We have just returned from another family weekend retreat at Ramah, and once again had a wonderful…read moretime. I have to say that I was particularly impressed at how the staff has adapted since the very long time kitchen manager and director have changed over after almost 20 years. It just reinforces that they have their programs down to a T, and are committed to providing wonderful experiences. Ramah is most commonly known for Jewish summer camps, but check out their other programs as well!

Camp said they would do a good job of building community. They did the opposite of that for our…read moredaughter. There are strong cliques, and outsiders are shunned and ostracized. Months after the camp was over a girl asked a click of girls in my daughter's bunk about my daughter (who has lots of friends at her school and is well-liked) and they replied by expressing disgust and disdain. My daughter overheard her counselors expressing that they don't like children. So, HARD PASS on this camp. My daughter ended up disliking Judaism by association bc of this camp.

I love this place just for spending time with the animals, even though I haven't gone horseback…read moreriding yet. The kids love seeing the horses, goats, llamas, and much more up close. I know it's America and other places might see it as a liability, but I hope they continue to let people come and roam free!

It took everything in me to not act like I was in Red Dead Redemption. I wanted to lean down while…read moresoftly petting the horse and say "Wooaah eaassyy there Nelly. Don't be scared. If we must die, we'll die. But sometimes death is the only way to remain free..." This was actually my first time riding a horse. Horses are so beast. Like that thing could have killed me anytime he wanted to. When we were checking in for our ride, a cowgirl in a long sleeve camo shirt, navy blue jeans, and some cowboy boots with spurs came out and said "Hey y'all!" in a thick Western accent. I look over and the rest of the staff are also full cowgirls. I had to double check I wasn't in the Even Cowgirls Get the Blues novel. Great read. Her name was Sissy and she was our trail guide for the day. She passionately explained how old each horse was and a bit of their backgrounds. My horse's name was Graham and he was a straight thug. He used to carry solar panels up the mountains. Straight workhorse. She had to put him near the back because he wanted to LAP all the other horses. After a 30 minute ride, we were able to walk around the grounds, and see all the other animals on the ranch. Mules, Donkeys, Cows, Horses, Alpacas, Sheep, etc. It was pretty rad. I got a good boot rec from Sissy (Double H Boots), as I'm in the market for some quality boots. Not cowboy boots though I'd be a phony. It was inspirational to see how people still live so differently. Sissy has been riding since she was in diapers and teaches lessons at the ranch full time. I often wonder if this simple of a life leads to greater happiness than climbing the corporate ladder. Comparison is a thief of joy though. If I were a screenwriter, the Ojai Valley Trail Riding Company would provide me with plenty of inspiration for a hit film. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

I honestly had high hopes for this experience, especially since I've been eager to learn more about…read morehorses. I read the glowing reviews and expected a warm, educational, and patient environment because everyone seemed to love it. Unfortunately, that's not what I got. From the beginning, communication was confusing and inconsistent. When we called, we were told we'd get to groom and saddle the horses ourselves, which I was really excited about since I'd only learned grooming in the past. we did groom the horses, but with putting the saddle on, that part was completely skipped and she did it all herself. I asked about it and was brushed off with a vague "let's stay in the present moment" comment--something she repeated often to avoid directly answering questions. It came off dismissive, not peaceful. The ride itself was stressful. I'd told her it was my first time riding without a lead guide and this is my first time having full control. She didn't offer any instruction on how to stop or control the horse before mounting. The horses clearly had a strong bond with her and would follow her no matter what, even when I tried using the reins. I was told to "have control" but wasn't shown how to do that properly and beforehand. I had no control because the horses were trained to follow her--not us. And then I got blamed for it. At one point, my horse started walking off and I didn't know how to stop him. Instead of calmly helping me and telling me what to do, the guide stood there silently with her arms crossed and an annoyed or pissed off expression followed with annoyed sighing and rude comments like "oh gosh help me" acting like I was supposed to know everything even though it was known I'm a beginner at this. Later, when I finally got a basic instruction ("pull the reins to your stomach and say hooo"), I followed it--but the horse still didn't respond fully, because again, it was just fixated on her. That's not a beginner rider's fault. She also snapped at us multiple times over small misunderstandings--like which halter to grab--and never took the time to clearly explain what we were doing wrong, or how to do it better. My mom even asked a question after the ride, and the guide cut my mom off followed by an annoyed "Anyways...." and no question was answered. It was hard to enjoy the experience when the environment didn't feel calm, or respectful. For someone who talks a lot about peace and presence, she was surprisingly impatient, reactive, and dismissive. If you're a total beginner, I'd strongly suggest finding a place that's more beginner-friendly--where the horses are better trained for guests, and the instructor actually takes time to teach, guide, and support you with patience. Seems like i'm not the only one with this problem and I wish I read the reviews on a proper website beforehand. Super unprofessional and bipolar behavior. Honestly felt like a big scam. She has us do the hard work for the majority of the time but once it was time to start riding, we immediately got scolded and rode for not even 20 minutes? This experience wasn't it.

