The Alisal Guest Ranch is ten thousand acres of wide-open spaces that has been in use for more than a hundred years. A working cattle ranch and luxury retreat, the Alisal started welcoming guests in 1946. If you time it right, you can live out your City Slicker fantasies during the spring cattle drive. That is if you aren’t already exhausted from all of the golf, tennis, archery, fishing, boating, hiking, spa treatments and other activities the ranch has to offer.
Most of us that live here never get to see much beyond the resort entrance since you need to stay overnight at the ranch to participate in the activities. And with rooms starting at $500/night in the off season, you can understand why we locals tend to sleep in our own beds.
But this past Saturday we got to join some friends on an all day adventure that started at 7:30 a.m. As soon as we arrived, we climbed on horses for a one-hour ride out to the Historic Old Adobe. My daughter loves to ride horses and has been actively riding for more than a year. My son, well…when the wranglers asked about each of our riding abilities, my son wanted to know if there was something lower than beginner. He even asked if he could ride one of the miniature ponies. “Less distance to fall,” he reasoned.
Fortunately, the lure of an amazing Cowboy Breakfast at the end of the ride convinced him that mounting the horse was worth it. After eating all the eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits, gravy, fruit, cereal, coffee, hot cocoa, oj and quesadillas we could fit in our stomachs, we rode back to the stables and got on a shuttle that took us out to the Alisal’s private lake. While the men jumped in a bass boat to go fishing, my friend and I got into paddle boats with our kids. We spent the afternoon cruising the lake and learning how to shoot air rifles as well as bows and arrows. What a blast! My middle finger is still numb and the bruises haven’t quite faded, but I think a compound bow and a target range might be on my Christmas list :)
As the sun set behind the mountains, we loaded into the hay truck to go back to our cars. Another family got in with us and the mother started talking about books with my daughter and her friend. They talked about The Wish Giver and the woman mentioned that she had written a book called The Wish Stealers. My ears perked up. “Wait, did you say you wrote that book? It’s actually in the basket by my bed, in my to-read pile!”
Yep, I was sitting across from Tracy Trivas, her husband and two adorable daughters. We chatted for the rest of the ride about children’s literature, SCBWI and the writing retreat I had just attended. And I was reminded once again of just how small the world really is.
As we drove home, my son said, “It feels like we were on vacation for a day.” So true. A vacation practically in our own back yard.
Awesome.
16 comments:
So cool! We got a chance to go on a trail ride in Colorado this past summer - I'll never forget it! though no author on the horse next to me. :)
I love your son's comment: something lower than beginners. :D
This is something my daughter would love to do. The horses part. I'd be the one excited to meet an author.
It's wonderful that you got to spend a day at a dude ranch! And meeting an author of a book you have...like the cherry on top of the banana split.
"He even asked if he could ride one of the miniature ponies. “Less distance to fall,” he reasoned."
LOL. Smart kid.
What a small world indeed! Fun coincidence, and it sounds like a lovely day. :)
What a beautiful day to share with your family, Sherrie! And a bonus to ride with a fellow author!
That's awesome! Fun day...and met an author to boot!
That ranch looks like such an awesome experience!
What an amazing time! I'm not too much of an outdoorsy person, but this sounds so, so fun! How cool that it's so close to you. Always wanted to try archery, and I miss horseback riding!
Of course, also very cool that you bumped into a fellow kidlit author. Small world indeed.
Day vacations are the best--complete recharge. Although I'm with your son on the horse--too high for me to be happy, with something that strong in control! :)
Laura: I love riding horses. My son was just happy to make it back without falling :) It was definitely an unforgettable day!
Stina: My son definitely has a dry sense of humor :) But the great thing was that the day had something wonderful for each of us!
Bish: It was like the cherry on top! Great comparison :)
Kristan: Yeah, my son is a smart cookie :) It was pretty amazing to run into an children's author like that. Made the day all the more exciting.
Kelly: I'm so glad we all got to experience it together. It was a great day.
Susan: Amazing who you can run into on a hay bale, isn't it? :D
Matthew: That ranch is an AMAZING place to visit. I hope I can go back some day!
Krispy: Maybe when you visit you can ride in the morning and get a massage in the afternoon. That would be a nice balance of indoor/outdoor activity :)
Love this! And so cool that you got to visit with Tracy! :-)
Becky: I can't think of any other day vacation I've done like this one. We had such a good time. Now my daughter and I are trying to figure out a way to get her brother back on a horse :)
Shannon: Isn't it amazing that we would run into someone like that? Now my daughter wants to read the book since she met her :)
Sounds like a fun day!
That must have been awesome, meeting Tracy Trivas. I like the book cover too. So pretty.
What a glorious day that must have been. Sometimes the wonders are right in our backyard waiting to be discovered. :)
What an amazing time, surrounded by nature and meeting a fellow writer.
I haven't had the pleasure of going horseback riding yet, but I'll go one of these days.
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