Great to know about the Kapalua. We loved it there, and they had upgraded us to a prime room with a beautiful view. It was open-air with ocean breezes and there were always "Hawaiin slack-key guitarists" playing in the afternoons. Oh well!
Of the ones still on the list for 2006-07, we would recommend the Tanque Verde Ranch for a family vacation and Charleston Place or the Grove Park Inn for an anniversary or second honeymoon trip. Tanque Verde all-inclusive type deal (like a cruise ship) and well worth the points. Meals are "family-style" with breakfast being served either at the ranch or out on the range during a morning ride. I must say that eggs, pancakes, biscuits, bacon, sausage, etc. do seem to taste better out in the open air at 6 a.m.! Once we finally dragged ourselves out of bed at 5 a.m. on the third day of 6 to experience the ride up a desert mountain for the meal, we cursed ourselves for not doing it the first two!
No,...we were not avid horseback riders (first time for my husband), and we found that over half of the other families there at the same time were fairly new at it, as well. They (ranch hands/cowboys) ask you a series of questions when saddling up for your first ride to pick the right horse for you and determine the right class for you to be in. My only "personal letdown" of the whole trip was when a fairly arrogant "wrangler cowboy" gave me Buford the MULE to ride my first time, and then smugly insinuated that I probably did not know the difference! (After giving him a Billy Crystal "City Slickers" speech about it being MY VACATION, I am proud to say that he never did it again the rest of the time we were there!) You have the ability to take as many as three lessons per day, and go on as many as four rides per day. Once you prove to them that you are in fairly good control of the horse, they will allow you to take the "loping test". Even as green as we were, my husband and I were able to pass the test by the 4th day which allowed us to "lope" in the river beds vs. walk nose to tail on all of the trail rides. (Of course, our 9 and 12 year-old daughters passed the loping test on day 2!)
You and your family stay in a very nice "casita" of your very own (1-3 bedrooms, bathrooms and living room) and evening programs (square dancing, family games, etc.) are offered every night. Dinner is at 5, and most everyone is in bed by 9 simply because of the very early mornings. One last caution,.....be prepared for TEARS on the plane ride home, as your kids (and possibly even yourself!) will become very attached to THEIR horse in a very short period of time! I think that after looking at the wet red eyes and faces of our daughters, the stewardesses on our flight were ready to call the authorities to question my husband and me about possible child abuse!
We are sad that they have taken the Equinox, Woodstock, White Swan and Petite Auberge off the list, as those three definitely helped us to fall in love with the "bed and breakfast" world. On the other hand, the places on the list that replaced them look good too. I would love to know if anyone has tried the place in Monterey or the ones in England? We have our 25th anniversary next November, and would love some suggestions for it!?!?!
Was yours a recent stay?
