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Art, who was raised on a Nebraska ranch where his father was foreman, later served in the Navy in San Diego and had an uber successful career in finance. But his daughter Andrea Nicholas Perdue (yes, she married into a family perhaps best known for chickens) says ranching remains her father's passion. "What was most important to him was a life lived on the land, and continuing to carry on those values that he was raised with," she says on a phone call from her Los Angeles home. "So, when he thinks about legacy, happiness, and values, that ranching lifestyle is really what matters to him most." Art and Catherine now spend most of their time in Wyoming and recently put Willow Creek Ranch, their 77-acre property in Rancho Santa Fe, on the market for $100 million. (e Jason Barry Team and the Beverly Hills Estates have the listing.) Two years ago, Art, who is chairman of the board of Wagonhound Holdings, asked his daughter, who also has a background in finance, to take the reins as CEO. It was her idea to expand the hospitality side of the business, not only to diversify and add another revenue stream but to share the ranching experience with visitors. "I felt very passionate about sharing this opportunity to feel very connected to each other, very connected to the land on which we live, and to leave with a more peaceful state of mind," Perdue explains. She also wants to educate people about our food system "to help us make more conscious choices about how to feed ourselves and our families." e 8,000-square-foot Reid Creek Lodge has seven bedrooms, from suites to rooms with bunk beds, which can accommodate smaller groups up to 22 guests. Included in the stay are all meals and beverages, a staff of eight to ten personal chefs and guides, and a wide range of activities and excursions. Itineraries are tailored to individual guests and groups, whether multi-generational families, weddings, corporate events, or bachelor/bachelorette getaways. It was important to Perdue to take the stress out of planning a vacation. So, for three days, McElwain and team have been showing the ropes to a group of journalists including "horse play" in a state- of-the-art arena astride American Quarter Horses, for which the ranch is renowned. e rugged horses, known for their endurance, herd cattle but also win plenty of awards. Members of our group also explore the vast terrain on wide-ranging trail rides, in Ford Expeditions or ATVs, past fields of wildflowers including Indian paintbrush and purple lupine, and herds of Red Angus. Five thousand calves were born at the ranch this year alone, each weighing in at 60 to 90 pounds. ey grow very fast. Just a year later, the grass-fed cows tip the scales at nearly 900 pounds. All seem to be as curious about us as we are about them. We also test our skills (or lack thereof ) at sporting clays and target practice. Guests can also camp in canvas tents shaded by tall pines on the banks of Spring Creek or head to Windy Reservoir for boating, swimming, paddleboarding, and fishing for "cutmo" — cutthroat trout — so named because of the distinctive red color underneath the jaw. >> << @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2024 83