Vacation destination: Devil's Thumb Ranch

I love Devil's Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colorado.

But then, I'm biased, because that's where my wedding was in October 2008.

(Photo by Paige Elizabeth)

We were lucky that the day we picked was sunny and warm.

(Photo by Paige Elizabeth)

It easily could have looked like this:

But you know, that wouldn't have been the worst thing. There are endless cozy spaces in the lodge, in both the private rooms and public spaces. When you walk into the front door, you're greeted with this:

A roaring fire is just what you want to see when you're returning from a brisk jaunt on the snowshoes or cross country skis.

Here's one of the many public spaces. If there's ever a place where rustic decor is not over the top, this is it. Look at those leather couches! I wish you could see the view out the window. The whole lodge is surrounded by mountains, beautiful in all seasons. You can tell this picture was taken on a cold day ... see the snow piled up on the window ledge?

Here's a glimpse of one of the lodge rooms:

Devil's Thumb Ranch has rooms inside the main lodge, and it also has cabins on the property.

Here's another picture of a shared space in the main lodge:

So many times, "Western" decor is done terribly wrong. Bears on the lamps, cowboy statues, and Navajo-print couches. Devil's Thumb is Western-themed in a good way though. It's not subtle, but it shouldn't be - it's a ranch! But, it is authentic and doesn't feel forced. I think it's perfect. (Did I mention I'm biased?)

Here's one of the guestroom bathrooms. The bathtub is just right for the space. Actually, all of the fixtures are, from the stone floor in the shower stall:

... to the faucet and the sink:

The guestrooms themselves are all a little different. This one happens to have wood-paneled walls, but not all of them do.

For our wedding, we hung a branch wreath on one of the outside doors. I had a lot of black and white accents, and this was one of our ways of tying it in (umm, no pun intended) to the existing decor.

(Photo by Paige Elizabeth)

Oh, look. I just happen to have a photo or two of the aforementioned rustic black and white accents. They were in the table centerpieces, and on the ribbons around the napkins.

(Photo by Paige Elizabeth)

And also on the menus that were placed at each table setting:

(Photo by Paige Elizabeth)

We're in Colorado now, and will be heading to Devil's Thumb Ranch this week. It's snowing as I type this, and I'm already dreaming of hot chocolate by the fire.

December in a Colorado mountain lodge is my idea of the perfect winter retreat. What's yours?