#4: Family Trail Ride

Me & Maya

Sundays typically follow the same pattern each week for my family: Sunday School, church, lunch, grocery shopping, gym and maybe a visit to the park if the weather is nice. I’m not complaining – I love our Sunday rituals, but one goal of this project is to help me step out of routine. So, inspired by my 40x40 project (and a great deal from Groupon) we mixed things up today and drove to Alvarado, TX after church for a guided trail ride at Rancho la Rosa.

I’m not sure if the Groupon was for a private trail ride or if the cold, windy weather played a factor in us getting one, but either way, my husband, kids and I enjoyed a great afternoon on the ranch with our guide, Eusebio. 

My horseback riding experience is very limited. In fact, I only remember two times I’ve been on a horse in my 39 years – one was in middle school when I joined a friend’s family for a week-long adventure at a YMCA camp in Estes Park, Colorado. And the second was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico when my husband and I took a three-hour excursion while on a sales incentive trip.

But the joy in today’s adventure was less about horseback riding and more about breaking out of the norm. It was great to be less than an hour from home, yet feel like we were someplace completely different – with only farmhouses and nature in sight. 

My kids loved it, and Eusebio said both did great. In fact, he refused to believe it was Luca’s first time on a horse saying she was ‘Amazing.’ I see an expensive horseback-riding interest in our family’s future.

Experience #4 was definitely worth the crazy cold and wet weather we braved. And what a great reminder that fun diversions from the everyday can be right at your back door. I'm so happy we took time to find this one. Only 36 new experiences to go!