2023 Season Has Arrived!

This last year, the Rankin Motel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We are ordering the plaques now! The historic significance of the Rankin is in its architecture. It is representative of the early architectural development of the motel building type, exemplifying the cabin camp, cottage court, and motor court phases of early roadside hostelry architecture. It is a testimony to the entrepreneurial spirit capitalizing on the industrial development of the automobile and West Yellowstone National Park.Ashton Advertising

The period of significance for the Rankin AEarly 1930suto Court is 1920-1973, beginning with its opening and ending with the construction of its most recent buildings.

These photos represent Ashton’s appeal to the fisherman, hunter, and traveler. Right off of Hwy 20, The Rankin Auto Court was a favorite stop. We look forward to your visit and hope you will make it a favorite memory as well.

1940s Auto Court

2022 Season is Here

We are excited about our upcoming 2022 season! We look forward to seeing you on your journey. Thank you for making us a stop on your path. The beauty of this country is breathtaking and the mountains beckon us to visit. Growing up in this area afforded my family many opportunities to fish, picnic, and look for huckleberries.

Betty and Dave Rankin on Picnic

Here, Dave Rankin, brother to Betty, and Betty enjoy a picnic at Big Springs.  Big Springs, located in Island Park, is the headwater of the Snake River. Be sure to visit Johnny Sacks cabin when you arrive. It is a wonderful cabin filled with a rich history of the area.

Mom (Betty) loved to fly fish on the Fall River and she hiked wTeton Mountainsith her friends every afternoon. She took many pictures of the mountains and wildlife on her treks. She loved  to  take  photos  of  the  landscape  against  a mountainous  background.

 

Don’t miss out on simple ventures, picnics and mountains. Have a huckleberry ice cream cone and be ready to relax.

Season 2020 Opening

The 2020 Season for the Rankin Motel is off to a very interesting start. We are deeply concerned for our travelers and guests. We are watching the current pandemic closely. Your heath and safety are most important to us.

We have reflected on what is best for the Rankin and you. As we wait and watch, we will plan on opening on May 17th, 2020. While we are optimistic about this date, we will follow the guidelines as proposed by the CDC and our local authorities.

Please continue to watch for updates on our rankinmotel.com website. You can also check the reservation system for openings. Know that when you arrive as our guest, you can find rest. Every measure will be taken to ensure a clean room and warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you this summer. Many blessings and Safe travels!

Old Faithful is Waiting

Old Faithful

Old Faithful got its name appropriately. This geyser erupts faithfully every 35 to 120 minutes for any where between 1.5 to 5 minutes. Throughout the summer people gather to watch this magnificent geyser shoot to heights from 90 to 184 feet. I remember, as a child, sitting on the benches and waiting expectantly for the geyser to launch.

Early spring in the Park is beautiful with new life and baby buffalos.  The water is high with run off from the mountains. Geysers and paint pots of vivid colors emit steam into the cool spring days.

This year the West Entrance to West Yellowstone National Park will open April 27th.  Be sure to check West Yellowstone National Park’s opening and operations website for more details to many of the Park’s campgrounds and scenic areas. Click here for opening and operations info.

You’ll pass right by us on the way to the West Entrance via Hwy 20. Old Faithful is waiting for you.

 

In Memory of Robert Groom

Do you have a memory of Bob you want to share? Click here.

We have so many wonderful memories of our time with Robert at Rankin Motel. Each winter Jenny and he would plan ways to improve the motel and make it a place of restoration for their guests. As Spring approached each year, so did their excitement about meeting and hosting new guests and friends from all over the world, who would come to stay with them. The Rankin is like a little slice of Heaven, and Bob so enjoyed sharing its beauty and wonder with his guests.

As Bob and Jenny have said to so many of their guests, “Enjoy, the Journey,” it has become their life quote. Robert lived well knowing you on his life journey’s path. We are sad he isn’t with us to share more, but we are thankful for the wonderful memories of him that we will always share with each other and you.

Please join us and write your memories in the “Leave A Reply” box.

 

Our Story Continues

I can’t remember a more beautiful fall season.  The dazzling golds and reds make sitting around the fire-pit in the evening light a special treat.  Unusual heavy rains this fall have kept the lawns beautiful and green but have wreaked havoc on harvesting for local farmers.  Crop damage equates to smaller potatoes and grain yields to harvest.  .

IMG_2066We planted a new generation of trees this past week.  The cut-leaf weeping birch trees that my dad “Barney” planted some 40 years ago (I’m feeling a bit old- the trees were about as tall as I was then) have been replaced with Aspen, Canadian Red and Maple.  They stand among the Ash and Cottonwood trees grandad planted some 70 years ago.  The one Maple dad planted behind cabin no. 4 has survived.  A small curve in the tree trunk is the only trace of where my brother Robert hacked it with the lawnmower one summer.  A Canadian Red keeps it company now.  I remember dad telling us that it takes a generation to grow a hardwood Maple.  It has happened.  The tree is tall and sturdy and ready for another generation to take care of it.

The rush of summer is a blur but I have captured it with my camera to share with all of you through blog entries.  Our new website has been so much fun to get up and going!  And Suzanne Reid is the genius behind it!  Keeping up with technology, repairing towel racks and replacing old faucets have kept up busy this past season.  Our 90th year of operation couldn’t have been better!  Robert and I are so grateful for the kind reviews our guests have taken the time to post.  Thank you!

