As Time Goes By * Passing the Baton
This is a good place to see how TJ Ranch evolved.
1984
I came to Puerto Rico in 1984. At thirty two I had no idea I’d be writing this story forty years later. I had planned to stay six months to put an addition on the “vacation house” I bought with my sister. My ‘casita del campo ‘ sat in the center of the island on 42 acres of jungle. After a year in the mountains, my vacation house became my permanent home.
Tony
Tony lived in Boqueron. He worked in restaurants all over town and had his own restaurant, Tony’s Place, when we met. By 1987 he was ready to leave the beach and restaurant scene and come to the mountains...and that's when our journey began. We became farmers. We planted citrus and coffee and raised pigs, chickens, rabbits and goats.
Farm, Kids and Guests
We started a family and had two children. Friends came to visit; friends told their friends who told strangers to visit. Starting with a loft in our house and later in a separate cottage, vacationers came to stay with us when visiting the center of the island. Tony, always the “chef extraordinaire”, would feed our guests at the family table.
Pool and Camping
We had a pool, a camping area and a cottage....that’s how it all began. TJ Ranch was more than a farm; we were hosting people.
From Farm to Hospitality
In 1998 we cleared the area of the coffees and built three cottages and a restaurant.
By 2001 we were open and ready for business.
It’s hard to remember how people found out about us. We had a website. Local bird watchers booked with us. We were excited when we got into Lonely Planet and the Moon guidebooks. I think that Trip Advisor was the link that helped us the most. Even our bad review, the foul mouth pot smoker whose food was good, brought us customers. It took a while before we could accept credit cards because of our telephone line. In those days people even paid with traveler’s checks. They didn't mind that they didn't have wifi or television. It was a chance to detox from technology.
Many of our guests became lifelong friends.
Hurricane Maria
September 20, 2017 changed all that. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. Buildings were damaged; electricity was out for seven months. In the seven years since then, we have rebuilt damaged buildings and maintained the land, but we didn’t want to reopen. We were tired.
To read my story of Hurricane Maria, press the hurricane picture below.
2024
Times are different now. Things have changed…post Maria, post Pandemic. How business is done has changed. Airbnb, Venmo, Instagram, selfies…reviews are everywhere. It’s a new world.
It's time for new blood. Our kids are great and they’ll figure it out. I hope they enjoy the business as much as we did. It’s time for the next generation to take charge. It’s time to pass the baton.
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