Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, set on 10,000 spectacularly beautiful acres, is both a secluded resort and a working ranch with 120 horses and 2,000 head of cattle.
Bedspreads in the guest rooms resemble Indian blankets, the paintings on the walls are of Native American braves, and there are enough horses and dogs on the property to film a Western saga.
Rooms at Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort are immaculate and tastefully decorated, gardens of colorful flowers bloom at every turn, and views of the rolling hills amaze.
There are 50 miles of trails at Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking, as well as a scenic 100-acre spring-fed lake for canoeing, sailing, kayaking, fishing, and other water sports.
Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort also has two 18-hole golf courses, tennis courts, a pool and hot tub, a billiards room, and a bar/lounge called the Waggin’ Tongue.
A fifteen-minute hay ride or a two-hour one on horseback brings guests to the Old Adobe, a historic building that’s been charmingly restored. Its furnishings including a small kitchen stocked with pioneer-style implements and animal-skin rugs.
Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort is nestled in the foothills of in Solvang, California, 40 miles north of Santa Barbara.
That puts Alisal right in the middle of California’s central coastal wine country, the setting for the film Sideways, making this mountain retreat an appealing spot for wine aficionados as well as aspiring rustlers.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation and meals for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
