|
Dude Rancher's Association Raffle
Win a trip to the Vee Bar! The Dude Rancher's Association (DRA) is sponsoring a raffle so that you can win a trip to the Vee Bar. Money will benefit the DRA Educational Trust and Scholarship Fund. Tickets purchased at the Vee Bar will be added to a pool including all DRA member ranches that choose to participate. A name will be drawn from all tickets, and the winner will receive a 6-night guest ranch stay for two people at the ranch where the ticket was purchased. Tickets are $20 each, or 6 for $100. It gets even better yet--last year's winner was a Vee Bar Guest! Call or e-mail our office to order your tickets. Good luck!
|
|
Schedule your conference or meeting at the Vee Bar!
Did you know we host conferences and meetings for groups all over the state of Wyoming? Several groups also come to us from a variety of other states. The maximum size is about 20-30 people, depending on how each group utilizes the Vee Bar's accommodations. Breakfast is free for those who spend the night. The Vee Bar works with the group organizer to set up other meals and activities while you are here. If you want to incorporate a little fun, ask about a wagon ride, horseback riding, and other activities. The fees are minimal and most groups find that they can save money by scheduling a conference at the Vee Bar compared to other facilities. And, who could beat the beautiful surroundings?
|
|
Spring Flooding
Our guests have asked us how the flood was this year. As you may know, the snow pack last winter was over 200% and the locals were very worried about flooding through the entire valley. We simply lucked out! Cabin #3 was our guage for how high the water was. It was the closest to being damaged. One Thursday afternoon it poured rain, on top of the water that was already rushing through the river. Everybody had gone to camp except for Kelly who was operating the bobcat and digging a trench to catch water before it washed through Kari and Brent's house. Kari was on her way to camp and noticed that the river had come up several inches in a couple of hours and was now coming over the banks at cabin #3. Kari recruited some help from the UW Women's Basketball coaches and staff and they filled sandbags until about 11 p.m. Over the next couple days the weather became very cool and the river dropped about a foot. In a few days it crested again, and it remained high until the first part of August. We didn't get the river tubes out until the first week in August this year! Through the month of August the water level remained higher than normal. We were very fortunate that we didn't have any major damage. The main repair is to the bank by cabin #3. Part of the porch has been removed and a concrete support put in the river bank to keep it from eroding away over years to come. Dirt will be added behind the concrete support to help the trees along the bank re-root themselves, since they stand exposed right now.
 | | View of cabin #3 and the concrete supports being installed along the bank. |
|
|
Read Our New Blog!
Guess what? We have a blog to keep you updated on a more frequent basis. Please check it out and leave a comment for us!
|
|
Cole Family Tree
We realize that our family tree can be a bit hard to follow, so here's a little something to help you!
Lefty & Carla Cole have three kids:
1. Kelly
2. Jana
3. Curt
Kelly Cole & Lisa Cole have four kids:
1. Kari (married Brent Kilmer, daughter Bailey)
2. Meagan
3. C.J.
4. Tucker
Jana & Rich Wilson have three kids:
1. Mollee (married Ben)
2. Coleton
3. Schad.
Curt (married Kimberly): no kids.
|
Mark Your Calendar!
December 1--Kilmer Brothers Band in the John Wayne Saloon for our Thursday Night Special. 6:00 music; 7:00 dinner. See website for details. December 27-31--Open for dinners nightly and B&B. February--Bring your honey out for a Valentine's celebration. Special B&B and Dinner packages available. June 2-7 Page Lambert's Writing Retreat.July 1-7 Ranch Jubilee
August 5-11 Hands On Horse Week
August 26-September 1 Adult Only Week
September 2012-Art Workshop (plans are still being made!)
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Greetings from the Vee Bar. If it has been a while since your last visit, or you are waiting for the right time to make your first visit to the Vee Bar, now is the time! This newsletter is full of opportunities coming up through the next year. You will also find information about what we've been doing! Enjoy, and drop us an e-mail when you get the chance!
Sincerely,
The Vee Bar Family
|
|
|
Winter Getaway Packages
Ski N' Stay Packages Are Back!
