Seventy-Four Ranch B & B — Hotel in Talking Rock

We stayed here in the saddle room for 4 nights and had a great time. The saddle room has 4 bunk beds, a wood burning stove for heat and a table a 4 chairs to eat on or play games on. The ranch itself offers horse back riding, shooting, and a lasso demonstration for an extra fee. Fishing is also offered and that's free, if you have your own pole and bait. There is a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and a Charcoal grill for cooking. Free wifi. Breakfast is served every morning and was scrumptious everytime. At breakfast each morning the owners do a great job telling the true stories of history about the house, the logo 74 and the old west! The house itself has lots to look at and is like looking at a small old west museum. The animals are all beautiful with great personalities. The horse Bengal is beautiful and was alot of fun to be around. He has tons of personality. The owners are very relaxed, laid back good people. Pam was very attentive always asking how we were doing and if we needed anything. Then there was Manny.... Manny was a pleasure to be around! He is the ranches foreman and a great teacher with a nice sense of humor. He did great with our kids and was very good at roping! He taught us to lasso a "bull" and took us on the trail rides. My kids took to him right away and begged us to get his number when we were leaving. Our group had such a good time riding, roping, fishing, they all agree that we should go back. We also took a day trip to Hellen to see the German town there and I'm so glad we did. There are alot of neat shops along the way there, though spread out. If you visit it. Go early as during off season some shops close early. Now, things you should know about the ranch. This is Not a luxury bed and breakfast. It is meant to look and feel like the old west. Its like glorifed camping. It is dusty, but not dirty. Some spiderwebs in the saddle house. We had plenty of towels and bedding. You must like dogs to come here. Which we do, so not a prob with us. The owners are not going to be constantly within view because they live in a separate cabin on the property but if you need them you can get ahold of them easily. The saddle house does not have a microwave or mini fridge, though I believe the place upstairs does. However, she did allow me to put my cold stuff in a fridge in the storage shed. If you cook here it has to be on the grill. You can go into the main house and help yourself to coffee or tea whenever you like.This area is very rural. Though, there is a Krogers, and fast-food as well as a bbq and mexican resturants near the highway which is about 12 mins away. The activities do cost extra. Google maps did not take me here. It was way off. It took me to the hwy where you turn and right after that said I had arrived... It was another 10 mins down the road. I tried to update it on Google but I'm not sure if it worked. Bring your boots!! Over all it was a great experience and one we will not...

This is a unique adventure and experience with wonderful hospitality from your host, Pam, and equestrian experience with Marissa! We brought our 7, 9, and 11 year old daughters here for the night and they are already asking to go back! The girls stayed in the saddle house and we booked the porch cabin which is connected by a shared bathroom. The saddle house is exactly what it sounds like and is a bunk room with 2 sets of bunkbeds, table and chairs, and is the room where saddles are stored. The kids loved that they stayed in that room and were amazed when they opened the doors in the morning to find horses waiting for them to ride. Marissa was wonderful helping the girls groom the horses and taking our girls around the property. Pam prepared a delicious Sunday breakfast with waffles, berries and bananas, sausage, and orange juice. The property itself is beautiful with plenty of outdoor seating, rocking chairs, horses annd cows in the pasture, and an area to build a fire. At night, there are lights and lanterns providing a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. The porch house room was a rustic cabin that was very clean. It is closer to the highway so I would recommend using the white noise machine that is provided or turning a fan on to block any noise from the highway. The kids slept great in the saddle house with a fan on and didn’t hear any traffic or wildlife. The pricing was very reasonable and we had expectations that we were going to be in cabins, on a ranch, and in nature. What we loved was the 5 star experience and hospitality from Pam, the great communication, the history of the property, the focus on safety for the girls when they wanted to ride the horses, and the experience we gave our girls which was way more memorable than staying at another hotel. We recommend this for families, couples, or friends looking for something different...

While I would recommend this as a fun stay with friends - it's a delightful B&B with a rich history and the owner puts much care into her hospitality - I would strongly recommend against horseback riding unless you are a skilled rider. There is no instruction given, and there aren't any accommodations made to assist beginner-level riders. ||I hadn't been on a horse in some time and yet our guide discouraged me from wearing a helmet. Thankfully, I did not listen. I did fine and my horse did fine but late in our ride, our guide decided to rope a horse that was approaching our group and he did so without warning. By roping the horse, he spooked two of the horses we were riding on, which set them off in a gallop away from the group. I was completely unprepared for this and eventually fell off of my horse. Thankfully, I was ok. But the guide encouraged me to get back on my horse, which, either due to shock or embarrassment, I did try to get back on and because I am inexperienced, I did so improperly and my horse bucked and spun around until he could throw me off again. As a result, I tore my hamstring and am only just able to lightly jog again after months of rest and PT rehab. This felt like an accident that could have been prevented and I am just so grateful I wasn't trampled during the incident.||It took me a few months before I felt ready to share my experience because I was in disbelief that something so scary could happen on a girls' weekend away. But I recognize the importance in sharing my experience - I signed a release prior to riding and I really wish I had paid better attention to what was being offered and asked more questions ahead...