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150 BAL HARBOUR more local. Naturally, everything is made from scratch, whether it's smoked lamb chops with mint pistou, pizzas, cucumber gazpacho or a whole grilled Rocky Mountain trout, and with such an expansive amount of land, dining venues vary from a deck to a mountaintop picnic to a Chuckwagon accompanied by live bluegrass. To go with the vibrant dishes, the ranch pours wines from an always expanding cellar focused on lesser-known, small- production but high-scoring wine—think 93 to 100 points. As tempting as it may be, devotees don't come to Brush Creek only to eat, however. The panoply of activities offers excitement for all ages and interests, and are organized in a bespoke manner to fit each guest's desires. Trail rides on horseback are offered in four levels, and there's also the opportunity to accompany wranglers on a real cattle drive, or take a lesson in barrel racing or pole bending. (Young ones aged four to eight can participate in Lil' Wranglers Camp.) Also on offer: fly fishing, rock climbing, sporting clays, pistol and rifle shooting, mountain biking, hikes in the million-acre-plus Medicine Bow National Forest, ATV-ing, yoga, paintball, wing shooting and lawn games (there's also off-ranch 18-hole golf). Nighttime offers no shortage of excitement either. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres always preclude feasts, and afterward the saloon is a hot spot only second to the great outdoors—that wide, bright sky filled with twinkling stars, best accompanied by s'mores. Set on 30,000 acres of the Platte River Valley, the pristine landscape is rugged, bucolic and diverse, with magical light emanating from the vast open sky. The resort offers a lengthy roster of all- inclusive activities, including cattle drives, trail rides and a new ropes course.