blog @ laughing horse lodge » Traveling with pets

Dust off that Fly Rod! Spring is almost here…sort of!

Chef Kathleen — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:06:13 +0000

Ahh…the smell of spring is in the air! Well, not quite yet, but it isn’t too early to dust off your fishing rod and make your “Winter Is Over!” plans for visiting Swan Lake and the Horse. Our popular Spring Fisherman’s Getaway is back! Join us between May 20th and June 29th for our all-inclusive package for two: 2 night’s lodging with dinner and breakfast, and complimentary bottle of wine upon arrival…for only $259! And don’t forget to bring the pup – non-smoking dogs welcome!

[When making your secure on-line reservations, please write 'Spring Specia'l in the Notes. You will receive a price-adjusted confirmation by email within 48 hours.]

This Christmas, We’re Going to the Dogs!

Chef Kathleen — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:42:51 +0000

What’s a snowy white Christmas without a leisurely ride with your very own team of ardent sled dogs? Not quite perfect! And here at the Horse, we are all about providing a picture postcard perfect Christmas for you complete with wonderful food, cozy rooms and your very own sled dog experience. Join us December 25th for one of Chef Kate’s memorable Christmas Suppers featuring roasted organic goose, sugar-cured ham and all of the traditional trimmings, then settle into your warm and cozy room for an exceptional night’s rest. In the morning, you’ll be greeted with a hot cup of Montana Coffeee Traders French Roast and a delicious breakfast … and then the real fun begins! You’ll meet the snow-loving pups of Base Camp Bigfork for a leisurely ride through a winter wonderland, or if you’re up for some real adventure, you can learn to mush your own team! This special package for $269 is limited to seven couples only (your pup is welcome too). To secure your Christmas Sled Dog Adventure, call 406-886-2080 today.

Not willing ‘to go to the dogs’? Please join us for Christmas Supper. $35 per person, one seating only at 5pm, December 25, call 406-886-2080 to make your secured reservations.

Fat Trout Force the Horse to Change Dining Room Hours

Chef Kathleen — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:26:27 +0000

It’s fall…arriving a bit early this year, but this is Montana and the weather is fickle as a teenager’s heart. But with the cooling weather comes one of the best times of the year in the Rockies…crisp days, clear nights, the aroma of wood fires floating on the evening air, and, most important, fat and sassy trout!

One such trout – a particularly rotund specimen of approximately 20 inches – has forced me to alter my dining room schedule for the fall allowing me one more evening to try to land ‘her holiness’. There are many great reasons to live in Montana, fall trout fishing is one of the best…and spending a stolen evening on the river with a 5 wt in my hand beats standing over a hot stove, even if I’m cooking up some special fare for great friends and visitors. So please forgive me, but I’ve changed my dining room hours to Thursday – Sunday, 5pm – 9pm for dinner and Sunday Brunch, 9am – 2pm…on the flip side, I have extended my season through the holidays.

The lodge dining room is available Monday – Wednesday for private dinners and events for 12 to 56 persons. So if you are planning a holiday party, special family get-together or just a night with good friends, include the Horse in your plans. We’d love to host your event here or help you give a stellar performance in your home.

So here’s to a great fall, brilliant fishing and a delicious dinner at the Horse..see you soon. Kathleen

Al Fresco Dining in the Horse’s Spectacular Garden!

Chef Kathleen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:08:08 +0000

The Garden is open for your sipping pleasure!

And what a garden it is this year…so leave your daily stress at the door

and enjoy a delicious glass of wine and an al fresco meal while you bask in

the golden silence of a lovely Swan Lake evening.

To celebrate the arrival (finally!) of summer, this weekend we’re presenting a refreshing Mediterranean Antipasti Plate for two

with two glasses of Gain Bay Cabernet (a Stag’s Leap appellation) for $25. You’ll enjoy freshly char grilled and marinated

vegetables bursting with the flavors of Sardinia, an assortment of Greek olives, hard Italian meats, and yeasty French artisan

bread with rosemary olive oil perfect for dipping.

Reservations: 406-886-2080

PS. Thanks to our many swallows and brown bats, the garden is mostly mosquito-free!

A Heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to Old and New Friends from the Horse on Finishing Our 10th Year

Chef Kathleen — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:22:29 +0000

As the snow begins to sugar the mountain tops here in Swan Lake, I begin the task of closing the Horse for the long winter. First the gardens, so lush and beautiful this year, are cut back and a few tears fall as the last of those glorious hollyhocks are stuffed into the mulch bag – their seed pods carefully saved for gorilla gardening around the neighborhood. Those monstrous hanging baskets of sunrise pink petunias are delivered back to the nursery and the drip systems are drained. The herb garden – so prolific this summer – gives up the last sprigs of lovage, savory and tarragon to flavor the fall stew bubbling on the back burner.

The highway is quiet, the lake even more so. No jet skis, boats or swimmers – just flocks of migrants heading south stopping in for a quick bite and respite. This is my favorite time of year – full of gold light and the smell of winter on the air. The few visitors coming through the door are a hardy breed seeking stillness and ready for any weather Nature may send their way.

It has been an amazing season thanks to the many returning guests who over the years have become good friends. And so many new faces that portend an even rosier future for the Horse. It has been 10 years since the doors opened and what a wonderful ride it has been…fascinating visitors and guests, exciting stories of traveling adventures, quiet moments on sunset contemplations and the absolutely wonderful gratification of knowing that my staff and I have contributed in some small way to making special memories for you and your families.

Although the lodge will be closed November 1 thru April 30, we won’t be idle…upgrades and improvements will take place over the winter to make your 2010 stay even more comfortable. On behalf of Nikki, Cooper, Sampson and Juliet – thank you – for the hikes, the cookies and the new vocabulary (Sampson has incorporated a distinct New Jersey accent and now knows the main theme to Encounters of the Third Kind!)

For all our new and old friends – have a safe and exceptional winter. We’ll be looking forward to welcoming you back to the Horse next year. Kathleen

We’re Toasting the Bigfork Summer Playhouse 50th Reunion All Summer Long

Chef Kathleen — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:42:42 +0000

Bring your evening’s playhouse tickets to Laughing Horse Lodge Wednesday – Sunday this summer, and you’ll receive a complimentary glass of draft microbrew or wine. Located just 16 miles from Bigfork, the highly-reviewed Horse opens at 5pm so that you may enjoy a leisurely dinner and be back in the village in time for the first curtain.

To make reservations, call 406-886-2080.

“Marley and Me” Autumn Escape in Glacier Country

Chef Kathleen — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:13:23 +0000

As the lengthening rays of the autumn sun caress the unspoiled mountain sides clothed in aspen and tamarack, Montana bursts into glorious color and slips quietly into the most relaxing season of the year – fall.

The isolated Swan River Valley in Northwest Montana beckons languidly, promising both kayakers and fishermen long lazy floats of unimaginable solitude and feisty, summer-fat trout on the line.

Ranked #1 on TripAdvisor.com, Laughing Horse Lodge offers a Marley & Me Escape to the unhurried splendor of Swan Lake, Montana. You and your pup will enjoy a bottle of wine with cookies; 3 nights lodging for two with breakfast and cookies; dinner each evening with cookies; complimentary kayaks or Hawaiian boards on Swan Lake; and all the peace you can handle – with cookies, of course. Package: $469. Available September 1 – November 1.

Flying Ears!