10 years in the making

10 years ago a co-worker told me about her magical trip to Rancho La Puerta and I knew I had to go. Weddings, new jobs, babies, new jobs, more babies and then a pandemic postponed those desires until this past week. And it was everything.

After so much anticipation and build up (it had been 10 years) I was afraid it wasn’t going to happen, even with a reservation secured, even with flights booked, even after getting my passport emergency resolved and even on the bus across the border.  And yet, we, Erin and I, officially made it to the Ranch for a weeklong vacation of rest, relaxation, meditation, exercise, healthy eating and so much more. There are no words to explain the experience other than I am ready to go back every year and have already booked our trip for next year.

Just a quick background: the Ranch is a 4,000+ acre resort with everything one could hope for in a getaway.  Beautiful yet rustic accommodations, lush landscaping, exercise classes, art classes, cooking classes, wellness classes, an amazing spa, everything. 

With so much to do each and every day, as highlighted in the weekly schedule, we wanted to make the most of the experience.  And yet, we also wanted to not stress about anything.  Going against every fiber in our Type A bodies Erin and I attempted to not overschedule ourselves, and through the process we were able to balance it all.

We hiked, played tennis, stretched, practiced yoga, revisited Pilates, and learned salsa.

We tried something new every day including Feldenkrais, Gyrokinesis, aqua board (which I lasted only 10 minutes on before getting motion sick), sound healing (which gave Erin and I both a migraine), walked the Labyrinth, and massaged our feet on the reflexology path. 

We also hiked to their organic farm, learned about birds during a morning bird walk (we also learned what two animals we would not want to come back as in our second life: a female duck and Cochineal, the insect that makes red dye no. 4) and I took part in a writing workshop.

We enjoyed spa treatments galore, running the gamut from the traditional massages, facials, body scrubs and a hand/foot massage to the unusual and crazy such as the scalp treatment (just really aggressive brushing) and a chocolate wrap (where we were scrubbed with honey and sugar, then painted in chocolate and wrapped in a foil blanket, not un-similar to a “bump on a log” banana and chocolate dessert typically enjoyed while camping).

We spent mornings with coffee in our hacienda and afternoons reading books on our private patio. We ate amazing pescatarian meals in spa size portions (not feeling hungry or unsatisfied) and partook in more than a few bottles of wine at the wine bar.

And true to form, our favorite moment was one not included in their formal schedule.  With a bottle of wine, wine glasses and a few snacks we hiked up the mountain to Alex’s Oak on Thursday night, our last night at “camp”, for sunset with our new bffs, the sister duo of Heidi and Tami from Oregon.

It was amazing.  And the best part was meeting all of the amazing, kind people who were there as well: the multiple mother daughter combos, the sisters from Oregon, the solo ladies and groups of 8+ women, our fellow first timers, and those who have been coming there since the 80s and have since shared the experience with everyone they know.

Next year is already booked for anyone who would like to join!