A Ranch in Manhattan

Yes, we are still in Kansas.  Our friend, Rod Moyer, invited us to stay on the Moyer Ranch in route to Illinois.  It is located in the majestic rolling Flint Hills of Kansas.  The Flint Hills is the last great expanse of natural tall grass prairie.   

The Moyer Ranch is truly a beautiful ranch that represents years of hard work to build.  Rod has a ranch foreman who was on his way to Durango, Colorado for a cowboy poetry reading because he and the ranch hands had just finished with the hay.

Rod gave us a short tour because you couldn't cover the whole ranch in one day.

Rod built this lake (only a portion in the photo) in a gully.  You can see a automatic feeding system in the lake that makes it good fishing.  There are three other lakes on the ranch.

This is a working cattle ranch and I don't know a 'prettier' sight than these cattle in the green fields.  The ranch hands work the cattle on 4 wheelers on occasion but most of the time on horses.

The rolling hills and wooded areas were stunning beauty that you cannot capture in a photo.

Rod has made some changes to the original ranch house and built the guest house where we stayed. I don't know how I missed a shot of the bunk house. I have never seen a bunk house decorated like this one, delightful and western.  Rod entertains a lot, and recently had a women's riding club out on the ranch to ride the magnificent terrain. The bunk house which sleeps 8, ranch house and guest house were full with cowgirls.

I wish this photo of the fence was closer, all hand made with iron and set in cement post.

This is the most charming ranch house that dates back to 1885, built with local stone from the Flint Hills.  The interior is so gorgeous that it should be featured in Architectural Digest. That is a big Jacuzzi on the deck.  You can see a corner of the wonderful big white barn where Rod is building a party room in the loft.

We arrived the same day the ranch hands finished harvesting the hay, grown on the ranch for the Moyer Ranch cattle.

The Moyer Ranch has high tech machinery that allows the ranch hands to work the cattle efficiently and fast.  Anyone that has work cattle the old way can appreciate this.

Hay is staged at different locations on the ranch.

After a day of driving and museum time, Phil found his reading corner in the stunning living room.

Rod is a hard working rancher and a great chef, Kansas steaks on the green egg grill.

Our host, the cowboy chef, was camera shy.  He prepared a
delicious dinner with apple pie that he made.

We had a wonderful time and felt privileged to have the ranch experience and stay in such a beautiful place with a delicious home cooked meal.  We will see Rod in Mexico in November and hope to return his generous hospitality.