About Us

Experts in the Whitefish, MT Area

The Leishmans began their Montana experience with a father’s longing to escape the rigors and chaos of the office and stave off burnout by going to a dude ranch. Dave came to Montana with two young daughters, Meghan (then age 9) and Emily (then age 7). Both girls had only about a month’s worth of horseback lessons under their belts and he had even less.

Dave Leishman and his daughters were persuaded by longtime friend and owner of the Double D Guest Ranch in New Jersey (Bar W partner) Phil Dukes to head West and make the trip to a dude ranch in Northwest Montana. Jan stayed home with their youngest daughter Haley – too young to ride. In the spirit of true Montana hospitality, the ranch’s wranglers worked with Dave and the girls on their horsemanship skills and under their tutelage, Dave’s fears and doubts about his riding skills quickly abated. In no time, he and the girls were riding to the tops of ridges, where they could gaze at the Big Sky countryside for 130 miles in every direction.

“We went up ridges and down ridges that I never imagined a horse could go,” Dave said. It turned out to be a vacation for the ages – one of those life-changing, priority-altering experiences many people wait a lifetime for. It was a whole package – the riding, the western way of life, the rodeos, the work, and the people, a true total experience. Dave and the girls drew closer on each subsequent trip to Montana, and it was an adventure that they shared year after year. He was hooked.

So much so that after the next four annual trips, the former world-class skier and outdoorsman decided that a yearly excursion to Montana just was not enough anymore. Dave, and his very forgiving wife, Jan, decided they wanted a place where they could help people live the same experience Dave and the girls did on their first visit. Dave and Jan joined by Dave’s brother Greg, and friend Phil Dukes, to make the dream come true.

During their 16 years of operating the Bar W Guest Ranch, Dave and Jan had the opportunity to expand their hospitality offerings by purchasing the building that houses the Whitefish Downtown Suites and they jumped on it.

Dave and Jan have since sold the Bar W Guest Ranch. They are focused on making the Whitefish Downtown Suites the very best it can be, and teamed up with Rebecca Robertson of Second Home Solutions as the day-to-day manager of the Suites. She too, loves helping travelers to Whitefish get the most out of their vacation in our marvelous mountain town. 

Learn more about Things to Do in Whitefish.