I thin k it's all been said before - we loved the Alisal. We booked a two day package and although it was off peak season and quiet everyone went out of their way to make our stay wonderful. Being the week before thanksgiving is about as off-peak as you can get and the ranch only had about 30 guests staying - enough to give it atmosphere at mealtimes ( good simple and tasty fare with plenty of choice) and for the early morning campfire session which we joined on the 'hay wagon'. The fact that other guests included a multi- generational party, the elders of which have been coming for 45 years speaks volumes. We'll have to return as an extended family too!

Loved the homely rooms with wood bur ning open fires (definitely a must for the cool nights ) and the fact there was no tv or radio in the rooms - a well needed break from all that, though there is good wifi throughout the property. We were blessed with marvellous weather - hot cloudless skies and cool nights, but the weather changed the day we left and it would have been disappointing not to have been able to take advantage of all that the ranch offers:riding, fishing, hiking and more. If you feel you need civilisation Solvang is just a few minutes away by car and it's only about 40 minutes drive to Santa Barbara.

We spent 6 days here in August and had a wonderful family vacation. We've never been on a Ranch vacation and everyone - my in-laws, us and the kids- had a great time. The fun never stopped.

I think people have pretty much covered all the cool things to do here. It's really a family place and a great place to entertain multi-generational groups. My in-laws had their own separate room (which was one of the newest and was very nicely appointed) and enjoyed two days of golf. They liked that it was relaxing, no one had to worry about cooking and my MIL took the shuttle down to Solvang for window shopping twice (totally her thing). My husband got in a hike and played tennis. He signed up for a group lesson but no one else showed so he had a private lesson and loved it. He got to talking to the tennis pro and he set up my hubby with a friend to play. Hubby has never gotten to play tennis on a family vacation before so this was just the best for him. I guess even better because he beat the guy (who is really good) and then the guy wanted to play again (he loss the second time) so he was stoked to get in three days of tennis! My daughter also played "pee-wee" tennis and Walt and the teen girls that played with my daughter were great. She had fun!

The horse riding was amazing. They have so many trails! My daughter who rides horses, was in heaven! We did a group trail ride and two breakfast rides. I used to ride and was able to keep up with her as the the horses are well trained. The wranglers are personable and all the little girls just love all the girl wranglers - which I thought was great for them to see strong confident women doing something they love. We had Haddie twice and my daughter loved her.

My younger one was too little for the horseback riding but was able to enjoy free pony rides and hung out at the barn. You can pick eggs each day and on your last day they will send some home with you. You can spend hours hanging with all the animals in the barn. One day they brought out a mini petting zoo in the parking lot with snakes, iguanas, rats, birds, etc. The kids loved it! It wasn't on the schedule so it was a nice surprise.

Speaking of schedule, this place is like being on a cruise without the sea sickness. There's a full schedule of events, with something for everyone. Teen night at the lake, family movie on the lawn at night, astronomy talk for the kids after dinner, craft room for the kids, pool games, air riffles, fishing, tennis lessons, the list goes on. If you don't like the scheduled stuff, there's so much else to do (catch the shuttle to Solvang, for example) but it's okay to do nothing too! We spent some time doing just that at the pool or at the lake!

I really could go on about all the fun things we did. But I think you get my point. There are three downsides to this place. While the property is immaculate and just amazing, the rooms are a bit "rustic". No AC, no TV, no phone, and depending on where your room is Wi-Fi is a bit spotty. Not sure when some of these bed spreads were last washed. But I took it as part of the ranch experience. The other downside is that nearly everything you do is ala carte. Other dude ranch vacations we looked at had all the activities included. This place is not cheap to begin with and then to add on each activity adds up. And lastly, it's REALLY hard to get in. There are families that have been coming for YEARS. Like we met an 11 year old girl that said it was her 11th year there. Returning guests get priority for the same week the following summer. And most people make their reservations when they check out. I can tell you that my MIL was thinking this is a one-time deal but after a great week, she was sitting down with the reservationist on our last day trying to reserve for next summer! (sadly, we're on a wait list because we need to move a week earlier for 2013 and there's no space)

All in all, if you can get in, you'll have a great time. The staff is wonderful. The food is good and the experience you'll have is tops. Experience the great outdoors in this beautiful ranch!

First of all, in spite of the high tariff, this is not the Ritz. If you want big TVs and lavish accommodations, you're in the wrong place. The ranch decor pervades with big furniture and Indian blankets. The rooms are spacious (ours was near the Library, a location I like very much because it's close to everything) and the bathrooms were very clean with ample toiletries. Plenty of closet and drawer space as many people stay for several days. Breakfast and dinner are included in the price. While lunch isn't all that necessary, I ordered a picnic basket just to see what it was like. What arrived was an old fashioned charming basket filled with a generous lunch that included a sandwich, fruit salad, cole slaw, olives, peppers, and a giant cookie for each person. I ordered 2 lunches to feed four adults and it was more than enough.We did not go horseback riding, but we did go over to the barn area where there are animals to pet and very friendly staff to chat with. We also took the minibus to the lake where one can fish, boat, or just relax. There is also archery available. Each activity has a fee unless you have a special package so you can rack up charges fairly easily. There is a spacious pool area but it was not being used during our rather chilly, windy, stay. Because of the season, there was a corn maze in the garden as well as a pumpkin patch along with other vegetables. There are also some hiking trails though most of the ranch is not open to walkers because it is a working cattle ranch. This was our second visit to Alisal and will not be our last.

Three far-flung family members met up with their families for a wonderful five days at Alisal Ranch. It is a fabulous setting for family reunions; everyone gets their own space, there are plenty of activities to satisfy divergent tastes, and we all met for meals at the big round table in the dining room.
We loved the horseback riding and rode every day. The wranglers were great and we all improved our horsemanship during our stay. The horses were top-notch, not your usual rental nags that are often offered up at riding stables.
Other family members enjoyed the golfing and said that the courses were beautiful.
We had a great half-day at the lake. We worked on our archery and rifle skills. The lake is stocked with very hungry fish. Fun!
But the best part was watching the cousins who don't often see each other having a great time together! Who knew that shuffleboard could be a contact sport?
Overall, a fun and memorable trip. Hope that we can make Alisal a family tradition as so many other families have done through the years.