| Few travelers speeding along Interstate 5 | | | | maintain all of the various Harris Ranch |
| near Coalinga realize that those cattle they | | | | businesses. |
| see in feedlots next to the freeway are | | | | |
| actually In-N-Out burgers waiting to be | | | | None of this happened by accident and, in |
| processed. Sure, everyone knows that burgers | | | | fact, the Harris Ranch experience has been |
| come from cattle, but did you know In-N-Out | | | | decades in the making. The present owner is |
| burgers come from these cattle? | | | | John Harris, whose father and grandfather |
| | | | were also farmers. In 1937, John's father |
| That's because the famous California-based | | | | moved farming operations to the San Joaquin |
| burger chain uses the high-quality beef | | | | Valley. When his father, Jack, died in 1981, |
| produced by Harris Ranch, which is really | | | | John took over what was still a relatively |
| much more than a feedlot. Drive on down the | | | | small operation and turned it into a |
| interstate a piece and you come to an island | | | | mult-million dollar enterprise that now |
| of hospitality that features a resort-style | | | | includes seven different businesses that |
| inn, four restaurants and various tourist | | | | range from beef processing to raising 35 |
| services all operated by Harris Ranch. | | | | different farm commodities - everything from |
| | | | fruit to nuts. Harris even finds time to |
| Just about equidistant from Los Angeles and | | | | indulge his passion, raising thoroughbred |
| San Francisco - three hours each way - The | | | | horses. |
| word oasis is apt for Harris Ranch; as you're | | | | |
| driving along the interstate it seems to come | | | | At the heart of it all is the beef operation |
| up out of nowhere. If you've drived north and | | | | which, at any given time, can have between |
| south along Interstate 5, you know that there | | | | 60,000 and 120,000 cattle in the feedlots or |
| are hours of boredom driving through the San | | | | being processed at a nearby facility. Harris |
| Joaquin Valley. A few service | | | | Ranch USDA Choice natural beef is distributed |
| station-and-fastfood stops appear, but none | | | | throughout the country and is sold to major |
| like the one at Harris Ranch. | | | | chains such as Costco, Albertson's, Safeway |
| | | | and, yes, In-N-Out. Another good reason to |
| Drive into the parking lot at Harris Ranch | | | | stop at Harris Ranch is that visitors can buy |
| and what you might have thought was just | | | | steaks to take or ship home - they come in |
| another freeway-side motel is actually a | | | | ice packs to keep cold. |
| resort like you would find in Palm Springs or | | | | |
| some other major tourist destination. The | | | | The restaurant began back in 1977, targeting |
| Spanish stucco buildings surround a dramatic | | | | nothing more than the local farmers who would |
| Olympic-size swimming pool. Add some palm | | | | come in and have coffee or a meal now and |
| trees and resort-style landscaping and, | | | | then. Because of its convenient location on |
| voila, this becomes much more than an | | | | Interstate 5, the restaurant became popular |
| overnight rest on your way down the freeway. | | | | with travelers looking for a rest from a long |
| | | | drive. The 150-room inn was built in 1987 |
| We've gone past Harris Ranch many times, but | | | | with the idea that the accommodations should |
| our curiosity - and a need to break up the | | | | be first-rate, but still casual. There's no |
| drive from Northern to Southern California - | | | | valet parking, for example, but the lobby |
| convinced us it was time to spend the night | | | | driveway looks just like one that would have |
| at the "ranch." It was a Sunday night and we | | | | valets. The rooms were designed by John |
| found the inn filled to much less than | | | | Harris's wife, Carole, who included such |
| capacity. Consequently, we were swimming in | | | | features as Ralph Lauren fabrics for curtains |
| that huge pool all by ourselves with only one | | | | and bedspreads. |
| or two couples poolside at any given time. | | | | |
| | | | The Harris Ranch complex today is like a |
| Our over-sized room was on the third floor | | | | mini-shopping center with shops that offer |
| offering a view of the agricultural lands | | | | unique gifts and collectibles, spices and |
| that seem to stretch forever in the San | | | | other goods. The bakery is a favorite for |
| Joaquin Valley. The room was not a motel room | | | | travelers who want to take home fresh-baked |
| - it was a resort-style room with many added | | | | items all made from scratch. And of course |
| amenities and, in fact, enough space to place | | | | there are the usual traveler services such as |
| two reclining chairs near the television. The | | | | the gas station and Subway sandwich shop, and |
| beds were big, soft and comfy and yet another | | | | the not-so-usual facilities such as the |
| tell-tale sign was the fluffy resort-style | | | | Harris Ranch airport. |
| bathrobes. This was proving to be much more | | | | |
| than a stop-over; it was a destination all | | | | It all combines to make Harris Ranch much |
| unto itself. | | | | more than a beef processor, much more than a |
| | | | farming company, much more than a roadside |
| That's why many California families find | | | | inn or a restaurant. This little patch of |
| Harris Ranch an ideal location to meet up | | | | ground along the freeway really is a small |
| with relatives from the far northern and | | | | city and travel destination all its own - and |
| southern parts of the state. It's a big state | | | | home to millions of future In-N-Out burgers. |
| so, depending on where you and your relatives | | | | |
| live, you can each eliminate hours of driving | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| and pamper yourself while you visit with each | | | | |
| other in a resort setting. | | | | WHERE: Harris Ranch is about 200 miles north |
| | | | of Los Angeles and 200 miles south of San |
| One big benefit of spending time at Harris | | | | Francisco on Interstate 5. |
| Ranch is that you can settle in and enjoy one | | | | |
| of the best beef dinners you'll ever | | | | WHAT: Not just a rest stop for weary |
| experience -- with service to match. The | | | | travelers, Harris Ranch has grown into a |
| Harris Ranch Steakhouse is a spot to rival | | | | resort community with restaurants, shops and |
| even the most expensive steakhouses you see | | | | other services. The well-manicured grounds |
| in the big cities. When the restaurant owner | | | | even attract many couples who decide to book |
| raises the cattle, the result is unbelievably | | | | the ranch for their wedding functions. |
| tender beef cooked to perfection. Even if we | | | | |
| don't have time to spend the night, we will | | | | WHEN: Year-round, with blue-sky weather in |
| make a point to return to the Steakhouse to | | | | the summer, a little cooler with some |
| sample more cuts of that tasty Harris Ranch | | | | potential fog in the winter. |
| beef. | | | | |
| | | | WHY: Harris Ranch is the perfect spot to |
| The restaurant operation is indeed a major | | | | break up a drive between Northern and |
| part of the Harris Ranch operations. | | | | Southern California. Sample the Steakhouse |
| According to Restaurants and Institution | | | | Restaurant and you'll see that Ruth's Chris |
| Magazine, Harris is ranked 57th in the nation | | | | and other famous steakhouses have nothing |
| among high volume, independently owned | | | | over the sizzling beef at this out-of-the-way |
| restaurants. It's the 6th highest in | | | | restaurant. The inn is on a par with many |
| California, and it takes 400 employees to | | | | resort-area properties. |