Our Second Honeymoon
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 11/23/08
We were looking for a wonderful honeymoon spot, and my brother had mentioned San Ysidro Ranch. "It's where JFK and Jackie spent their honeymoon," Larry said.
Our experience was amazing. We book a large cottage tucked in a grapefruit orchard just up from the main lodge and restaurant. Our cottage had a wooden sine next to the door with our names on it. It was large, two bedrooms (perhaps overkill for a honeymoon) and, are you ready, a private hot tub. the next morning we had fresh fruit from the orchard English muffins and jam, and watched a wonderful young family hold a table tennis tournament which evoked images of the historic ping-pong diplomacy between the United States and China in the 1970s. They were impressive. Then we headed to the stables for our horseback ride in the costal hills and valleys. At noon the staff threw a special no-host barbecue. We spent the afternoon exploring Santa Barbara's famous State Street, visiting the Fox Arlington Theater and working our way down to the pier. Evening found us at the San Ysidro Ranch restaurant. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere so convivial, we made friends with a couple at the table to our left who later let me test-drive their new Maserati. Guests at the table to our right included none other than Shirley Temple Black.
After our honeymoon the San Ysidro Ranch sent several cute promotional packages. One campaign included a "guardian angel" strongly suggesting that she would be judged harshly if she failed to encourage our prompt return. I've been many places before and after San Ysidro Ranch, but none hold a warmer place in my heart.
A few years ago my friend C. Tad Devlin (Executive Producer for George of The Jungle) and his wife Diana were at the Ranch. True to form the staff was very resourceful in helping us select a nice gift to brighten their cottage.
Sincerely,
Horace J. Digby
World traveler and all around nice guy.