Fishing Forum

Ok this may be a long post



Several Months ago I recieved in the mail something from marlboro that appeared to be junk mail. I read through it and it said that I had been selected to take a trip to a ranch in MT and stay 4 day and participate in various activities.
first thought....... catch, timeshare seminar, real estate sales, something... anything.
I called the 800 number on it and they said there is NO CATCH no sales, nothing.
I signed my name to it and sent the RSVP back to them and waited for a few weeks and got more packages of papers to fill out with back ground checks and lists of activities to do.
finally 2 weeks before our scheduled departure date I recieved a FEDEX with our airline tickets, and luggage, ball caps, and a check for me and my companion (wife) for lost time at work $1500 each.
STILL skeptical we carried the checks until we called them and they again told us that the checks are ours to spend any way we seem fit and will no be needed on the trip at all.
we flew out of SLC last friday morning and met a few other people on the flight going to the same place (wearing the same ball caps) and they had the same story and still skeptical. LOL
we arrived at the Bozeman airport and the second we stepped off the plane the staff from the Crazy Mountain Ranch met us there and fed us collected our baggabe and bussed us to the ranch.
this is where the fun begins.
when we got to our room WOW.... first let me say they whole ranch is set up METICULOUSLY as an old abandoned ghost town... down to EVERY detail.
but in our room there was MORE gifts on the bed... clothing, VERY nice coats (returning home I priced the coats at $370) windbreakers outdoor activity pants, shirts, 2 brand new stetson hats, stationary vuarnet sunglasses,
the list goes on and on LOL
we had a meet and greet with the staff that evening and apetizers and dinner.
Happy hour begins at 5pm everyday, no drinking before then at all and there was always goodies out EVERYWHERE to eat.
apetizers were usually an hour before dinner, and the meals... UNBELIEVABLE... excellent cooking with live entertainment.
our list of activities included, off-roading (in 2006 H1 HUMMERS) a cattle drive, a trip to yellowstone, river rafting, hiking, biking, sporting clays, flyfishing.
there was always something to do with professional guides and instructors.
yes we got to drive the hummers LOL they are awesome.
every night when returning to the room we would find more free gifts in our room with the next days itinerary.
its insane on the treatment we got. I'm sure phillip morris can afford it but aside from the politics in that it was nice to get first class treatment.
we recieved massages every day, the staff there was very set on us having a good time and were great.
when we got back home I took inventory on all the free swag we got from them and looked up retail on everything I could find. it ended up being just over $2000 a peice for me and the wife on top of the checks we still have.
I'll throw some pics of the place on here for your enjoyment.
DZ
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Ok so ya got treated like a queen and king,, what are ya bitchin' bout? []

Way ta,,,,
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it ended way to soon LOL
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So the question still remains, "Why DID they do it?"?
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I hear that, lol..
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we all asked them that... and they said that it was all customer appreciation.
they send out tons of invites and most think of them as junk mail.
I'm sure its quite a write off for the company.
other companies do the same, when I was driving shuttle vans from the airport to the resorts we would often take tours up from various large companies.
DZ
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Wow, sounds like a fun trip and that place sure has the ghost town look going for it. You must have entered a contest to go there? How else could they have selected you to win. It sure is nice when something like that happens and its not one of those time share deals. Thanks for sharing but the big question I have is, how was the fishing?[]
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And to think I quit smoking... If i would have only kept smoking maybe I would have been able to go. Well I am off to buy a pack now lol...
Looks like you had a great trip I am so jealous. Glad you had a great trip
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several years ago we were in a bar with friends and some college students were earning some money taking surveys of smokers and giving away zippos so we took the survey and joined a mailiing list (all we got were coupons and this trip so its been worth it LOL)
the fishing was great.. barbless and C&R
the town was origionally smaller and built in the late 1800's by a family that expected some income by the railroad that never happend so it got abandoned and used for a cattle ranch.
it got purchased and owned by ulysses s grant for a few years and sold again. the present owner has added some building and updated the power an plumbing and leases it out to phillip morris as an "invitation only" guest ranch. they also are a cattle company which specializes in cariani cattle (mexican longhorns).
most the building there are origional and a couple have been moved there from other locations.
DZ
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Way to go Danny.
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No doubt!! Looks like a hell of a good time. Makes a few people wonder if it is not worth it to start smoking.[]
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Dang danny , that is cool . I've been throwing junk mail like that away . Been under the weather lately so I been reading post I never took time for .
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I bet you thought this was some kind of an "August fools joke" .[laugh].

When I feel out any kind of a survey I get bomed with junk mail or more phone calls about time share than I can handle, so I avoid surveys and never enter any drawings.

Congratulations on your trip.
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