Turtle Creek Ranch

Originally published in TC Dog in 2004.

A break. I needed a break. I needed to get out from under the concerns and buzz of everyday life-if even just for a day or two. Someplace quiet. Someplace comfortable. Someplace I could bring my dogs. Someplace like Turtle Creek Ranch.

Turtle Creek Ranch, located in Wisconsin a mere one-and-a-half hours from the Twin Cities, is a dog-friendly oasis. Nestled within the rolling countryside amid meadows and woods, the Ranch is comprised of 80 acres safely tucked away from roads, noise, cares, or concerns.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Gus, Huck, Cooper, and Mick-the canine ambassadors of the Ranch. Our own dogs, Dakota and Meadow, introduced themselves and were, in turn, inspected and welcomed by the entourage.

The guest house is a pole barn that has been renovated into a wonderfully spacious, private, and comfortable retreat. Decorated in earth tones, it includes a wraparound deck, master bedroom with a queen size bed, full kitchen, living room with sleeper sofa, full bath with whirlpool tub, and plenty of windows overlooking the picturesque scenery.

Turtle Creek Ranch is a place where you go to do nothing. Nothing except go for walks along the trails and explore the countryside, read, nap, play with the dogs, relax. Says Vicki Hoff, owner of the Ranch, "It usually takes awhile before people figure things out." She continues, "On Sunday, the day most people are leaving, they say to me, 'I get it! I get how to do this now!'" By "it" they mean to let go and take in the countryside. To listen to the long grasses sway in the wind, watch a blue heron land in the pond, or the sun as it travels across the sky.

Among the critters who call Turtle Creek Ranch home, you'll find five horses, a couple of ponies, some goats, cats, and pot belly pigs that roll onto their backs when you scratch their bellies.

I recommend making the three-mile drive into Prairie Creek, population 508, for the Friday night fish fry at Square One Bar and Café. It is delicious. There are also nearby antique shops to visit; the surrounding roads are perfect for biking; the trails are good for walking, as well as for cross-country skiing and skijoring in the winter.

I found it relaxing and enjoyable to watch my own dogs run and explore freely. They spent long hours romping through the surrounding prairie-like fields. We were often kept company by Vicki's dogs that contently hung out on the patio or by the bonfire with us, who lead the way on walks, and helped keep score during the bocce-ball game we brought with us.

The Ranch is not completely fenced, so visiting dogs can easily run off. And if you let them, the concerns of everyday life can creep in because they are always present-but so is Turtle Creek Ranch...and isn't that a lovely thought.

www.turtlecreekranch.com Phone: (715) 455-1281 Turtlecreek@chibardun.net