Next time you find yourself in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, you need to stop at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, Ree Drummond's destination restaurant, bakery, and store. You can shop around for fun knick-knacks (like a SPAM decoy safe), cowgirl-approved clothing and accessories, and eat plenty of comfort foods. Your trip to the Merc will not be complete, however, without a visit to the Drummond Lodge.
The Lodge on Drummond Ranch is Ree and Ladd's family guest house, and also serves as the production location for Ree's Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman! Ree posts about the tours every so often on her Instagram, encouraging folks to venture out to the Lodge as part of the Mercantile experience.
The tours are free and "low-key", according to Ree. All you have to do is swing by The Pioneer Woman Mercantile the day that you'd like to tour, and ask for the "top secret" directions to the ranch, Ree explains in her Instagram post. Just a short drive later, you'll be walking the Lodge where Ree and her family spend time, and where she shoots her show.
Ree says she can't promise clean drawers and fridges (as she recently wrapped up filming her show), and that petting her dog, Walter, is "an optional side activity." The pioneer woman warns that Walter is "a bona fide country dog", though, and so she suggests washing your hands afterward.
Tickets are required for the Lodge tours, and only good for that day's date. You must go to The Merc the day you want to tour to receive your ticket and directions (note — there is 1 ticket per group). You can't get tickets in advance, but there's no limit to the number available on specific tour dates. Like Ree said, "free and low-key."
The Lodge is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the open dates. You can find the upcoming dates for 2018, through December, on the website. The site notes that you should not bring dogs or family pets, as "country dogs can be very protective of the homestead!" You don't want to rattle Walter, do you?
Based on Ree's posts and photos from those who have been, the Lodge tours seem really fun (not to mention plenty of good photo ops).
One Yelp user says, "the Lodge felt almost magical throughout my whole experience here" and "is much larger than it appears, and sits on a gorgeous piece of land. It was so fun to take photos!"
Another Yelp reviewer wrote that the Lodge was "the part that helped make this an above and beyond experience."
PRE-ORDER NOW Delish Cookbook, amazon.ca
