Sheilaclapkin's Blog;

It is springtime at the Rankin Ranch and we were invited to have a first hand glimpse of the blooming lilacs and the lush green hillsides. Our family especially enjoyed the ride up through the Greenhorn Mountains east of Bakersfield as we made our way to the ranch.  Mountain roads are always a treat to “city slickers” and hillsides that have been coated green by recent rains are a particular delight. As you travel onward and upward you experience a dotting of trees, casting shadows, telling of the early morning time, knowing that as you descend in the late afternoon the shadows cast will have changed sides noting that time has passed and the day will soon end. As you ascend further towards your destination, the narrowing of the road has added envelopment by encroaching, bending, branching trees giving you the feeling of being hugged by nature. Soon thereafter, you find yourself negotiating hairpin turns and long vistas to the sides you have passed and yet to come. The climb is captivating and finally you see the sign letting you know that Rankin Ranch at 23500 Walker Basin Rd, Caliente, CA is close at hand.

Our first experiences on the ranch included archery, horseshoe toss, swings, ping pong, and a recreation center full of games and places to rest, relax and view the ranch scenery from a giant viewing window.

Photos of us horseback riding, enjoying the hay wagon ride and meadow for our BBQ lunch will help to see what you can do here as well. Also, included are photos of one hundred year old barns, structures, vistas, equipment and the appropriate ranch animals.

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We did not have enough time for swimming and fishing, but have vowed to return to spend more time and another spring at Rankin Ranch. Being in a country environment reveals new truths by adding  new dimensions to your thinking. There is a slow quiet revelation and as it unfolds, it is unencumbered by the commotion, racket, clamor and the blasting sounds of city life. You become able to decipher your own state of reality, your own state of fact. You are able to incorporate inspirational and motivational gifts from nature’s source.