The Montana Log Cabin Dinner Experience You Need A Sleigh To Get To

For those who can't wait to listen to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," who find themselves scheduling their social life around the Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas," there are towns across America devoted to giving you (OK, us) the Christmas movie experience of our dreams. Whether you envision the old-world charm of a Norman Rockwell-esque New England holiday with ice skating on a frozen pond and plates of Christmas cookies in the warming hut, or a snowy Bavarian village-styled one with horse-drawn carriages and brandy by a roaring fire, there is something for everyone.

While each town puts its spin on Christmas, influenced by the cultural traditions left by immigrants that settled there generations ago, the parts of the country that naturally look like snow globes in December make a picture-perfect destination for merry-making. Add to that the effects of the pandemic and the popularity of shows like "Yellowstone," and more people than ever are heading to cities in the Midwest for some good old-fashioned living, per Outsider.

One-hundred-year-old Lone Mountain Ranch is one of these people's destinations. Located in Big Sky, Montana, the ranch appeals to weekend cowboys looking to slow things down, if just for a few days. Along with downhill and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and even dogsledding in the winter months, the ranch offers an unforgettable holiday experience that may become part of your family's new Christmas tradition.

Available December through March, Lone Mountain Ranch's sleigh ride dinner is a top choice for locals and visitors for a reason: Drawn by horses, guests begin their experience with a 30-minute open-air sleigh ride. Nestled under blankets under the clear Montana sky, guests are taken to an "oil-lantern-lit cabin" in the woods for an authentic cowboy dinner. Those familiar say the $150 experience is like "stepping back in time to a real Wild West winter wonderland" and a "bucket list" activity for the whole family.

Upon arriving at the 1900s log cabin, according to Food & Wine, guests are greeted by a wood-burning stove and a shot of moonshine, mulled wine, coffee, or hot chocolate. Outshining the ambiance, however, is the food guests have called "fantastic" and "the best meal in Big Sky," beginning with homemade caraway bread with fresh butter (giving butter boards a run for their money). While dining on a family-style menu of smoked turkey pot pie, prime rib, apple huckleberry cobbler with ice cream, and more, guests are entertained by the ranch's two "singer-storytellers," Bruce and Rick.