The Alisal – Sure and Steady

Grab your cowboy hat and cowboy boots, throw your kids or grandkids (if it’s a weekend) in the car, or perhaps indulge in a midweek romantic getaway and head on up to historic Alisal Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley for a tootin’ good time.

I’ve visited the downhome 10,500-acre Alisal Ranch several times over the years, going back to when beloved Santa Ynez Valley cowboy poet/wrangler Jake Compass regaled young and old alike out on the horse trail and breakfast camp after a ride. So, I was excited for a long overdue return visit for myself and a dear friend, Montecito-based artist Cynthia James, to celebrate her birthday, albeit belatedly. We waved goodbye to her husband Jorge, and headed out on a Friday afternoon, excited for a little dude ranch weekend/girlfriend getaway to The Alisal – just a 40-minute drive away.

As soon as I drove down the sycamore tree-lined driveway, I felt happy and relaxed. 

Although this was a repeat visit, I was pleased to find our “cowboy cozy” (as Cynthia dubbed the décor) cottage at the far end of the spread (and golf course adjacent) with a splendid porch view across a huge expanse of tree-dotted lawn accompanied by an inviting hammock. There have been upgrades and changes to the décor – which will be completed in spring of 2023 – but the ranch’s old-fashioned hospitality hasn’t changed one iota.

Our room (#42) featured a king-size bed in the combo bed/sitting room with a wood-burning stone fireplace and desk for the birthday girl; I took the twin bed in the little second room – home to the mini fridge stocked with complimentary drinks including a bottle of Diseño de California Rosé from the Santa Rita Hills and a spacious sink/dresser/wet bar – also the route to the loo, with shower and separate tub. The cottage had connecting doors in the event you are a larger group looking for adjacent rooms.

Unpacked and ready for grub, we strolled over to the atmospheric Oak Room bar where we discovered crunchy and delicious fried tempura-like shrimp appetizers at no charge. 

Alisal Ranch has been hosting a series of visiting chef cook-outs and we had come specifically for a fun-sounding early fall (that felt like summer) event. Brandon Cunningham from Montana’s Paws Up resort would be behind the outdoor grills on Saturday night.

Our Friday night dinner – we opted to dine outside on the oval lawn – began with a plate that included cheddar scones, zucchini muffins, a round of cheese, blistered almonds, and fruit. Dinner starters included a perfectly dressed green goddess salad, we also tasted their deservedly popular tortilla chicken soup. Drinks and excellent local wines by the glass are included in nightly rates. Cynthia ordered the most succulent chicken I’ve ever tasted and my thick grilled pork chop topped with a peach chutney was also excellent. Both were served with asparagus, other veggies, and mashed potatoes. We didn’t have much room for dessert – included in the three-course dinner – but tried two anyway, in the name of research. 

On our stroll back to our cottage at dusk, a sweet doe and her two fawns appeared across the lawn – the doe leapt over the wooden fence, her two youngins tried to figure out their course. One followed mom’s lead; the other slipped between the fence posts, providing a perfectly magical sight after a delicious and filling dinner. 

A Little Alisal History

The history of the land is fascinating and includes a land grant to Raimundo Carrillo in 1843, who sold to Henry Pierce in 1868 after floods and droughts wiped out crops and a pestilence decimated Carrillo’s cow herds. In 1882, after creating a method to irrigate the fields by leveraging the Santa Ynez River, Pierce renamed the ranch “The Alisal,” a Chumash word for sycamore, honoring the trees. The next owner, Charles Perkins, put the ranch on the map as the owner of a 1925 Kentucky Derby winner, Flying Ebony. When Perkins died in 1943, Ann and Pete Jackson generously donated a 58-acre parcel with Nojoqui Falls to Santa Barbara County. Many Montecitans have ties and/or old friendships to both the Perkins and Jackson families, who also lived or live in Montecito. On July 16, 1946 – with accommodations for just 30 guests, plus barns and rodeo fields, Alisal opened to the public. Clark Gable married here in 1949 and other Hollywood stars were visitors including Groucho Marx, Gregory Peck, Mickey Rooney, and Kirk Douglas.

Today, there’s not only the horse-filled barn with other darling animals, but a golf course, boating and fishing on Alisal Lake, tennis courts, and a basketball court. Who needs TVs (there is one in the library should you insist on popping your bubble of silence) with all this to choose from?

Saturday night did not disappoint. A fun band, The VineYardByrds, inspired little kids in cowboy boots to wiggle on the dance floor. Big round tables with bandana print tablecloths were soon filled with guests who hit the buffet featuring fare from both visiting Chef Cunningham, of The Green O Resort in Montana, and Alisal Executive Chef Craig Riker (formerly at Oliver’s in Montecito).

Chef Cunningham’s menu included a fab little gem wedge salad, wood-fired sunchokes, grilled Wagyu New York strip steak, and Vietnamese glazed king salmon lettuce wraps. Chef Riker manned the smoked beef ribs, lemongrass marinated shrimp with ginger and Fresno chili sambal, and smoked kielbasa, among other offerings. Pastry Chef Fernando Yepez turned out a dessert table filled with tasty sweets.

We joined a lively table that included ranch owner C.J. Jackson and his lovely wife, Mary; Alisal Ranch Manager Kathleen Cochran and her husband, Joe (a dead ringer for Jeff Bridges); a younger generation of the Firestone clan (Nick Firestone and his wife, Samantha, who has a jewelry line, Friend + Firestone); and Lia Barth, the ranch’s onsite marketing manager who grew up in Montecito, and her beau, Chase Carhartt of Carhartt Wines. It was fun to talk “old family” Montecito/Valley gossip and meet the younger generation of hard-working Valley folks.

One highlight was channeling my inner child and visiting the barn and petting zoo where I interacted with darling goats (one loved my hat), chickens, pigs, and a tortoise named Richard Parker. I also joined a table of human kids to paint a good luck horseshoe to hang over my Santa Ynez Valley cabin door. 

Another highlight of our weekend repast was the 15-minute, open-air truck ride through the property to tranquil Alisal Lake, a huge spring-fed lake that spills over into the creeks on the property and eventually feeds into the Santa Ynez River. Kids and parents can fish off the dock with worms for blue gill – catch and release, of course; others engage in stand-up paddleboarding or small boat excursions into hidden coves. Cynthia and I opted for lazing on dock-side chairs and enjoyed the sun glistening on the lake, ducks paddling by, and plenty of birdsong and mossy trees providing inspiration for her artwork. 

It’s lovely to stay at a retreat that honors the past – and doesn’t feel like it has to be trendy or chic to be relevant, although the spa gift shop features some very modern takes on cowboy chic designed by Carpinteria-raised Heidi Merrick.

The historic 75-year-old Alisal Ranch is a special place in our midst that envelopes one and family and friends in a safe and friendly vacation cocoon – and most guests, thoughtfully, wear masks indoors. October and November are some of the nicest months to visit Alisal (as well as spring) when the temperature is perfect, so what are you waiting for?  

For information and reservations, go to AlisalRanch.com