Wilder Ranch!

We didn't even realize this horse was here until we heard him make this loud majestic neigh! We looked over and this is what we saw. 

Unbelievable, right?! He was so gorgeous! I swear it was like a scene straight from a fairy tale movie.

We had to go over to say hi.

The below photo cracks me up because Charlotte was bending over and talking baby talk to him just like she does to babies. You know, saying things like, "Who's a good boy? You're just so cute!" Um...no need to bend over Charlotte. He's only 5 times your size!

This place was truly special and I can see why the owners decided to give it to the state to be used as a historical land mark. 

Check out this tree below! It was a child's dream spot to let their imaginations go wild! Such a unique spot in this huge world to be able to enjoy, even if only for a moment.

I mean, I don't even know what to say, was this one tree or multiple ones? I'm really not sure.

See the little girl in the red bonnet below? When we first arrived there were children writing in their journals as part of a home school class I believe. They and their two guardians had taken a field trip that day. They screamed Santa Cruz to me. They were dressed as if they were from the 60's like what you see from photos of the Woodstock days. I felt like I was in a time warp for a minute and it definitely added to the unique feel of this place. I love traveling and experiencing things like this.

ANOTHER truly unique piece of nature we saw at this ranch were these aloe vera bushes like nothing I'd ever seen before! They were so huge that there were tunnels within them that you could walk through. The kids found little nooks and crannies to hide in. I had no idea aloe vera plants could grow like this.

Below, I was standing outside the plant cluster taking a picture of Charlotte inside.

 These pictures were taken from inside one of the plants looking out to the farm house. 

Daniel was showing Morgan the inside goo of the plant and we were explaining how it could help soothe sunburns.

So much aloe! Maybe this isn't as spectacular as I thought, lol! Maybe I'm the only one who was so impressed but between the aloe plants, crazy winding growing tree, majestic horse and ocean views (pics to come), I just thought this was a really special place.

Here's the farm house that is one of the many buildings on the property. They give tours of the buildings at certain times.

The first thing we did when we got to Wilder Ranch was eat our picnic lunch I had purchased at Jason's Deli. We ate on picnic tables in front of this building that was really, really old and had some historical significance (we didn't take the tour). We ate delicious sandwiches, fresh pickles and carrot cake! Yum!

Some people on horses stopped so our girls could pet them. Look at their smiles, sweet.

 Across the street from the Ranch were scenic trails that led to the ocean.

 This beach was off limits to people in hopes of preserving the natural state of things.

 Morgan was freaked out by the large hornets who were buzzing around enjoying these plants.

Goodbye Wilder Ranch! Until next time...
Charlotte was tired and cried on our walk to and from the ocean. I told Daniel that I want him and I to go back some day with just the two of us and a bottle of wine.