My daughter and I spent a wonderful and amazing evening at Western Trail Rides for her birthday…read morethis September. The horses Trigger, Oliver and Levi were all so therapuetic, calm, and seemed happy to help us on our 1st meeting and trail ride. Melissa was a fantastic coach as well and you can really tell she absolutely loves her boys (horses). She had a very caring, calm and patient energy as well which made us feel at home. We both left with the biggest smiles after feeding the horses some carrots at the end of our evening. I would recommend completely for anyone or any families looking to try something new and or just down to earth petting and grooming of these majestic animals. Absolutely going back and thankful it was within our budget to go back again.

School still sucks. I graduated but those experiences still stayed with me. It's horrible there. I…read moreespecially wouldn't recommend anyone to attend boarding, it's just horrible. Education is tolerable for the most part that I could remember, sixth grade was a breeze for me. However the boarding aspect is horrid.

My son attended kindergarten last year and this year he is attending 1st grade. This school is…read moreamazing! Horseback riding, wood shop, art, music, and Spanish are just some of the classes that the 1st Graders do weekly besides the core subjects. Both his teachers are great! They work closely with all the students and are very enthusiast. I can't recommend this school enough.

Best training stables around! Greg really knows how to teach well, he comes from a background in…read moreeducation which combined with his equine expertise makes him the best teacher! I have been riding for over 12 years and have trained with various different instructors in the area and no one compares to Peppercorn. Not only are they the most knowledgable, patient instructors, Greg and his wife go above and beyond by accomodating their students and really making these stables a great environment. Greg also does Pony Club, although I never participated in this I've seen all the Pony Club students and they seem to have a wonderful system set up!

From the owner: Horseback Riding Lessons, Leasing, Eventing, Jumping, Dressage, Summer Day Camp, US Pony Club,…read moreTraining, Boarding

