Cross Country International offers two new horseback riding vacations

Cross Country International (CCI) is offering two exciting new riding vacation packages in California – the California Northern Coast Trail and the California Wine Country Trail Ride.

“After a day of riding along the beautiful California Coast, there is no better way to spend the evening than returning to a good meal, fine wine and the conversation of friends,” said Cross Country International President Karen Lancaster. “That is exactly what our visitors can look forward to with either of these new vacation packages.”

The California Wine Country Trail Ride incorporates sun drenched vineyards with exquisite vintages and regional cheese. Who says you need to learn French to revel in the pleasures of Vin et Fromage?

On this ride, guests will ride great horses and tour the sumptuous wine regions north of San Francisco – Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties – while enjoying the gracious hospitality and luxurious accommodations of the 750 acre Cowboy Hideaway Ranch. Nestled at the top of a hill in the heart of wine country, Cowboy Hideaway Ranch offers spectacular views of Clear Lake, California’s largest natural lake.

This ride offers the chance to travel to Seabiscuit’s Ridgewood Ranch where jockey Red Pollard brought the famous horse back to winning form.

Guests will ride along the Mendocino coastal bluffs, wind through vineyards, explore redwood forests and ride the banks of the Tule Lakes while enjoying the cuisine and wine of the area, including the spectacular Ceago del Lago, Jim Fetzer’s new vineyard and Rosso & Bianco, Francis Ford Coppola’s new winery.

In addition to riding and winery tours, other things to do on this include are hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, spa, antiquing and sightseeing.

The California Wine Country Trail Ride Includes:
• Six nights accommodations
• Five days guided trail riding
• Most meals
• Transfers from San Francisco airport at pre-set times
• Winery tours
• Horse, guides, tack and tax
• Available in 2008 from April-October

The California Northern Coast Trail Ride is a five-day, five-night ride located just one hour south of San Francisco, along the undisturbed California Coast. Long before maps and diaries were inked on Spanish galleons, the indigenous people, the Ohlones, sang the name of this place: “Dancing on the brink of the world.” The host and horses are located on site at a picturesque seaside inn which overlooks a spectacular stretch of rugged bluffs surrounded by endless acres of wilderness, rolling coastal hills and secluded beaches. This provides a great base camp for the first half of this spectacular horseback trail ride vacation. The final day crosses through backcountry wilderness to a charming turn of the century Inn for a night in a coastal town that still retains pristine its 19th century atmosphere.

Guests will ride through wilderness areas that are accessible to few travelers. The ride traverses coastal grassland, seasonal wildflower filled meadows and stands of Redwood trees and crosses creeks where guests will encounter wildlife ranging from herons and hawks to deer and possibly coyote and bobcats with the spectacular Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. After a full day of riding guests can experience the relaxation of the “California outdoor hot tub” under the stars.

Other sightseeing excursions include the coastal towns of Pescadero, Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz to sightsee and shop for handcrafted gifts. Another possibility is a tour of Harley Farms, a local organic goat farm that produces excellent goat cheese and where guests can make their own cheese to take home. Another option is a visit to the local Bonny Doon Winery in the coastal hills nearby.

Other amenities include a spa, yoga, mountain bike riding, hiking and kayaking, as well as visits to Ano Nuevo State Park, Santa Cruz Board Walk, historic Pigeon Point Light House and Bib Basin Redwood State Park.

The California Northern Coast Trail Ride Includes:
• Five nights hotel/B&B accommodation
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner day of arrival
• 50 minute massage
• Five days guided trail riding
• Horse, tack, and tax
• Available Sunday to Friday, April – November

For information on these or any of Cross Country International’s numerous other vacation packages, please contact Cross Country International by phone at (800) 828-8768, via e-mail to [email protected] or by visiting www.equestrianvacations.com

Courtesy of grouptravelblog.com