Mia Día Ranch
The Ultimate Entertaining Space in Sportsman’s World

Story by Steve Nussbaum | Photo by Erika Carter

In every issue of PK Magazine, we feature an iconic home. But what is it that makes a home iconic?

The structures that make the list aren’t necessarily the biggest or grandest homes, but they’re the ones people talk about. This issue’s iconic home is a 20-acre ranchette in the middle of Sportsman’s World.

The home and its surrounding buildings are owned by Mike and Cathy Garrison. The couple bought the property in 2011 with plans to make it a family retreat and entertainment space, and the Garrisons have created the ultimate party location – and they have plans for more entertainment space, too.

The Garrisons own a construction business in the Fort Worth area that specializes in installation, service and sales of retail and fleet fuel systems, and they’ve been working side by side since being married 40 years ago.

Mike Garrison’s family had been coming to PK for years, and he remembers camping and fishing at Possum Kingdom State Park in his younger days.

In 2011, right after the fires that devasted the area around Sportsman’s World, the couple got word of a 15-acre space that had been devastated in the blazes. The home and surrounding structures had burned, and many of the beautiful trees had been destroyed or damaged. Mike Garrison’s skepticism about the property stemmed from the barren landscape left by the fires. His wife, meanwhile, was sold by the sloping acreage and the remaining driveway, as well as a few damaged oak trees that had survived.

Cathy Garrison knew they could make the space into the peaceful family getaway they had hoped for, and it wasn’t far away from Possum Kingdom Lake and Bluff Creek Marina. The couple bought the property just weeks after the fire and immediately began clearing the land themselves. The Garrisons cleared five acres themselves, but quickly realized they needed some help. They ended up hiring someone else to clear the rest of the land.

Once the property was cleared, they got some advice from their neighbors on saving the remaining trees. From there, they were on their way to building the ultimate entertainment space.

The first structure they built on their property was a 1,200-square-foot barn to store equipment and to use as a gathering place. It since has been transformed into a complete entertainment space that they call the “She Barn.†The metal building includes a complete commercial kitchen, a large living and dining space, and a loft bedroom space. The space is filled not only with commercial-grade cooking appliances, but also a soft-serve ice cream machine, which is a huge hit.

The She Barn’s restroom features a stackable washer and dryer for guests – it’s one of three sets the Garrisons have on their property for guests to use – and there’s also a large sliding glass garage door that can open the space up to the outdoors.

After building the She Barn, the Garrisons constructed a large outdoor space that features a fireplace, grill space and pizza oven. Their pizza parties are popular among their family and friends. They host make-your-own pizza nights, where guests make custom-made pizzas under the beautiful West Texas sky, while Mike Garrison treats everyone of legal drinking age to his famous margaritas.

The next building project the Garrisons took on was the main house, which was made to welcome lots of people and yet still be beautiful and comfortable. It measures a little over 2,100 square feet, with two bedrooms and a loft-space bedroom, and the interior is beautifully decorated in a Texas chic décor.
One of the unique features of the space are the two bedrooms on either side of the living and kitchen space. They are separated from the main house by a small breezeway, so if any guests need a little more peace and quiet, they won’t be bothered by the commotion in the main part of the house. Each bedroom suite features a small coffee bar and stackable washer and dryer.

The main living space, meanwhile, is wide open and anchored by both a beautiful stone fireplace and a custom-carved wood dining table. The space is filled with unique art and even has a small horse in the corner for character. The entire property is filled with Cathy Garrison’s extraordinary vision of bringing unique design to the space. It’s those unique design touches that make the spaces fun.

The next structure on the property was the “Silo Bar,†a real grain silo the couple ordered from a company in Kansas. Cathy Garrison said that when she told the owner of the silo company what she wanted it for, he replied: “Never had anyone do that. Send me pictures!â€

The silo arrived on pallets and had to be assembled before they could build the custom interior. As he was assembling the silo, Mike Garrison reduced the height of the structure by 2 feet for safety, figuring it would stand up to the area’s West Texas weather if it wasn’t so tall. Additions to the silo included a stone border around the base and a beautiful iron door, and the cozy space inside features a loft bedroom space and bathroom.

