of Montana is heaven on earth, with legendary rivers like the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Clearwater and Missouri right at hand.

3. GO FOR A RUGGED RIDE.

Kick up some dust on an ATV tour and see the ranch’s 37,000 acres from a heart-thumping perspective.

4. TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT.

No birds are harmed, but your heart will swell after taking a turn on our challenging 10-station sporting clays course.

5. FIND YOUR OWN WAY.

Ride when you want, how you want with a private horseback excursion, tailored for riders of all ages and levels.

6. CHANNEL YOUR INNER ANNIE OAKLEY.

Relive the Wild West at our .22 rifle range where guests ages 6 and up take aim at reactive targets.

7. FIGURE OUT WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT.

Enjoy a gentle rafting trip or rev things up with Class I and II whitewater rapids. For something truly wild, take a day trip to Alberton Gorge’s Class III rapids, coupled with thrilling cliff jumping.

8. DRIVE AROUND OUR RANCH.

If you want to feel like a real cowboy or cowgirl, head out for a Paws Up cattle drive. You’ll be riding and rounding up Corriente cows like a pro in no time.

9. CLIMB TO NEW HEIGHTS.

Come play in our Sky Line Aerial Adventure Park, with two courses designed to test your will and your skill.

10. GEAR UP FOR A GHOST TOUR.

Wander through the most intact ghost town in Montana, then bike back the 14.5 miles to The Resort (downhill, of course!).

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Learn How to be a Skywalker at Paws Up

Aerial Adventure Park Spring at Paws Up

Skydiving? Yawn. Base jumping? Psychotic. Bungee jumping? Old school. Aerial adventure needed a refresh and Paws Up has delivered. Introducing our newest activity: The Sky Line Aerial Adventure Course. It’s not a ropes course. It’s not a zipline. It’s not a cheesy climbing wall. It’s a spine-tingling 10-platform tour with 22-foot drops and a heart-pounding 40- foot free fall.

Sound like something you’d enjoy? We know so. As is par for the course at our 37,000 acre ranch, we integrated the natural elements available (in this case, towering pines and a very Big Sky) to construct this unique mental and physical challenge. Expert instruction from our qualified guides coupled with state-of- the-art safety mechanisms will ensure a good time for kids ages 8 and up and adults alike. Afraid of heights? We have a course for you. Consider yourself a thrill seeker? We definitely have a course for you. There’s even a course for tweeners! The entire experience lasts two hours and includes a team-building game, orientation, ground school and a full time around the course. The best part? As our guest, we’ll let you try it for the first time free. Find out more about this amazingly fun experience here.

aerial adventure course Paws Up

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Where You Can Learn to Paint with Water and Wine

We love summer workshops, and last month our brand new Wilderness Workshop, Brushes with Greatness, offered participants a chance to paint alongside a true American master in a breathtaking Montana landscape. Artist George Van Hook is renowned for his impressionistic paintings. His five-day “plein air” watercolor workshop was hosted in a variety of inspiring outdoor settings throughout The Resort. Van Hook has exhibited his award-winning works on three continents and has been teaching art and presenting workshops for more than 30 years. Beginning painting at an early age, Van Hook also spent his formative years traveling overseas to study art and copy other artists’ master works at Europe’s legendary museums, including the Louvre.

Mark your calendars for Bottle & Bottega with Stephanie King-Myers and Nick Myers from June 21—26, 2016. One day in March 2009, Bottle & Bottega founder Stephanie King-Myers and her artist husband, Nick Myers successfully convinced a friend with no artistic skills that she could in fact paint, with the right inspiration. So with a glass of wine in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, the friend successfully created her first masterpiece, and the Bottle & Bottega concept was born! In their workshops, King-Myers and Myers offer a variety of art and media experiences, including canvas painting, mosaics, glass painting, live models and more. Now with three young children of their own, they love introducing families to painting so that together they can create lasting memories! Whether you’re the family Rembrandt or struggle drawing stick figures, Bottle & Bottega will bring out your inner artist. No matter what your skill level is, you’ll produce a painting to be proud of. Also, there’s plenty of wine to help get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy painting at inspiring locations on the ranch, some sunset sessions and some alfresco evening sessions at individual luxury camps. There will also be some vino-free sessions at the Kids Corps of Discovery, so family members of all ages will have a chance to express themselves.

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3 Super Cool Things to do This Summer in Montana

At The Resort at Paws Up, you can experience so much more than a typical Montana dude-ranch vacation. Besides glamping® in luxury, safari-style tents, you can partake in a multitude of outdoor adventures, once in a lifetime experiences and unique activities, which are more than plentiful at The Resort. Check out these three super cool activities ideal for a summer Montana vacation—there are exciting discoveries at every single turn.

