WITTER SPRINGS — Lake County is known for its hidden gems; Lake County diamonds. Another diamond in the county is the 20-acre ranch in Bachelor Valley known as Reese Ranch Retreat.
The first place winner of the 2021 1Team 1Dream competition and the grand prize of 20,000 dollars, Reese Ranch Retreat is known for goat yoga, animal experiences, on-ranch overnights and the up-and-coming backyard glamping (glamour camping) in tents pitched in your own backyard.
Owner Catherine Ann Reese toured the ranch on a sunny morning, pointing out the animals that visitors would see during the “Animal Experience.” The first stop was the chicken coop, where her two-year-old grandson opened the door to let the chickens out. Excited at being fed, the hens and roosters scurried out. Grandson Reach Holland bolted into the coop to collect eggs of varying colors. “Different breeds of chickens produce different colors of eggs,” said Reese, as a rooster crowed from the rafters of the coop. “Put the eggs gently into the bucket,” she instructed the youngster after he had tossed the first one into the bucket. Luckily without breaking it.
The bleating of goats, wanting to get out of their stalls, let the young boy know it was time to play. Surrounded by goats all wanting the grains Reach offered them, they were friendly but demanding. Others ran around and jumped and twisted in the air. Three of the goats fell over in a faint, with their legs stiff, up in the air. “Those are fainting goats, they faint when they get startled,” said Reese.
Goat yoga with those little creatures would be a blast. “We only let the young goats out for yoga,” said Reese. Good call, as the bigger goats would be too heavy while doing a Downward Dog position.
With 64 animals at the ranch, Reese said, “The animals that we get on the ranch have to be sweet.” The goats were definitely sweet, and loud. “The goats pretend that we never feed them,” she laughed.
Two cows waiting at the gate for their hay brought up the question; do any of the animals end up on the dinner table? “I don’t name what I eat,” said Reese. She pointed out the red cow named Ginger, and the black one named Pepper, both two years old, both with horns. Pepper approached Reese for a vigorous neck rub.
Some of the ranch animals are rescues, but not all. Marvin, 6, the zebra, was re-homed to the ranch from Chico after a fire. “We don’t pet Marvin,” said Reese, “because sometimes he’s in a good mood and other times he’s moody, can’t predict. While he’s nice, we respect that he’s still close to his wild heritage and we want him to feel safe and our guests, too.” He’s a bit of a grabby eater, unlike the three horses; Callie the 13-year-old palomino Quarter Horse, Coco a black 34-year-old Missouri Foxtrotter and Tribute, 9, a buckskin Quarter Horse who nibbled treats from the hand and stood there waiting for more carrots and apples.
At another paddock, the white mini-donkey named Marshmallow and black and white mini-horse appropriately named Panda came to the fence for their treats. Huggable Marshmallow, with his long furry ears, ate gently out of the hand. Panda seemed to be a bit jealous of the attention Marshmallow was getting and when Panda turned his butt to Reese, as if to show his displeasure, she just pushed him away. Animal personalities abound in a ranch setting.
One of the stars of the ranch is the Tiny Store where stuffed animals come to life. Reese’s grandson picked out a donkey to stuff, putting a red heart into the donkey’s chest. The stuffing looked like cotton candy, which blows from a machine and plumps up the chosen animal. A definite treat for children who visit the ranch, and adults too.
With pride in her voice, Reese detailed their newest on-ranch glamping tent. “It’s a beautiful new private glamping space, on a deck under the oaks, overlooking the seasonal river, with squirrels and birds playing in the branches above.” The side-by-side all terrain vehicle sped over the fields, with Elk Mountain and Hell’s Peak in the background, to the new tent that will be finished and ready to rent April 1. Each tent on the ranch faces West to capture the sunset.
Two ranch employees set up one of the backyard glamping Bell tents; Bethanie Redmill and Amanda Strother. It was their third time setting up the tent and they timed themselves just for fun. It took a mere 20 minutes from getting it out of the sleek black cargo trailer (bought with 1Team 1Dream prize money) and completely set up, ready for furnishings. It took the two young women just another 20 minutes to break it down. Reese’s German Shepard, Diamond, also helped.
Sitting in the sun, Reese spoke about what she’s using the 1Team 1Dream prize money for. “I’m using the winnings to get some of the basics for launching backyard glamping, including the used cargo trailer for delivery, also the tents and furnishings. I’m excited to bring a fun, new and needed offering to families in both Lake and Mendocino counties. There will be themes that guests can choose from, and fun options to add on to their backyard glamping experience. The option to have multiple tents or customize the glamping experience is also available with availability and of course, enough advanced notice.”
It’s obvious watching the petite Reese (her long blonde hair matches her Palamino Callie’s mane) talk about the first vacation rental that she began in Oct. 2017. She’s passionate about everything that she does; from her attention to detail in the Villa and the Barn (her original photographs adorn the walls), to the repurposing of materials. She spoke of the most difficult times in her life when her father, who taught her how to “Work smart,” and how to build buildings, fences, gates, passed away from cancer in only six weeks and then her mother passing within a year of her father. “That was the hardest part of 1Team 1Dream, sharing my story with the audience and not breaking down as I shared it. I shared it because it’s part of my story. I want to encourage others to pursue their dreams through the challenges that come our way, to live each day to its fullest and when things get dark, they do eventually get better.”
1Team 1Dream co-founder Olga Martin Steele spoke about some of the criteria that goes into deciding a winner of the competition. “After the basics are covered (a good business plan and financials) are the story and the attractiveness of the business idea.”
“It definitely begins with the story – the obstacles overcome to achieve a business goal – and Catherine’s personal story of loss leading to success was as heartbreaking as it was inspirational,” Steele said. “She showed tremendous perseverance in the face of loss – first her father and partner on the ranch suddenly dies, then soon after – on Christmas day – her mother dies in a tragic car accident. Imagine the trauma and sadness of losing both parents so tragically and so close together in time? But she bounced back, determined to make Reese Ranch Retreat a success.”
Just a short visit to Reese Ranch Retreat for the Animal Experience makes everything better.
To make reservations, go to the ranch website at: www.reeseranchretreat.com. They will be taking reservations for the new backyard glamping starting this week for May 1 – Oct. 31. (The first 10 to book will receive a free upgrade of their choice.)
Ranch rentals are open all year long.
