Just returned from a fantastic and energizing long weekend with 16 girlfriends. Paws Up is a place where you can relax and pace yourself or max out on experiences. Highlights included 1) bucket list ticking cattle drive; 2) the adrenaline rush and camaraderie that comes with rappelling down a rock face 16 stories high - facilitated by our lovely guide Amanda 3) rekindling a teenage love affair with horses; and 4) an acoustic performance by Crystal Bowersox in the intimate Tank bar. The gorgeous property and buildings provide endless “eye candy” and material for hobby photographers. And there is a delightful charm to the way both gourmet food and comfort food is presented. Personal favs were fresh pressed apple juice in mason jars, decadent grilled cheese with grill marks and the chocolate chip cookies available from the moment we stepped onto the shuttle. There was lots of opportunity to bond with the travel group but also to socialize with other guests, visiting chefs and the wonderful staff. It was sad to leave but the memories are amazing.

We arrived at Paws Up after a week in Glacier National Park. We had only scheduled a couple of nights here. I think it probably takes a couple of days to get used to how it all works because we probably got comfortable with everything as we were leaving. The property is absolutely breathtaking and quite expansive. We had our own car but if you don’t they will escort you around to wherever you need to be. We were given a beautiful tent in Cliffside Camp. This is back away from the main road and on the water. We were promptly greeted at the camp by the camp butler for a tour of our tent and the camp itself. The tent was amazing - glamping at its best. These tents are spacious and beautiful. The bed was so comfy. We were there at the end of September and the nights were cold. There is radiant heat in the bathroom and when you returned from dinner turn down service heated up the blankets so it was warm and cozy for sleeping.

We ended up having dinners in the camp each night because the food was excellent and we loved being outside. They do a wonderful job with the meals and the ambience. The fire was roaring in the fireplace every night, there were heaters if you needed them and also blankets all around if you got chilly. We did have a buffet lunch one day in the main area and that was an excellent experience as well.

We did two excursions while we were here and both were amazing:
We did the cattle drive one morning which exceeded our expectations. We were actually allowed a lot more freedom than we expected. This wasn’t strict trail guided riding. We actually were allowed to work with the cattle and do some herding practice work. It was a lot of fun and really a wonderful experience. We even saw some coyote while we were out. Our guides were fantastic.
We did the river raft excursion with Stephanie as our guide. I can’t say enough about our driver or Stephanie. She was amazing and did a beautiful job of navigating some lower water. We also had told her that the last animal that we were really dying to see was the bald eagle and she found us one in a spot she frequented. She as friendly and knowledgeable and incredibly attentive. The experience we had with her was exactly why you come to a high end resort like Paws Up!

Feedback:
- There is no indicator of where to actually go to check in when you arrive if you are coming from the east. The property is very spread out and we had a difficult time trying to figure out where to actually go to check in.
- The individual sitting at the excursion desk the first day of our visit was not very friendly or welcoming. We were just trying to figure out what the process was to check in and she was not very helpful but everyone else at Paws Up was amazing.
- Coffee was hit or miss across the property

I wished we had more time here because it takes a while to get accustomed to how it all works but this definitely exceeded our expectations. Between the property itself and the experiences it is well worth the visit. It is very expensive so be prepared for that but it is a luxurious experience.