1. Garnet Ghost Town

Have you ever visited a real ghost town? Garnet is an historic, 120-year-old mining ghost town located in west central Montana; it sits at an elevation of about 6,000 feet at the head of First Chance Creek. The Resort at Paws Up offers two different ways to visit Garnet from the ranch:

Five-Hour Garnet Ghost Town Tour and ATV:

A ghost town via ATV? Yes! For those looking for a gorgeous, scenic route and adventure, this five-hour trip is a rush. You will leave the property and head to Elevation Peak for lunch. Then, take a tour of the ghost town with your guide before continuing this exciting journey.

Downhill Mountain Bike and Garnet Ghost Town Tour:

Looking for a challenge by bike? Approximately four hours, this tour takes guests, by van, to Garnet Ghost Town, where you will have the opportunity to explore this historic site before hopping on mountain bikes to make a 12-mile downhill trek. Get your workout in and explore an historic ghost town all at once.

2. Chuck Wagon Dinner

Looking for the most fun and unique dining experience in Montana? Step aboard Paws Up’s version of an old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon for an evening ride to the Blackfoot River. Sit back, relax and take in Montana’s fresh air and beautiful Big Sky—there’s lots of both!—the backdrop of The Resort at Paws Up.

The Chuck Wagon Dinner begins at the banks of the Blackfoot River, where you will enjoy an authentic dinner prepared before your eyes. From all-natural chicken, Angus prime rib, fresh corn and asparagus grilled over a campfire to summer classic dishes such as baked beans and fresh fruit cobbler cooked over the coals in a Dutch oven, we promise you won’t walk away hungry.

Further enjoy this cowboy-style experience by pitching horseshoes with the kids, listening to a local banjo player or contemplating a few words from a cowboy poet. This is one family dining experience that you will remember for years to come.

3. 3D Archery

At Paws Up, 3D Archery will change your archery experience forever. We call it 3D archery because the targets are actually three-dimensional. There are buffalo, deer, mountain goats and even bears that all are very lifelike. It’s so enjoyable you’ll want to do it more than once. Guests learn the most important techniques of archery shooting, as well as gain an introduction to the sport of big game archery hunting through a walkabout course in the woods with realistic foam animal targets. Learn the fundamentals and see improvement in your skill level on the target range. The best part comes next: Progress to the 10-station, one-mile walk-through course, which features a variety of shots with different scenarios and difficulties. (Guests are provided with compound bows and a quiver full of arrows.)

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National Trail Day: The Best Trails at Paws Up

“Going to the woods is going home.”—John Muir

June 4, 2016, is the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, the country’s largest celebration of trails. The Resort at Paws Up offers more than 30 miles of marked trails for hiking on your own or with a naturalist guide. Choose from a variety of excursions through our 37,000 acres that will allow you to seek quiet, peace, solitude and inspiration. Our guides can offer information about native plants, wildlife and the history of the Blackfoot Valley.

“The top two favorite trails on our property would be the Sunset Trail and Jones Pond Trail through Lubrecht Experimental Forest,” says Justyne Palermo, Resort Reservations Manager at The Resort at Paws Up. “The Sunset Trail follows the Blackfoot River, and then you hike up to Lookout Rock, which provides grand views of the Blackfoot River and Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. The Jones Pond Trail is the perfect hike for wildlife viewing with many visible tracks of elk, deer and bears near the pond. The hike through Lubrecht Experimental Forest is also interesting as it’s a track of land owned by the university, which provides a location for forestry research, resource management and ecosystem science,” says Palermo.

All trails are accessible to all ranch guests and free-of-charge to visit, so don’t miss a chance to explore our rolling hills and expansive meadows.

Six Paws Up Trails Not to Miss

For a quick, easy hike, choose Sacagawea Trail, an easy one-mile hike that is nearest to the Paws Up Village. Another option is the Grizzlyman Fitness Trail—a one-mile course near Spa Town that includes 12 fitness stations. Each station features equipment made from surrounding timber as well as unique challenges, including climbing, balancing, swinging and more. It’s a great way to relish in nature and burn calories at the same time.

Ponderosa Trail is The Resort’s 2.5-mile hike with a slight elevation through Lowland Forest (considered a moderate hike).

Anaconda Trail is four miles long with elevation changes, forest areas and a historic mining area.

Sunset Trail is filled with beauty for three miles as it follows Elk Creek and spans from the Camp to Village.

Jones Pond Trail is 2.5 miles uphill into Lubrecht, and it is considered a moderate to difficult path, more suitable for the avid hiker.