My (Vegan) Retreat: Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch

That’s right. A vegan on a guest ranch. Should I be boycotting this place? They do in fact raise and sell beef, after all. Well, I decided not to be hostile—I just don’t see the point. I did however (I’m pretty sure) convert one fellow writer in our group to go veg–she was quite intrigued and decided to give it the ol’ college try. BUT. . .if you are going to eat meat, Sylvan Dale‘s beef is raised with no hormones, antibiotics, and free range. The ranch has also been as “green” as possible since 1946 and was awarded the 2008 Environmental Business Award and the 2008 Conservationist of the Year. They are also certified with the Green Hotel Association and the GenGreenLife.

This is the 3rd year that the Northern Colorado Writers Association has done this retreat, but this was the first time I’ve attended it. There were 13 of us this year—every spot was filled. It was about getting away from the daily grind of motherhood, wifehood, laundry, cooking, dog-walking, etc. and focus on those other aspects of my life. Writing (and relaxing). It was a much-needed trip and we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. The Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch sits along the Big Thompson River and is located just west of Loveland, Colorado, not too far from Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. The staff seemed genuinely welcoming and kind; willing to go above and beyond. The weather stayed in the upper 70s, not a cloud in the sky and was ideal for grabbing a chair in the yard:

Lounging on the deck:

Or parking it on a rock:

I partook in each one of these. It is the perfect place to get work done and enjoy the scenery at the same time. With quiet hours enforced, we had no excuse but to get to it and write. For a little inspiration, we had some very clever and fascinating “river art” to ponder:

We arrived at 3:00 on Friday and had a little while to get settled, meet up with the rest of the group and compile all the snacks we all brought to put in the kitchen. I brought almonds, pretzels, and some granola bars. We were lodged in the Bunkhouse, a 2-story building with 13 rooms, a gathering area with a fireplace and a small kitchen, but a loft area and covered deck.

I loved my quaint room where I could hear the river rushing by:

The bed, ultimately turned into my work space:

Even though there was a perfectly nice desk in the room:

I have to spread out. Lots of papers, research, snacks, music, cords, etc. Need room. When I write fiction, I don’t nearly need the space, but my current project is a nonfiction endeavor that requires me to sprawl out. Or maybe I’m just messy.

Of course, as writers, we’re told how important it is to read, read, read and even though I wanted to finished this book before I left, I ran out of time. It was a total page turner and I didn’t want to wait until I got home to finish it. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens—it’s actually an advanced reader copy I picked up for free at a book sale and I loved it—very impressive for a debut novel. In fact, I just found out it’s on the NY Times Bestseller’s List and a movie may be in the works.

Once that was out of way . . . it was on to dinner!! A few weeks prior to the retreat the director of the NCW talked to the kitchen staff about my dietary needs–I was sure I’d be bringing up all of my own food, so I was thrilled when they said everything would be taken care of. It was buffet style where I grabbed some wild rice, steamed broccoli (which was done to perfection), salad and as a main dish, the chef prepared for me a marinaded, baked,  portobello mushroom with tomatoes.

It was delicious! For dessert, they brought a little bowl of strawberries and blueberries–nice finish to a great meal:

That night, we had a rip-roaring game of Bananagrams. Have you played this game? I hadn’t until that night and I think I shocked my fellow writers with how fiercely competitive I am when it comes to games. I’ve never been athletically-inclined, so my competitiveness has to be channeled somehow . . .

And btw, Patricia Stoltey (who is also in my writers group, The Raintree Writers), attended the retreat—checkout her books Prairie Grass Murders and The Desert Hedge Murders. Be sure to visit her website.

Breakfast was again a buffet style where there they offered cereal (with soy milk), fruit, toast, and then brought out eggs, sausage (blech) and hashbrowns. I had a filling breakfast of peanut butter toast, fruit and a huge pile of hashbrowns—everything was yummy. (Sorry, no pic–but I’m sure you can picture it)!

All of Saturday was a writing day. 9:00am-5:00pm. We lucked out with weather, so finding a quite spot along the river, under a tree, or on the sunny deck, was ideal.  The ranch had just gotten wireless internet, so I wanted to avoid my room as much as possible so I wouldn’t be tempted to goof off. I parked it here for a few hours:

Since we had a kitchen in the area we were staying, lunches consisted of sandwich stuff, so I brought up some St. Ives ham, Tofutti cheese slices, and some Vegenaise. There was hot veggie soup brewing so I filled up a bowl, made a lovely vegan sandwich and added a few chips on the side. Then it was back to writing. If we saw another retreat member diligently typing away, we could only whisper—if we even talked at all. It was almost eerie how quiet it was, but then again, that’s what a writer’s retreat is all about. Once we met up for dinner and quiet hours were over, I think we were all ready to talk and not shut up. It felt good.

Dinner was amazing. The chef prepared for me, a risotto-stuffed green bell pepper with roasted red peppers. It was insanely good—so good, I’m determined to duplicate it at home. I’m pretty sure the others at the table were jealous–I saw them eying it.

Using risotto was brilliant since it gave it a creamy, cheesy consistency and taste–loved it! I told the kitchen staff that it should be on the regular menu. The next morning I went with the peanut butter toast, fruit, and cereal with soy milk. It was great. So, see?  It can be done–a vegan can survive on a dude ranch, in fact, I’m pretty sure I ate better than anyone! (Or at least I like to think so).

 

Overall, it was a fabulous retreat and only 30 minutes from home. I got lots of work done and met people from the association that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise met . . .and let’s not forget I got someone to go veg! Just having a chance to recharge and focus on a project was exactly what I needed, plus, I now have a culinary quest: stuffed bell peppers.