IMG_2090The slower pace of the season is a perfect time to stop and relax with us!  We’ll be open through the 1st week of November this year to allow for new window and door installation on cabins 1 and 2.  They are the oldest cabins and need a little extra TLC to get them up and ready for guests next year.

IMG_2089cpLady will be rested up by Monday to greet you all.  She’s had a tough week supervising all of the tree planting!  Call us (208) 652-3570 and let us know when you are coming!  We’ll have a room ready for you!  And as always, travel safely!

 

Jenny & Robert

Kind Words from “The Coughing Bison” Blog

Kind Words from "The Coughing Bison" Blog

Just received kind words from Michael Becker, who writes a blog post called The Coughing Bison. He and his wife enjoyed a lovely visit with us this July in our Cabin Number 6.

Mr. Becker says this about us, “It is the quintessential example of roadside lodging, a throwback to the non-cookie cutter places of years past. We checked in at the front desk with Robert, who is basically an encyclopedia, concierge, and GPS all rolled into one. He gave us maps. He recommended restaurants in town. He told us about area attractions and advised us of construction zones on the way to Yellowstone. That’s the kind of service you usually don’t get at the chain hotels.”

Mr. Becker writes a fascinating blog about his trip to Yellowstone and other great sites in the northwest. It is a great blog full of places to see while staying at our hotel. To see more of Mr. Becker’s interesting posts about his trip up in our area, go to his blog,
The Coughing Bison.

Thank you, Mr. Becker. We so enjoyed your stay with us! Please visit us again!

Signs and Times over 90 Years of Hospitality!

Signs and Times over 90 Years of Hospitality!

Circa 1924  Auto camp flashback!  Pull up and get a camp spot!  I know this is grandad, D.K. Rankin (sitting closest to the door) and grandma Eva’s cousin Felix from California.  We’re not entirely sure this is the exact position of the small cabin office as it is situated today.  But early travelers did enjoy a drink of cool, well-water and got to know this farmer/homesteader/pioneer from Virgina.

sign 1971cpCirca 1967  Here we have the first sign mom and dad put up.  This is a great shot as it captures the original electric Rankin Court sign just off to back and right.  Red tulips are blooming just behind the sign so this picture must have been taken in the spring.  Plans are in the works to begin remodeling the stucco cabins, no. 1 and no. 2 (also seen  in the backround) soon!

Circa 1971  Notice the New Units in Back is added to the next sign upgrade.  I remember a new well being drilled, and a modular unit of 6 motel rooms was brought in and set on a foundation next to the house on the back of the property.  Because people could only see the cabins from the road, the New Units in Back helped bring in more business.

10-20-2013 5;42;54 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009-  Here we are today!  We selected the new logo to carry on the auto court heritage, painted the pole and are ready for guests again this year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you’ve enjoyed a quick tour through 90 years of The Rankin!  We’ll share more pictures and stories as we move through the 2014 season with you.  Let us know when you need a place to stay on your way to Yellowstone Park!  We are still here and have clean, comfortable, affordable rooms or cozy cabins with wing-back chairs and books. Call Robert (208) 652-3570, or his cell (208) 851-8646 (he may be out working on the grounds and watering my flowers!).

 

TRAVEL SAFELY!

Jenny & Robert

Rankin’s Auto Camp

Rankin's Auto Camp

Our 2014 season officially started April 9 when Dan’s Plumbing turned on the water!  A few snow banks lingered behind the cabins and Lady loved that!  Robert worked hard to get the lawns cleaned up in time for the spring rains this last week.  He’s busy mowing the beautiful green grass in between the storms now!  Daffodils, tulips and pansies enjoy spring’s simple gift of sunshine.

2014 marks our 90th year of operation.  90 years of hospitality is how we think of it.  We reorganized a bookcase in the office/house entry-way and have pictures, antique cars, a 1924 license plate, and 2 wool blankets that were used in the early auto camp cabins sitting on the shelves.  The special, keepsake blankets are a bit threadbare and soft around the edges.  One is brown with the words Rankins Auto Camp  embroidered in red along one edge. The other blanket is gray with 2 black stripes. Rankin Court is embroidered in black thread along the edge of this blanket.

We are proud that Rankin Auto Camp lives on!  What’s left of the 1890s farm machinery sits in a bed of beautiful flowers.  The perennials on the grounds are those planted by my grandmother, mother and myself.  The rooms and cabins are cozier than ever and ready to welcome you as you travel through our beautiful Yellowstone and Teton country.

The 2014 season is here and it’s looking BUSY! Robert’s getting quite a few family reunions and wedding parties scheduled. Our international visitors are coming from all over the world to stay with us.  And we are ready!  The famous fire-pit is out as are the grills.  Call (208) 652-3570, or Robert’s cell phone, (208) 851-8646 and let us know when you’ll be coming!

And as always, Travel Safely!

Jenny & Robert

P.S.  Thank you Betty for getting me in gear to update our blog site!  Waking up from hibernation is hard work!  We’re looking forward to seeing you later this summer!

To Our Guests

Right click on the picture and left click on “Save Link As…” to download to your computer. Once downloaded, you can open it and print our traveler’s prayer Betty Grover placed in all the rooms and cabins called “To Our Guests”.