 If you are looking for a downhill ski package, now is your chance to combine your day on the mountain with a vacation at the Vee Bar! When you reserve two nights lodging and a two-day ski pass, you will receive 10% off everything! Better yet, reserve three nights lodging and a three day ski pass for the family and you'll receive 25% off everything! As part of the Ski N' Stay Package, you will also be able to enjoy a full, hot breakfast in our main lodge each morning, count the stars from our outdoor hot tub, enjoy evenings in the John Wayne Saloon with your family playing cards and games, or listening to the juke box. Don't forget, the Vee Bar does not get cell phone service and there are not any televisions or phones in the rooms. It's the perfect recipe for a family-friendly getaway to spend some quality time together! Check with our office on rates specific to your group!
Winter 4 and 5 night packages
Four Night Winter Special
Stay three nights and get the fourth night 50% off!
Valid October 15, 2011 until April 30, 2012
Five Night Winter Special
Stay four nights and get the fifth night FREE!
Valid October 15, 2011 until April 30, 2012
Take a few days to relax or have a heart-pumping good time! With easy access to the Snowy Range Mountains, a wealth of activities are waiting for you. After a day in the mountains, enjoy the amenities and atmosphere the Vee Bar has to offer. Walk the Vee Bar's 800 acres, fish the Little Laramie River, enjoy the hot tub and John Wayne Saloon. Make reservations for our delicious menu-style dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, or see our TGIF Kickoff-Thursday Night Specials schedule for Thursday night dinner specials.
Regular season rates are $150 for the first two people and $45 for each additional person in the same cabin. These rates include your lodging and breakfast each morning. Breakfast is a full buffet with hot choices each morning. In addition to hot items, there will be fresh fruit, yogurt and granola, breakfast bread, toast, coffee and juice. Need to leave early? Just let us know in advance and we'll give you breakfast to go!
*This special is not coupled with ski packages or other offers.
|
|
New this winter. . . Family-Style Dining and Lunch To-Go!
The Vee Bar is happy to offer an in-house dining option on nights other than Friday and Saturday. You will need to preorder your lunch or dinner at least one day ahead of time. Dinner will be ready at 6:00 on the evening you choose. The Vee Bar is also offering a lunch option for our guests, either at the ranch or to enjoy in the surrounding area, which will be ready for guests to pick up at breakfast on the day of their choosing. There is no minimum number of people needed. Inquire at the office when you make your reservations.
Family Dining Menu
To Go Lunch Menu
|
Summer 2012 Early Booking Special
Guest Ranch Packages
June--September 1
If you are looking for a summer vacation deal, here it is! The Vee Bar is offering an early booking discount of 25% off your summer guest ranch vacation package. As a little added incentive, making your reservations early will get you a free Saturday night stay to use as the first or last night of your stay. This discount will be available to first-time guests as well as our guests who have visited us year after year. This early reservation will also guarantee you receive the best rate for the week that you book. In other words, you'll make a reservation for 25% off right now, but if later in the season we decide to discount the week your reservation is for, you'll automatically receive the steeper discount. It's a win, win! So, what's due now? Just $100 to secure your place and it is fully refundable if you decide you can not make it. The dates are flexible so we'll put your name down to make sure you have space during a week you think you can come. February 1st is when you will need to pay the rest of your 30% deposit, and our regular 60-day cancellation policy will be in effect at that time. Deadline to receive this discount: February 1, 2012. Call our office 1-800-483-3227.
