My husband and I and our two kids stayed at Rockin' TJ Ranch for 3 weeks in July 2014, and it goes down as one of the greatest family vacations we've ever had...in large part due to our stay at Rockin TJ Ranch. I asked my 14-year old son what he would give as a rating from 1 to 5. He said "absolutely a 5." Here were his reasons: "Hot tub, really comfortable beds, gorgeous property, nice people, great fields for outdoor games - frisbee, baseball, horseshoes, fishing, bonfires - and a great basketball court."
We absolutely loved our stay. The house was comfortable, and the grounds are what make this venue absolutely wonderful. Teresa and her crew - who are so friendly and helpful - take meticulous care of the grounds. The lawns are sprawling and gorgeous. The stream that runs through the entire property is so beautiful and inviting. We fished from the bridge, and even caught a couple throw-backs. My daughter enjoyed the hammock, and we took walks almost very day. I worked out many mornings by the creek, while my husband found a jogging route he loved.
One night, when we wanted to make a bonfire down by the river, I told Teresa earlier that day, and she had the fire ready for us that evening, came down and met us to light it, and made sure we had everything we needed. We made s'mores and listened to music while the kids played in the creek. It was the ultimate vacation experience.
Down the driveway from the house, there is a gorgeous barn Teresa uses to host her events, such as wedding and university gatherings. She would always give us a head's up when they were happening - this was never a problem for us. The house is a good distance from the barn, there are trees and landscaping physically separating the two, and while the people in the wedding parties would come up to the adjoining structure next to the house (I think this is where the dressing room is) and the house was between event parking and the barn, it never bothered us in the least. And the events only lasted a few hours, then we had it all to ourselves again. Multiple times, Teresa offered leftovers from events she'd catered on-site. One day I came in from being out and saw a gorgeous flower centerpiece on the table she'd brought us to enjoy.
We had our motorcycle and UTV with us and drove them around the property and surrounding dirt roads multiple times. She was totally cool with whatever we wanted to do, and was very accommodating throughout our stay. We did have trouble with the dishwasher, and she came right in and offered a solution. We had trouble with the wifi, but I found I had trouble in various spots around Bozeman, probably due to the valley location of the city. I run my own business and required constant wifi to stay connected, attend virtual meetings, etc, and I only had one day out of 3 weeks where I had to go into town to get a signal. Again, I think it's just the valley and mountains that make coverage sub-optimal on certain days than others.
I asked my husband what rating he would give and he said 4.5. The main reason for his half-a-point-rating below a perfect 5.0 was the dishwasher and the dated outdoor furniture. But anytime we had a problem, Teresa - the owner - was on it! She cares greatly for her renters and quickly attends to any issues. He also loved the proximity - secluded, beautiful ranch surrounded by mountain views, and yet 10 minutes to Bozeman and surrounding sites.
We hope - and would absolutely love - to go back one day, in the summer again, or maybe try it in the winter. Me, my husband, my 19-year old daughter, and my 14-year old son would strongly recommend Rockin TJ Ranch to any other family or group who wants to enjoy all Bozeman has to offer in an idyllic mountain+creek setting with hard-working, nice people who care greatly for the experience their guests have at their home. Thank you, Teresa and crew!