About Us
Judy & Old Betsy
We have owned the ranch since 1971 and Judy created the hostel
in 1982. We purchased the old 51 Chevy truck when we bought the land
to help us work the ranch. It is still running and hauling garbage
to the dump, gravel, debris and has become a major player in the
maintenance of the ranch. While it is now 63 years old, Judy has
passed a milestone of 70 and both are still very involved in all
aspects of the campground. At 16 Judy's father had her take an
engine apart and put it back together. If she was going to drive, he
wanted her to know how a car works. She learned a lot but
unfortunately had to abandon that car since it kept overheating. As
this picture indicates, she has helped keep Ole Betsy running.
The AYH Ranch may no longer be an American Youth Hostel, but the
name stuck around, and we do continue to provide an original,
western-themed camping experience here on Vashon Island. Something
we hope to do for years to come, yet.
