Showing posts with label Green Hunter Boots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Hunter Boots. Show all posts

Friday, December 9, 2016

Rancho Siempre Verde

Location: Rancho Siempre Verde Christmas Tree Farm
I have been on a hunt for the most perfect Christmas Tree Farm in the San Francisco Bay Area.  We recently visited Ward Ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains featured in this post here and really enjoyed the small tree farm hospitality!  Today we visited Rancho Siempre Verde which is located on Cabrillo Highway, 5 miles south of Pigeon Point Lighthouse on highway 1.  








Rancho Siempre Verde has become a Christmas tradition for family and friends for the last 50 years! Guests are invited to picnic overlooking the Pacific Ocean, roast marshmallows by the large crackling fire pit, take tractor rides through the fields, romp around in and under the haystacks, or lounge out on many of the hammocks strung between trees on the property.  This was the first time we visited this rural farm and we definitely will be more prepared for next time!  





If you plan to visit soon, I have a few recommendations that I plan to do for my next visit.  

1) Dress comfortable and wear a warm coat with layers you can pull off...the coast can be foggy and chilly but the sun can break through and it will warm up quickly!  

2) Bring a picnic basket, a few blankets, your family, friends, and beloved pets!  Many families who have done this before set up amazing winter picnic spreads on the numerous redwood tables located on the property! You can bring hot cocoa for the kids and hot totties for the adults - just ensure you have a designated driver and a few thermoses to conceal it in and keep it hot!  

3) Get there early and make a day of it!  Immerse yourself in enjoying this family Christmas tradition.  After you have selected your tree, grab some marshmallows and roast them by the campfire (marshmallows were available for free and I am assuming they were donated by the owners and regular visitors), take a tractor ride through the fields, make your own holiday wreath - all supplies were provided for a very small cost and you can bring your own embellishments if you like, and finally...take a ride on the swings!  There are big swings, small swings, tire swings, rope swings, double swings, triple swings, and more all over the farm. The biggest ones are at the top of the hill, but as you hunt for your tree, keep an eye out for the hidden ones.  Warning: It may be difficult to get your children back in the car after they try one of these, so come with plenty of time to play.      










After filling our tummies with some food and holiday treats, it was time to relax on the hammock under the trees.  Truth be told... when I first sat on this hammock it flipped me over like a pancake!  I'm so graceful!  I had one of those moments when I looked around and thought "oh 😲 , did anyone see that??!!"  



We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Rancho Siempre Verde Christmas Tree Farm.  I cannot wait to go back again!  I'm already planning a rustic country Christmas picnic spread!

Shop my entire outfit and similar details by visiting my shop page for all the products featured in this post and on my blog!  Or, you can simply shop from the products below!

Happy Holidays!

Hayley

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Ward Ranch Christmas Tree Farm

Location: Ward Ranch Christmas Tree Farm
Happy Holidays from San Francisco Bay Style!  I've put away all the fall decor and now it's time to decorate for Christmas!  The first thing on our "to do" list is to find the perfect Christmas tree for our living room front window!  I thought it would be fun to visit a local Christmas Tree Farm this year!  My husband loves the pine scent of a real tree and thought it would be fun to try a new experience with the kids!



Outfit Details:

Red Wool Blend Coat: (similar here, here, and here) - make sure you bring a warm coat!  It can get  chilly!
Joe Fresh Plaid Skirt: I purchased this skirt a few years ago and I am still wear it all the time!  I found some other options: (similar here, here, and here)
Green Hunter Boots: I own these red ones which are also perfect for the holidays!
Leg Warmers: (similar here, here, and here) - perfect to wear with boots and keep your legs warm when wearing skirts!
Charter Club dog sweater (similar here, here, and here)

🎄🎄🎄



I came across Ward Ranch searching on Yelp!  The small farm family atmosphere was very appealing and we really didn't want to deal with the overrated and overcrowded other popular farms near our area.  Ward Ranch is located off of coastal highway 1 on Bonny Doon Road in the Santa Cruz mountains.  It's a gorgeous drive through big and majestic redwood trees.  It's located in close proximity to Beauregard Vineyards Tasting Room, which is another spot I plan to visit soon!

We arrived at 9:00 in the morning right when they opened. We were greeted by the family's friendly dogs and the proprietor's who own the property.  They offered us complimentary hot cocoa, coffee, and cider and we warmed up by the crackling camp fire pit which was surrounded by haystacks decorated with colorful blankets!





This sweet girl's name is Nelly!  She loves to be scratched under her neck!






Once we warmed up near the fire pit we were ready for the day's adventure...in search for the perfect Christmas tree.  The droughts in California over the last several years have made it very difficult for local tree farms to produce numerous large and lush fir trees.  Therefore, if you are expecting to see rows and rows of hundreds of trees, you may want to head to Oregon!  With that in mind, we enjoyed searching the property and saw everything from small seedlings, to 7 foot noble and douglas firs, and a gigantic redwood tree in the center of the property! 






The Ward Ranch residence:


After finding and cutting down our perfect Christmas tree, we stopped in the small wooden shed near the fire pits to peruse through arts and crafts for sale from local artisans.  They had a spectacular selection of hand crafted goods from jewelry, knitted scarfs and beanies, holiday ornaments, scented soaps and candles, and many other beautiful items that are perfect for gifting and creating lasting holiday memories!







Plan your trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains and visit Ward Ranch Christmas Tree Farm.  You will enjoy the family spirit and generosity, the small tree farm vibe, and most importantly, you will create fun holiday family memories that will be cherished forever!


Shop my entire outfit and similar details by visiting my shop page for all the products featured in this post and on my blog!

Happy Holidays,
xoxoxo,

Hayley