Happy Friday !!!!!
I am so happy that it is Friday!!
I still have tons to do but always nice to be able to do things at your own pace!
On Friday of spring break we went to a "dude ranch"...I wonder who came up with the title, "dude ranch"? That is exactly what I googled when researching our trip. Mannie and I decided to take Cara to a "dude ranch" for her birthday.....trade in for a party....it turned out to be quite the trade in! :) But we figured it was a great birthday/spring break trip! and it was!
It was the most perfect family trip. We stayed 2 nights at Alisal in Solvang. It is a 10,000 acre ranch right outside Santa Barbara. 
The ranch is the most beautiful place.....set in rolling hills with huge oak trees....amazing! 
Orange County is so condensed, houses on houses, so to be somewhere so beautiful with hill after hill and no houses felt so refreshing. The great part (for me) is that we didn't have to get on an airplane to do it.
Alisal is an interesting place. People have been going there each year for generations. I didn't know any of this until we arrived. They mention it on their website but I didn't pay much attention. The staff bends over backwards to make you feel welcome and if you are a returning guest, they REALLY bend over backwards. I was told they pay such attention to detail that they will seat you at the same table in the dinning room each time you come back. The dinning room is where you eat breakfast and dinner. It is all inclusive and the table they put you at is your table for the entire trip. No matter what time you decide to eat, YOUR table is waiting for you.....it was really interesting.
We arrived around 3:30 or so on Friday. 
We checked in and a bellman drove us to our room in a golf cart. The smell of campfires wafting in the air was the smell of each room's fireplaces roaring. It was a rainy/cold day. Although the rain had stopped when we checked in.
We checked out our room which was perfect. Each kid had their own bed.....the only time that has happened is when we stay at a KOA. Usually we have to sleep with 2 in a sofa bed and one in between Mannie and I.......so right away I LOVED the place.
They had a gift basket waiting for us all wrapped up in cellophane. It had fruit, cheese and crackers....a welcome present. So sweet!! We dug into it and Mannie made a fire. We read over the "schedule" for the day. Each day they print out a schedule with activities offered. They leave the schedule on your pillow so you can decide what you want to do the next day. They offer all sorts of activities such as crafts, archery, fly fishing, egg gathering in the barn, barn animal activities and of course trail rides. There are no t.v.'s or phones in the rooms and the cell reception for any type of ipad use is really bad......this is a good thing!!! It really leaves you to act as you did in the "good ole days"......you know figure out ways to entertain yourself without a computer. AWESOME!!!
We decided on heading over to the activities room to check out some board games so we had something to do later in the night. The activities room rocked. They had 4 different tables set up with 4 different craft projects to do. They had all this sports equipment to check out as well as board games. They did have a t.v. there too with a handful of kids sitting watching a movie but not us! We got our games and headed out.
Cara and Charlie played a game of checkers and Cam and I played Uno. 
Mannie started getting ready for dinner. After our game, I decided to get ready for dinner. Dinner is from 6 - 8:30. You can come whenever.....your table will be waiting......ahhhhh, heaven! One funny thing about dinner at the dude ranch, the men must wear a jacket and everyone needs to be dressed up. On the one hand I thought it was sort of a pain, but on the other hand, it felt really good to get all dressed up. It made you appreciate the whole affair more because it felt special (since we don't usually get dressed up over here). 
When we got to dinner, we found out that we could first go into the bar for cocktail hour. They had couches to sit at and offered some appetizers. So, we figured, what the heck? We are in no rush, our table is waiting! :)
So, we sat there all dressed up and ate our appetizers and talked. I felt very sophisticated! ;) Mannie asked math questions to the kids......we are very intellectual, us Adams'! ;) 
Kidding aside, it was awesome!!! I can still picture it as if I am there right now!
Then we headed in for dinner, already feeling a little full from the appetizers at the cocktail hour. Now dinner is all inclusive as I said. With that in mind, all 5 of us ordered everything....appetizers, dinner and dessert which we don't normally do. Mannie and I also had wine with dinner.... 
Oh my gosh, we were SO FULL, we felt sick! The food was fab but we said to ourselves that we would not do that again!!!
This is how we felt.... 
The kids menus rocked as well. So much to choose from. They had every kind of kid food a kid would ever want.....and they also had steak, fish and chicken. They also left coloring pages and crayons at the table. 
So, after an awesome, (and long) meal....we headed back to our room. Mommy had drank wine, so mommy went to lie in her bed! Mannie and the kids started a game of Life. I was laughing to myself listening to Mannie and the kids discussing the game.....career choices, taxes, marriage, children....so funny to hear the choices they were making. 
Overall, an awesome way to start out our little stay at the dude ranch.