An incredible space for young people to find out who they are and what they're here to do. We are…read moreso grateful for this "school!" My 10 year old son started at RTS a year ago after several years at a public school in the county. He was so anxious at the public school: most of the kids there would run out the gate at 3pm wanting to get out of there, with my son being very upset if I was even a few minutes late. His clothes were frayed at the wrist and knees from him chewing anxiously on them, he was labeled the class clown because he was always trying to lighten the mood. Most of the "teachers" kept asking if he had ADHD or another learning disability. We knew that he did not, and so decided to try changing his environment. We started in January (so glad that we were able to start mid-year) and the dramatic difference in his happiness, behavior, sense of connection and community has been VAST. It's such a testament to the incredibly thoughtful space Natasha and Jim Bailey have co-created. The kids can choose what they do each day, with climbing trees or chatting with friends being a perfectly valid activity (there's so much learning in everything.) My son is building things, mastering design and 3D printing, playing 3 instruments without any lessons (and no urging to practice), has created his own small business and is learning entrepreneurialism and team management. All at the age of 10. (What was he learning in the other school? How to survive the day and do what other people told him to do...) The Rock Tree Sky model (or Sudbury model, the first democratic school) isn't for everyone, but we've found it more appropriate in preparing our son for life during this modern time than traditional school was. If you have any doubts or concerns about this model, a great book I was recommended was Peter Gray's Free To Learn. Note that there are no formal lessons, no strictly age-segmented classrooms (amazing), and no "teachers" only "mentors". There are rules of conduct and there are offerings each day that kids can choose from: cooking, carpentry, sewing, gardening, pottery etc. but most of them choose their own adventure each day. Isn't that what we're all doing? Isn't that what life is about?! I can only speak with the utmost respect for this learning environment and warm community. I know that the kids here are destined for brilliant things, with so many supportive people gently guiding and cheering them along the way. Ps. You can apply to the Summit program via OUSD, which is a homeschool program integrated into RTS, which also subsidizes some of the tuition and offers a more traditional classroom experience for a couple of hours a week. It's incredibly affordable compared to other private schools here, but again - it's not for everyone. If your family values self-directed learning (and living), we highly recommend RTS!

Jim Bailey and Natasha Efross put together this amazing school that both my 9 & 11 year olds…read moreattend. "Self Directed Education" and that's exactly what it is. The school sits in 2 beautiful locations in upper Ojai and your finding space for your little one may prove to be slightly difficult, so I highly recommend that you get on that wait list STAT. The teachers/mentors are the very best of the best and the kids are amazing. This is one of those schools that your child will never want to leave. I honestly don't have the ability to write all that needs to be said so I will leave it to you to go and give it a visit. Oh, their logo happens to be pretty damn beautiful too. 5 stars.

I'm working with Camp Spin Off's founder DJ Tina T, who currently spins at one of the hottest clubs…read morein Las Vegas. Camp Spin Off is her passion project and is the first of its kind: a sleepaway camp in the Sierras where kids can learn about music, art, and culture...and get out in the fresh air to hike around, too. ;) It was just featured on Buzznet and NBC's San Diego and San Francisco local websites, and is super affordable and a one-of-a-kind experience. Camp Spin Off has been a long time dream of DJ Tina T. As founder of the camp, she has been able to build a place "where DJ's go to play!" This has allowed Tina to pull together her 12 years of support and experience within the DJ community and return it back to the next generation of DJ's. This summer, kids ages 12-17 from across the country will come together and learn how to DJ during an action-packed week of traditional summer camp activities. By understanding the exceptionally influential time for kids in this age group, Tina relates by looking back on how being exposed to DJing at age 15 has changed her life in such a positive way. Camp Spin Off is the first and only sleep away DJ camp of its kind. I hope you'll check it out (and let me know what you think/if you have any questions!). Forest Home Ojai Valley 655 Burnham Road Oak View, CA 93022 Topatopa Mountains Info@CampSpinOff.com July 29th to August 2nd, 2012

This was our second year in a row to visit the Girl Scouts' Winter Wonderland and both times have…read morebeen fun for the family. You get to walk through and visit lit attractions, ride on a tractor, get up close to meet horses, cook s'mores, meet Santa, create arts and crafts, and have hot chocolate and goodies along the way. It's a great way to spend a nice Friday or Saturday evening in December. The staff is very friendly and the lights are nice to look at and some are interactive. There is a discount if you are a Girl Scout member and the food and drinks are priced very reasonably. My only recommendation would be to offer more food options in the lodge in case families want to have a casual dinner there (i.e. pizza, sandwiches, salad). Tip: Wear western boots to avoid getting pebbles in your shoes. Bring a flashlight or where lit clothing so you can see in the dark.

Amazing place. The Rome and pippin cabins are great. Full kitchens with all your supplies. The…read morebathrooms are clean and the property is very well maintained. Our kids did BB guns and archery plus horseback riding. The facility staff are amazing. Well versed and so patient and kind.