I have adored giraffes for as long as I can remember. These tall, graceful, and easy-going creatures fill me with awe and joy every time I see them! I have enjoyed seeing giraffes at zoos, sanctuaries, and even Animal Kingdom at Disney World, but viewing them from afar or feeding them a quick lettuce leaf always leaves me wanting more.
Recently I came across pictures online from Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya, where guests can have breakfast with their giraffes. While a trip to Africa isn’t feasible for us right now, my husband found an amazing giraffe experience close to home for my birthday. At the Blue Hills Ranch in McGregor, Texas, we dined with their 2 lovely giraffes and also had an animal encounter session with them the next morning. It was the best birthday present ever!
Blue Hills Ranch
Blue Hills Ranch sits on 150 rolling country acres just 15 minutes outside of Waco, Texas. It is home to 29 different species of animals including zebras, kangaroos, camels, baby otters, and wild mustang horses to name just a few. Owners Matt and Valerie work hard to give these animals a loving forever home and go out of their way to provide visitors with a unique and special experience.
We arrived at Blue Hills Ranch and checked in to our cabin at 3pm. There are 2 animal-themed cabins and 3 pirate-themed cabins for guests. I would have loved to stay in the popular giraffe cabin, but it was already booked on the date of our visit. The Scallywag cabin was great, though, and was beautifully decorated and well outfitted with everything we could need. We especially enjoyed the deck which overlooked the property and gave us our own private view over the ranch.
Dining with Giraffes
At 4pm, we went back up to the office for our dinner with the giraffes. Valerie drove us into the large giraffe enclosure and out to the raised platform. We climbed up a ladder to sit at the dining table which is conveniently at the perfect height for the giraffes to join in. A very large and delicious charcuterie board is provided as well as your choice of wine or champagne. Blue and Google, the 2 and 3 year old male reticulated giraffes, quickly made their way over to check out the goodies. They like carrots and Ritz crackers, but especially grapes, dried fruit, and nuts.
After our amazing dining experience, we walked around the grounds and visited the camel, bison, and miniature donkeys. Valerie gave us a bucket of feed to give to the animals in various pens or those that might show up near our cabin. We also stopped to see the beautiful 6000 square foot, climate-controlled event barn where brides and grooms can have the wedding of their dreams. Later, we sat on our private deck to soak up the serene beauty of the countryside and marvel at the majestic sunset.
Giraffe Encounter
We had a very restful night and woke up excited to have our next giraffe encounter. Lindsey took us into the giraffe barn where the boys were so happy to see us. We fed them some grapes and crackers and then spent 30 minutes learning about the giraffes and interacting with them from the raised catwalk. Mike asked a lot of questions, but I was so excited I could barely focus while being so near the big animals—it was exhilarating to fully engage with both of them! There is also a table in the barn where the dining experience can be held in inclement weather.
Next up we were shown around the animal pens near the office which hold the giant tortoises, the red kangaroos, miniature pigs, miniature horses, several deer, the family dogs, and the otters. Another animal experience offered at Blue Hills Ranch is swimming in a hot tub with the Asian small-clawed otters, Otto and Sweet Pea. We did not sign up for this option, but it got rave reviews in the guest book at our cabin. The ranch had just acquired 2 baby camels and we were excited for the opportunity to help bottle feed them.
Safari Ride
We transitioned to an ATV for our safari ride with Lindsey around the property to see the remaining animals. The free roaming herds don’t seem bothered by visitors and many gladly came up to get some of the treats we offered them. It was fun to see the zebras, oryx, emu, wild mustangs, and several varieties of cows and deer enjoying the rolling hills.
We can’t wait to visit again in the spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom — that’s where the name Blue Hills Ranch comes from.
Our memories of this unforgettable experience will be ones we treasure for a lifetime. We were very impressed with the facility and staff of this ranch which has been in operation only since 2020. They have plans to continue growing and providing a sanctuary for animals. You don’t have to stay in the cabins to have the interactive experiences at Blue Hills Ranch, but it definitely enhances the whole adventure. I can’t stop smiling every time I think of our time with the giraffes and all the other animals in this wonderful place…Best Day Ever!
What an awesome time you had and we had fun reading about it. The giraffes are great, so friendly and you could tell they were enjoying it too. I’m so happy you had such an awesome adventure.🥰
Yes, it was definitely an amazing adventure!
Thanks for letting us join you two on another one of your adventures!
Also, dining with the giraffes! face to face communing with nature doesn’t get better than that!!
Yes, Stuart, I think the dining and interacting with the giraffes was definitely the high point in all of our nature experiences! And the best thing was that we didn’t have to travel to Africa to see them.😊
Well, I spent a bunch of years in Africa and never even saw one giraffe much less had dinner with one!
Sorry to hear that. I think the whole dining with giraffes is a new thing and may not have been around when you were there. The good thing is that you don’t have to travel so far if you want to experience it now😊
Robin , what an outstanding way to spend your 40th Birthday. Even I might have been speechless with a Giraffe on my shoulder.
Great photos.
Hi Don,
You are very sweet…40th was quite a while ago, but it was still a great birthday. I’m not sure if you could ever be speechless, but this giraffe adventure might just do it. 🤣
Hi Don, Robin looks like she’s 40! so it’s easy to see why you were a little confused ,,,,
Jealous! That looks like an AWESOME adventure! You guys are living your best lives… we are so happy for you. 🦒🤠
“The journey matters more than the destination”
Yes, this adventure ranks up there at the top, for sure! Thanks for following along with us.😊
That is a sweet husband that would find you a giraffe experience!!! Looks like you were a natural with them. You continue to inspire.
Yes, I think I will keep him! It was a great experience and one we will certainly remember for years to come.
I know exactly which place you’re talking about in Kenya. I just saw something about it recently, and was blown away. Who knew you could find something similar in Texas?? So, so cool. You got some great photos of a once in a life time experience – and I just love the giraffes’ names – google and blue. Ha! Awesome!
The Texas experience was amazing and definitely more affordabe than the Kenya one. The hard part of that post was sorting through about 300 pictures! Google and Blue were the sweetest giraffes ever. All the other animals had cute names too: the zebras all have musician names (Elvis, Madonna, Pink, etc), the mini donkeys from Friends (Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, etc), and the mini horses from Gilligan’s Island.
How fun! I want to visit the animals! Thank you for making your adventure come to life!
If you are ever in central Texas you should definitely go–it is amazing! Thanks for following along with us.😊
I had heard about this ranch, and I am so excited you got to stay there! Definitely the best day ever!! What a great way to celebrate your birthday!
That’s cool that you knew about the ranch– it was a surprise find for us. The whole experience was wonderful and the giraffes are so amazing! I hope your recovery is going well.
Robin Just catching up on emails. Enjoyed your adventure. Very unique. Good job Mike for the gift. We are getting ready to return home from our wintering in Orange Beach, AL. Really appreciate the encouragement you gave us to enter this RV adventure. See you around.
Hi Kathy! Glad y’all are enjoying your RV adventures. What did you think of Orange Beach for the winter? We have only been there for a short time in February, but the weather was a little on the cold side for us…although the weather has been a little crazy everywhere lately.😏 We will be back at the USAFA May 21-Jun 20. Let us know if you will be visiting at that time and we can catch up.
LOVE this post! What an adventure of a lifetime for sure. This animal sanctuary is fabulous. The world needs more of these! You look so happy and those selfies are the best. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sandi, you are so right–definitely the adventure of a lifetime! Giraffes are my favorite animal and I was in heaven spending time so close to them.🥰