Welcome to Cloud 9 Ranch - My intial visit

Welcome to the Cloud 9 Ranch Club Blog. I have been asked to participate in this new communication process and feel lucky to do so. I hope that my contribution will be a positive one for not only fellow members, but future members of Cloud 9 Ranch Club.

A little bit about me: I am in my late 40’s; I have a partner of the past six years, Steve. We have a home outside of St. James, Missouri and are the proud owners of two dogs, Aeryn a five year old German Sheppard and Cali a one year old pound dog. When you come to the ranch you could possibly see me riding around the ranch on my ATV with Aeryn as a passenger or you can for sure see me walking these two anytime day and night.

I am an Administrator/Risk Manager for Emergency Physicians in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Central Kansas and West Central Missouri. Steve is a transport driver for MFA Oil. We both work hard and play hard.

Our introduction to Cloud 9 Ranch happened on a Saturday Afternoon in the K-Mart parking lot in Rolla, Missouri. Byerly RV’s were showing some of their campers and who in their right mind can’t help to stop and look what new has come out in campers. We were looking at a toy hauler, not that we needed one because we bought one a year before. Anyway, Steve struck up a conversation with this couple regarding camping and riding and the Bennett’s started telling us about Cloud 9 Ranch Club. The Bennett’s had been members for several years and they had nothing but positive things to say about. After leaving the parking lot Steve and I discussed how one day we would need to go check it out.

That evening I got on line and looked at their web site and knew that we were going to be taking a road trip!!! On Sunday morning, I called Cloud 9 Ranch Club and made an appointment for the following weekend. WE WERE GOING CAMPING AND RIDING!!!

The drive down to West Plains brought back many childhood memories. I grew up on the lakes that surround the area around Cloud 9 Ranch. This drive was like coming home!!! Now of course I had Goggled the route to Cloud 9 Ranch and so there was a detour that we took on some country gravel roads, low water bridges and rather narrow roads. This drive was at night and pulling a 28 Foot Winners Circle trailer loaded. If anybody knows Winners Circle travel trailers, they sit very low, so we were dragging the bumper often. Cloud 9 is right on 160 west of Caulfield, Missouri, I don’t know where Goggle was going to be taking us!!!

After the detour, we pulled into CLOUD 9 RANCH at 10pm. We didn’t know where to park or anything, but not to worry Ranger Bill Phillips was on duty and he was there to help us get parked. The next morning we went up to the restaurant for breakfast and then we met our tour guide. The guide, I don’t remember her name, was excellent, after two hours of driving around both Steve and I were ready to hit the trails and that is what we did!!!

Starting out on our ATV’s, Steve and I realized that this was a massive piece of property and with many trail systems and we didn’t have a clue where to start. Our problem was quickly solved, Steve stopped a couple and asked them “Where can we find mud?” The Baldwin’s not only told us how to get to mud, but decided to take us. They took us to a Dave’s mud hole and spa and then took us over to the waterfall. We returned to our camper and got picnic supplies and they took us up to Lonnie’s Lookout for a picnic lunch with a view and then back to the trails. After a long day of riding, the four of us returned to Lonesome Pines and showered and we followed the Baldwin’s to Caulfield to the Three Legged Mule for pizza, beer and lots of laughter. We made our first friends at Cloud 9 Ranch Club and we were not even members yet!!!

The next morning, Steve and I were back up at the Restaurant for breakfast and then to the Trading Post for our Cloud 9 Sweatshirts and off on the trails we went. When we finally packed up the camper and left, we both knew that we would be back to Cloud 9 Ranch, we found that special place.

This was May 22, 2007 and we became official members/owners of Cloud 9 Ranch Club on May 25, 2007. Who could not? Where else can you camp, ride ATV’s and have picnics with a view?? Besides the Three Legged Mule is a must stop for eats!!! Next on the agenda, a new camper must be bought because we had big plans on visitng Cloud 9 often!!!

Steve and I are weekenders/vacationers. We will have spent more than 40 days on the ranch in 2008. We are proud members of Cloud 9 Ranch Club and we are more than happy to get this opportunity to share our experiences at “the ranch” and the people that we have met along the way.

The Baldwin’s are weekenders, as they are from West Plain and have been known to be at the ranch on any given day or whenever we call.

The Bennett’s are part-timers; they are at the ranch for four to five months out of the year.

Feel free to join in on our Blog and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask…

Mag Greig
Member #3223