Cowboy Dinner Tree

This is probably going to be a long post because there are so many fun pictures to share from our dinner experience at the Cowboy Dinner Tree in Silver Lake, Oregon. Don't know where Silver Lake is? Neither did the GPS, but I'll get to that later. I really want to start by saying WHOO-WHEE is it HOT here! 90 degrees of sweltering dry heat in Southern Oregon! We have a portable air conditioner that is keeping it around 78 degrees in the living roon, thank goodness (or actually thank Steve and Sue for that gift last summer...)

Ok, the Cowboy Dinner Tree is a very rustic eatery off the Oregon Scenic Byway in Central Oregon. It is in Silver Lake which is a sliver on the map. You can't even find the address with your GPS! Darn technology! We were staying in Sunriver with Marilyn and Bob (Ryan's aunt and uncle), and Steve and Sue (aka Grandpa and Grandma), and it was supposed to be a "quick" hour and a half drive to this place. It took us 2 hours! Poor Kayleigh and Sierra, they did so good for being stuck so long! After countless jokes about getting lost and Ryan telling us all about his experience at this place, we finally got to the restaraunt. To call it a restaraunt is probably the biggest compliment. Don't get me wrong, they serve wonderful food and the service is great, but the atmosphere is more like a shack than a restaraunt. But that's the way they advertise it! "No credit cards, No power, No kidding" is the saying on their website and brochure. You have to call ahead for reservations because they serve either steak or chicken, no other choices. The steak is more like a COW and the chicken is just that; a WHOLE chicken. And, there is no splitting! The doggie bags you bring home were dubbed by someone in our group as more like a "cow" bad because no one in their right mind could eat much of the 26-30 ounce steak, I mean cow. And believe me, I barely made a dent in my chicken after being served baked bean soup, delicious yeast rolls, salad, and a baked potato. Yes, my diet was out the window for the night (actually the weekend;) To top it off, or to bust your gut, they end your meal with a down-home home-cooked dessert, pound cake topped with berries and REAL CREAM. It was all so yummy though! The picture above is from where we parked. This place, although in the middle of nowhere, gets tons of business! The place was packed when we got there, except for our table which they wonderfully held for us, and it was packed when we left!

Here is the eating buildin'. We sat in the very front right corner. That is Steve carrying in Kayleigh. This was in Central Oregon which, for those that don't know, is the High Dessert. Oregon terrain is very diverse and goes from beach to temperate rain forrest to high dessert. It is amazing! All the Ponderosa Pines smell wonderful! And check out that sage brush!

"BEEF, it's what's for dinner" is what the sign reads above the bar-b-q's and smokers. This is where they do the meat cookin'. Wish I'd gotten a picture of their inside "kitchen". The whole place made you wonder if any health inspectors have been there in awhile. I mean, it's pretty clean, but dang old!

This is the gift shop! They had some neat things in there, and some interesting things, and a few things that made you go "huh?" But overall, definitely country to the core! You "southerners" don't have nothin' on this type of "country".

Here is our server bringing us salad and things. That is Marilyn on the right and Bob on the left. Check out the decor! It was fun walking around and looking at the collection of memorabelia and other "things". We had a nice conversation about the tables, how you probably can't get a whole table of wood like that anymore.

Kayleigh hated me for not bringing her anything really good to eat. She mostly just threw stuff on the floor, and then Steve found a nice hole in the floor boards to poke it down with his foot. We did our share to feed the wildlife aka ants.

They were obviously rooting for the wrong team. I can't believe I actually ate the food after seeing this abomination! Just kidding, we love you Oregon Fans, even though we loathe you at times too :)

Marilyn and Bob!

Steve and his lemonade!

Ryan and me!!!

My chicken.

Steve's steak.

Sierra didn't really eat the dinner, but loved the baked bean soup stuff.

Sierra ropin and ridin!

"Ah, Mommy, HELP!" I cought me a Sierra!

Sierra's version of ropin the sheep.

Ryan trying it out. Thought he could get all fancy and figure it out, uh, not really. We love him for trying though! Look how preppy Ryan and I looked while eating out at the shack! What were we thinking? Definitely didn't blend in.

Our litte fam going on a ride, that went nowhere (no wheels and a wooden horse...)

The bus completely full of men that pulled up as we were leaving!

Sierra wanted a picture of herself, so I thought I'd share it too. When she got the sucker she insisted on getting one for Grandpa too. How sweet she is, no sugar needed!













Well, there you have our pictures and more than enough descriptions to go with them! We had such a wonderful weekend hanging out with family, going on walks, riding bikes... It went by so fast. Oh well, busy weekend up ahead too! Hope this post finds everyone else in good spirits. I want to give a shout-out to my cousin Shauni. She is graduating from High School this week and I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished so far in her life. 10 years ago I was lucky I graduated (long story), and here she is all with honors and such. *tear* Love you Shauni!