Travel off the beaten track and experience

My relationship with horses has been tough since one of those four-legged creatures threw me into a pile of mud a couple of years ago in Costa Rica.  Since that, I have been hesitant to ride a horse. That doesn’t mean I have steered clear from those beautiful beasts.  As a matter of fact, I became very excited with the idea of visiting the Quicksilver Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley.  This particular area has a long history of western traditions. I was able to observe cowboy style towns, horse ranches, and carriages. Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch has contributed to maintaining the area heritage but has also given a twist to the horse breeding business.  The place is dedicated to breeding fine, miniature horses. Yes, you read right. Adorable horses roam among rolling hills, shady oaks, and perfectly planted vineyards. If you take Alamo Pintado Road from Solvang towards Los Olivos, the ranch is easily spotted on the right side (ask for directions ...

Photo by Anna Fox Wandering Disney parks can make for a long, exhausting day. But it’ll be worth it! Here are some tips on how your family can make the most out of a trip to Disneyland or California Adventure. 1. Get There Before the Park Opens While the Disneyland Resort publishes park hours on their website, they often let visitors through the gates before the scheduled time . While there is no set time for this, it is usually about a half hour before the parks open. So get there early to wander Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. or California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street. While ropes will be blocking Tomorrowland and Adventureland, you can wait for the rope drop. This will amp up the anticipation even more for little ones—and you’ll be some of the first people to get on rides. Head for the ones that usually have long lines like Space Mountain or Indiana Jones. 2. Try to Avoid Magic Mornings If you are staying at a Disney hotel and have a 3+ day admission ticket, you are entit...

Garrapata. Garrapata. It is difficult to understand how a noun that inspires all sorts of disgusting thoughts can be used to describe such a beautiful place. I am referring to the Garrapata State Park located in the northern part of Big Sur (about 7 miles south of Carmel). Garrapata means “thick” in Spanish.  After some comprehensive research, I haven’t been able to find why this park bears this name.   Different areas within the park are named after the families who owned the land before the state acquire it.  However, there are no references to the garrapata origins.  Since this land was used to raise cattle, I am assuming the current name has something to do with the little blood suckers infesting the livestock. But let’s forget about the name for a moment and focus on what it is important.  In this place you can find a jagged coastline, white sands, redwood-filled canyons, 60 species of mammals and 110 species of birds.  I do not know about you but this is what I call amazing!...

Looking for the best wineries in Temecula and things to do in Temecula? We’ve got you covered with our favorite wineries in Temecula and things to do in Temecula. Ever since our close family friends moved to Temecula, we’ve been visiting a few times a year. It never gets old because there is SO much to do in Temecula, one of those things being wine tasting at some really beautiful wineries! There are over 40 wineries in Temecula and so figuring out which are the best wineries in Temecula can be difficult. To help narrow it down for you, we’ve listed the best wineries in Temecula in our opinion. While we haven’t been to them all, our family friends know the area really well and have guided us to the best ones to visit. So these are the wineries we consider to be the best and also the wineries a Temecula local thinks are the best! Since there’s a lot more to do in Temecula than just wine tasting, we’ve also included our favorite things to do in Temecula...