Also inside the silo is a full-service bar that includes a commercial margarita machine, and Mike Garrison’s frozen margaritas are a hit among the couple’s party guests. Guests can find Mike Garrison bartending at most of their gatherings.

The silo is filled with family memorabilia, too, including Mike Garrison’s guitar, banjo and fiddle collection hanging on the wall. He also has a framed harmonica that belonged to his dad. The special space includes a folded and framed flag that commemorates Cathy Garrison’s dad, as well as the last license plate of Mike Garrison’s father.

Recently the Garrisons added a stage and open space on their property for bands and entertainment. The space was built this year and already has been the site of a performance by country music artist Pat Green. The couple plans to usher in movie nights with pizza and popcorn later this this year when the weather warms up.

The property also includes a luxury greenhouse for more intimate dinner parties and events. They named the greenhouse the “Prickly Pear.†It’s decorated with a crystal chandelier, custom wood tables and a unique design that adds character to the space.

The couple also recently completed a custom dining space under the trees in front of the main house.

They also are fantastic party hosts, and Christmas is especially huge for the couple, with Cathy Garrison putting up 14 trees to celebrate the holiday. To prepare for the magnitude of their yuletide display, Mike Garrison starts pulling the decorations out of their barn in August.

It isn’t just Christmas when Cathy Garrison goes above and beyond, though. In November, she and her family pulled off the ultimate surprise 60th birthday party for her husband, with a theme for the event borrowed from the popular TV series “Yellowstone.†They concocted a plan to get her husband to Austin to visit their son, Michael, after which the two men would then drive back to PK together in time to spring the surprise.

The event took place under the draping lights on their property. Cathy Garrison served barbecue from Trevino’s Craft Smokehouse for all the guests, who were dressed in their “Yellowstone†best, and the party featured signage and décor depicting the TV series. It was a brisk night, but about 125 guests gathered to celebrate Mike Garrison’s birthday and listen to Green’s concert.

Upon arriving to his surprise birthday party, Mike Garrison turned down the road to his home and saw lights, cars and a tour bus, so he turned to his son and asked, “What is she doing? Whose tour bus is that?â€

As they turned past the gate, friends and family members lined the driveway to welcome the two men to the party. Cathy Garrison asked her husband if he wanted to go inside and change clothes, but he replied, “No, I just want to take it all in.â€

Mike Garrison said he was in shock for the first hour, but the whole event was a birthday to remember.

The Garrisons are passionate about supporting local businesses. For her husband’s birthday celebration, Cathy Garrison also used a local florist, a local bakery, custom-made signage by the local UPS Store and hired local photographer Erika Carter to take pictures of the event. She said she knows how hard everyone works and how stressful things can be, so it’s important to her to support the local folks first.

It should be no surprise, then, to hear that Cathy Garrison is known among her Sportsman’s World neighbors as “the best party host,†and at a recent Valentine’s Day happy hour many guests noted that nobody does it like her.

The Garrisons have begun to resume their happy-hour gatherings again, after they had to be toned down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their happy hours during the pandemic were limited to 12 people, and everyone had to be outside and maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from each other. Even with those restrictions, the smaller gatherings were a small reprieve from the stresses of the pandemic, with themed decorations and unique party favors.

For Mike Garrison’s 50th birthday, the couple went to Las Vegas, only to return home to a full-blown Harley Davidson-themed party, including a food truck, a photo booth, fake Harley Davidson tattoos and Harley Davidson T-shirts. Once again, Cathy Garrison had pulled off the surprise.

One of the most memorable events the couple has hosted was an event for Mike Garrison’s brother, Jim, who suffered from ALS and just wanted to spend time out at the ranch with his family and friends. Jim Garrison was able to spend about a week at the ranch before succumbing to his illness in November, but knowing he got to spend time enjoying the solitude of the ranch brought some comfort to the family.

One of the reasons the Garrisons might be such good hosts is their desire to learn and expand their horizons. A few years back, they both made time in their busy schedules to attend culinary school, and Mike Garrison even took bartending classes.

When Cathy Garrison was asked why she loves hosting parties so much, she replied: “I just want people to come enjoy themselves and get away from all the stresses in life.â€

The Garrisons host parties with ease, and their warm smiles and hospitality make their guests want to come back.