Unknowingly, I’ve been creating a bucket list for Athena. She looks at travel destinations and activities with me and her comments and excitement determine a lot more than I realized.  Her recent interest in petting, holding, and interacting with animals led to our weekend at Alisal Guest Ranch. At the Alisal Bard Yard, children can be lead on horseback around the corral. I had no idea that children Athena’s age, and even younger, could ride on a horse and the opportunity was too good to pass up. At only 3 hours away from us, Alisal Guest Ranch was a good weekend getaway option. Plus, we could cross riding a horse off Athena’s bucket list; and if it was something she truly enjoyed, we could explore the possibilities in more depth.  Continue reading →