I have wanted to do a 'farm stay' for a long time. But I also didn't want to be too far from stores and other attractions. Plus, I wanted to be able to bring my young son and not feel like everything was a hazard. This ranch was the perfect blend of all of that! And close to Typhoon Waterpark.
There was great communication from the host before we even got there, letting us know where to park, what to expect. From the moment we pulled up, I knew this was going to be amazing. The barn is legit a working barn, and the horses and longhorns' pen is literally 10 feet from the stairs up to our loft.
And yes, it smells like hay, dirt, and animals, BUT nothing gross or heavy. The barn is wide open on one side where the animals come in, and there is a sturdy fence between them and the stairs. You can choose to interact with them or not. And the wind blows through, so the barn / animal smell is relatively mild. It never once bothered me, and in fact added to the ambience of it.
The loft itself is amazing! Like an oasis, tucked upstairs. For 3 days, we had heavy gusting winds before a storm. And not once did the pace move or creak or feel unsafe—solid and quiet! You do hear the animals occasionally—like the chickens tended to cluck briefly around dinner time, and the big longhorn (named Lone Star) would moo occasionally, but really only once or twice and move on. Once the sun went down, it was always very quiet.
The beds were amazing! Seriously, my son and I think they are the best we have ever slept on, and will be replacing ours at home with what they have here, for sure.
Kitchen was appointed pretty well. I'd say they have just enough dishes, utensils, spices and other items for most guests. No dishwasher, so understand you will need to do some dishes by hand during your stay—not a problem for me.
There were eggs in the fridge from the chickens right outside! They were amazing—so fresh.
The host lives in the ranch house, about 70 yards away. He greeted us the first day, and taught us how to feed the horses and longhorns.
Things to keep in mind (but NOT issues for me): the stairs to the loft are sturdy, but a tad bit steeper than usual stairs. The bathroom ceiling gets low over the sink, so expect to hunch over a bit. You have to keep the door shut to keep out barn smell and bugs—to be expected, but if you are one that prefers a breeze / draft, this is not going to happen here. But, it never felt stuffy, and the air conditioning worked great.