Regular all-inclusive price per adult: $1600
Discounted price per adult : $1200
Savings per person: about $400
If you think this is a vacation your family will never be able to afford, think twice. Horseback riding, guided hiking, fly-fishing (and lessons), evening entertainment, three meals per day, lodging, and an experience of a lifetime are all yours! The very special thing about visiting a guest ranch is the hardest to put into words. It is the connection to nature, the wholesomeness, and the closeness between families that make a week on a guest ranch special. Here at the Vee Bar, guests establish relationships between our staff and family that last a lifetime. While visiting the Vee Bar, families are able to reconnect with each other, free of technology and other social demands. Kids of all ages make friends and play in the great outdoors, something that not all of them have the opportunity to do on a regular basis, especially in a safe environment. They get to use their creativity, build forts, and bond with one large animal that will become their best friend: their horse. And, speaking of horses, let's not forget our four-legged friends who provide hours upon hours of service for our guests to see miles and miles of wide open spaces. Talk about freedom! And then there are the thrills and excitement of being on horseback. For most of our guests, it's the first time (or maybe the 10th time!) they have ridden a horse. At the Vee Bar, it's a whole new experience because you do not have to ride nose to tail--that means you actually get to control and maneuver your horse--and we offer faster loping rides. You can push your limits if you wish, or if sightseeing is more your thing, there is no better way to do it than from horseback. There is no better time than the present to take a vacation that the whole family is sure to enjoy. If the abundance of activities aren't enough, then just think of the most fullfilling experience you have ever had as a family and multiply it by ten! That's what you'll find here. Parents leave saying this was the best vacation they have ever taken--"even better than Disney World," and kids leave with tears streaming down their cheeks wishing their new friends (human and four-legged) a good year, until they see them next time. We've seen it hundreds of times, and through many, many tearful goodbyes, we wait until the next summer comes to experience it with your family all over again! |
|
New for summer 2012. . .
Stay tuned for changes to the summer 2012 program.
 There are several changes that will take place in our summer 2012 guest ranch schedule. There will be new events, riding, and activities incorporated into the new schedule. We are also trying to create a schedule that will be more flexible for those guests who would like to arrive on days other than Sunday or Wednesdays, which is currently what our schedule accommodates. We are incorporating more rides on the Deerwood ranch, and a tour of the old fox farm. We are now offering a rate for non-riders, enhancing the kids program, and expanding our hiking and fishing programs. Like we said, stay tuned for the details. Have suggestions? Just shoot us an e-mail! |
|
Cole/Kilmer Family News
*If you are unfamiliar with the Cole Family Tree, reference the article to the left*
Lefty and Carla continue to enjoy "retirement," if there is such a thing. The largest project for Lefty this spring/summer/fall is re-graveling the main road into the Deerwood ranch. As is the Cole-Family's style, the "do-it-yourself" theory applies. So, he got permission for a small, non-commercial gravel pit on the Deerwood Ranch and he's doing all the excavation and hauling with the help of Kelly and Rich. Kelly's family is doing well. Lisa and Kelly have been a huge help to Kari and Brent, lending their services where ever needed. Lisa gets to babysit Bailey one or two days per week. She also juggles all the bookwork for the Vee Bar, Deerwood Log Homes, and the Country Junction. Kelly has stayed busy with the log home business, helping with projects at the Vee Bar, and even managed to squeeze in a summer fishing/camping trip to the Bighorns of Wyoming. Kari and Brent are enjoying their house on the river (the Meadow House), which they moved into in October 2010. This past September they traveled to Belinda's wedding on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Kari and Brent plan to attend the annual DRA Convention in Cody, Wyoming in January. Bailey will turn one on December 7, so the year has been full of wonderful memories and milestones. Meagan loves her job in Twin Falls, ID as a speech pathologist. She works in a hospital and has made some real achievements for no longer than she's been out of grad-school. CJ is working for Kelly this winter. He will be going to Physical Therapy Graduate School next fall. Tucker is enjoying his senior high school year. He just completed his tennis season, where he and his partner were conference champions! On the Wilson side of the family, Mollee married Ben Gilgen in August. The wedding was beautiful at the Deerwood Ranch. She is a nurse at the Laramie Care Center in Laramie. Coleton is working at Wyoming Technical Institute in Laramie. Schad is also enjoying his senior year of high-school. He played football this fall and is looking forward to wrestling season to be underway. Rich and Jana are also doing well. Rich is the director of the Laramie Legion Baseball Team. As one could imagine, they spent most of the summer getting the Deerwood ready for a wedding, and also haying.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
