A delightful blog for you, written by our very own breakfast chef: Hannah Zellers! 
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The sun has risen, but it’s still chilly outside as I flip lights on in the Latigo kitchen and crank the knobs on the breakfast grill to warm up for another day on the job. I grab a stack of plates and paper slips with breakfast orders written in the various handwriting of Latigo staff members. Each breakfast order has a name at the top. Darby, Ethan, Michael, Grace…. I take a moment to read the orders. Oatmeal, eggs, hash browns. Pancakes and three pieces of bacon. French toast with whipped cream. Breakfast burrito. The slips of paper go on.
Some of the orders contain only a name written at the top. These are the regulars, the orders I know by heart. I don’t need written instructions, just the name at the top of the paper. Becca likes veggies in her egg scramble—but skip the spinach. Cammie wants turkey in her omelet—if it’s available, please and thank-you. McKenna will eat breakfast as long as it involves cheese—lots of cheese. Each name represents a whole lot more than a scribble on a piece of paper. Each name represents someone—a person with likes, dislikes, hopes, laughter and their own personality.
At Latigo, names are important because of what they stand for—what they represent. We have a herd of sixty plus horses. They each have their own name and their own personality. Just ask the wranglers. They’ll tell you which horse is crushing on who, which horse is the loner, which horse likes to cuddle, which horse looks like a dinosaur (no kidding), and which horse likes to sleep with his head propped on a fencepost.
Locations around the ranch have their own unique names as well. Stories accompany the names of places like Fire Ring, Yakkity Point, and Homestead. The Twenty-Four Hour Gate, the Christmas Gate, and the Sunrise Gate have also earned their names for a reason. Sometimes the stories are sad and haunting, other times they are downright hilarious. The titles themselves hint at individuality. Names like Red Dirt Rollercoaster, the Luge, Hog’s Back, and Jumper Flats give a glimpse into the unique scenery and history that make up Latigo Ranch. The names are special, and they’re given for a reason.
As I plate steaming scrambled eggs beside a mound of hash browns and three strips of bacon, I think about the names scrawled on the order slips. The names stand for more than words written in pencil. The names stand for people with callouses on their hands, dreams in their heads, and laughter in their eyes.
Names matter at Latigo. That’s why we learn the names of all our guests and use them on a regular basis. Like breakfast, vacation at Latigo is made ready to order every morning. We delight in the individual experience. You may be surprised when your waiter calls you by name on your second day at the ranch or remembers how you take your coffee. You may not expect the people in maintenance to stop and ask about your horseback ride, but personalized service is part of the Latigo brand. No matter the position—maintenance, housekeepers, kitchen crew, wranglers—we want to introduce ourselves and to learn your name.
So, if you’ve already been to Latigo, we can’t wait to see you again. And if this is your first time coming to Latigo then prepare to leave feeling like family. We’re excited to meet you. We want to know your name—and the unique person who comes with it. -Hannah Zellers
So... what are you waiting for? Latigo is waiting for you!
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