Encompassing 10,000 acres in Santa Ynez, The Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort offers seclusion, adventure and relaxation.

Standing in our room after dinner, I glanced down at my iPhone and saw the best message of the day: No service.

April and I had just checked into The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort outside Solvang looking for a distraction-free weekend of relaxation. And it was clear we were in the right place.

The Alisal is 10,000 acres of seclusion unmarred by cell service, televisions and in-room phones. It fills the void of connectivity with activities. Fitness Center. Spa. Horseback riding. Hiking. Biking. Tennis. Golf. Pool. Fishing. Canoeing. Archery. Or, sitting on the front porch of your cottage and doing, well, nothing.

We relished the menu of options, and the freedom to indulge in them, as the kids were with Grandma for the weekend.

We began Saturday with an Alisal tradition, the Breakfast Ride. It's a 90-minute horseback ride across the ranch, where a fantastic breakfast spread awaits.

With April riding Concho, and me aboard Dally, we clip-clopped out of the corral and headed into the heart of the ranch. The trail wound across gurgling creeks and undulating hills carpeted with spring grasses. We passed under centuries-old oak and sycamore and caught glimpses of hawks soaring above the canopy and a deer bobbing its way down a slope.

Breakfast was served in a meadow when we arrived. We loaded our plates with eggs, bacon, pancakes and fresh fruit before sliding into a picnic table shared with other guests. A ranchhand strummed a guitar and sang, the lonely sound of "Desperado" punctuating our morning coffee. Another wrangler treated us to a short performance of cowboy poetry.

After breakfast, we kept riding, but swapped the horses for bikes. You could spend days cycling the Santa Ynez Valley and exploring back roads and wineries. We pedaled 9 miles roundtrip along a two-lane road that carried us through sunny pasture lands to Nojoqui Falls, a stunning 100-foot waterfall tucked into a shady canyon.

Arriving back at The Alisal, it was time for a break. We wandered down to the pool, and for the first time all day, we did nothing more strenuous than walk to the bar. After returning to our lounge chairs with an iced coffee and a Pacifico, we sipped, read and dozed.

Invigorated by our poolside respite, we headed into our next activity - the late afternoon yoga class. The hour of stretching, breathing and downward-dogging erased the aches and pains from my normally-cranky back and provided a burst of energy when it was really needed.

A smoking grill on the poolside lawn signaled that Saturday's barbecue dinner was about to be served. With beef, chicken, salmon, grilled veggies and all the fixin's, it was clear I'd need at least two trips through the buffet to sample everything - and a third to grab a bowl of warm berry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.

After Saturday's full slate of activities, we enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning and lingered over breakfast in the Ranch Room. We stopped in Solvang on our way out of town. The sidewalks were crowded with tourists enjoying the faux-Danish charm and inside the stores, customers jostled for trinkets and souvenirs.

Within a few minutes, I'd had enough and was ready to leave.

"I'm so relaxed, I'm overwhelmed by Solvang," I told April.
Eric Harnish is a suburban cowboy who bunks in Castaic.

Rope some Relaxation
The Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort
805-688-6411
www.alisal.com