• Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Social Media News
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Thunderbolt Social Media
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle

  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Food & Wine
    • Cupcakes
  • Disney
  • Marvel
  • Crafts, Cars & Cool Things
    • Crafts
    • Cars
    • Cool Things
    • Technology
  • Family & Life Over 45
  • Dogs
You are here: Home / Travel / Santa Barbara RV Resort: Stay at Rancho Oso by Thousand Trails

Santa Barbara RV Resort: Stay at Rancho Oso by Thousand Trails

May 8, 2019 By Donna Biroczky 1 Comment

Tweet
Share32
Pin1
33 Shares

A few weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. (You can read about our 20th wedding anniversary trip here, another California vacation.) We were going to do some international travel, but with a new grand baby and our son graduating from high school, the timing wasn’t right. Instead, we decided to stick close to home and stay in a Santa Barbara RV resort just a couple of hours away. Best decision we could have made!

rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

The Thousand Trails Rancho Oso RV Resort in the hills about Santa Barbara had reached out to me a couple of months ago, and they offered us a complimentary four-night stay. That was the perfect length of time to enjoy our getaway and fully explore the resort so I could share it here with you!

We travel a lot, but it’s either with the family or for just the weekend. This trip was going to be different, and not just because it was going to be longer, but because we had one big goal in mind.

To relax.

A place in downtown Santa Barbara has its perks, but a quiet, serene place up in the mountains was exactly what we needed. Our first time taking the drive away from the city, leaving the crowds behind, we were stunned by the views of the valleys. A mere 25 minutes later and we were turning onto the driveway into Rancho Oso, but it felt like a world apart.

rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

Rancho Oso is a Thousand Trails property, one of 190 locations in the nationwide chain of membership resorts, though membership is not required to stay in the park. It is a 310-acre resort with a western theme, including an equestrian arena, stables and trails. While we were there, we were lucky enough to see quite a few horses in the paddocks and some coming in and out of the park in trailers.

horses at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

We stayed in a TT 6 cottage, which sleeps six — two in the bedroom (queen bed), two in the bunks and two on the pull-out couch. There are a number of different styles and layouts of cabins and cottages, as well as RV sites (full hook-ups), tipis and covered wagons.

buick envision parked at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

The Thousand Trails Rancho Oso Santa Barbara RV resort is nestled in a valley off of Paradise Road, several miles from Highway 154, which takes you into Santa Ynez if you continue. We took the 101 north from the Inland Empire and it took us less than two hours. The 154 is mostly a two-lane highway, with turnouts for slower vehicles, as is Paradise Road.

When you turn onto the Rancho Oso driveway, bear in mind it is a very tight two-lane road, so drive slowly and use the mirrors placed in the turns so you can hug the side if/when you come upon another vehicle entering or exiting. (We did witness two trailers coming from opposite directions who had a difficulty, but one driver had never towed an RV before. With a little guidance from my husband, who has been towing our RV for many years now, she was able to maneuver around the other, so it’s entirely doable. The front gate will also stop traffic temporarily if someone’s having a hard time, so traffic jams are minimized.)

rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

Immediately upon entering the resort, you are greeted by friendly staff at the gate. They look up your reservation, provide you with a gate entry code and send you on your way. In our case, we simply needed to pick up the key for our cottage. We were near the far end in a row of similar cottages, and there was nearly no traffic on our lane during our entire stay. In fact, on day four, we set up our cornhole set in the road and in the two hours we played, the only person we saw was a child riding by on a bicycle. It was heavenly to be surrounded by mountains, blue skies, hearing the chirping birds and having zero outside interruptions.

playing cornhole at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

Our cottage was well-equipped, so we literally only had to bring our clothes, personal items and the food/beverages we needed. Cooking equipment is provided, as is a coffee maker and coffee. (We stopped in town on the way up and bought creamer, eggs, bacon, etc., for our breakfast the next day.)

  • cottage at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

Cleaning supplies are also available under the sink, as you are required to leave the residence in a condition similar to when you entered. It’s so easy though to just wipe down the bathroom and kitchen counters, ensure all dishes and utensils are washed and put away, and to sweep the floor on your way out. Linens were left in a pile for the staff to pick up and replace.

cottage at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

While we didn’t plan on sitting around and watching TV daily, it was very nice to have two flat-panel televisions: one in the main living space, and the other in the master bedroom. Both came with Dish Network basic programming, so on Sunday, when we had planned to sleep in, lounge around, drink some wine and play cornhole, we were also able to watch the Marvel movie marathon. We also went to sleep with the TV on, after long days of playing and walking in Santa Barbara.

bedroom at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

Keep in mind that due to the location in the valley, your cell reception may be affected. We had little-to-no reception until we got partially back up the driveway out of the park, and the only wifi is in the stone lodge, where there is a game room and picnic tables and food is available to order within certain hours. (The website refers to this as a restaurant, but it is not open every day so plan accordingly with your food purchases. There is a very cool store in Santa Ynez, only about 20-25 minutes away, and the Cold Spring Tavern is about 15 minutes away from the resort if you want to go get a meal. Reservations are recommended.)

country store at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

In the event you are in a pinch, there is a Country Store in the park as well. It has a big selection of camping gear, convenience foods, toys and outdoor attire, as well as local souvenirs. It closes at 4pm some days, and check-in is not until 4pm, so check before you walk down. It is not a long hike at all, and the park is very pretty for strolling. Ice is available at the store and after-hours up front at the Welcome Center/Ranger Station.

pool at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

While it was a little too cold for a swim when we visited, Rancho Oso has two swimming pools and a hot tub. One pool is long and narrow, perfect for swimming laps.

play area at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

There is also a mini-golf course, horseshoe pits and a nice children’s playground with climbing equipment and swings.

stone lodge

If you want to hike around the area, visit the Stone Lodge and see the staff, who will provide maps, recommendations on where to hike, how to see the beautiful waterfall that’s not far away, and you can obtain the history of the resort as well.

picnic area at rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

If you’re tent camping or just don’t want to use the facilities in your RV, there is a large restroom available for campers, along with a laundry room. We didn’t have to use it while there but it’s nice to know there is the option if you spill red wine down your shirt while paying cornhole…not that either of us did that or anything.

fields at rancho oso

The cabin is both heated and air-conditioned, but we chose to open our windows and enjoy the night air as well as hearing the sounds of wildlife. That is probably one of our favorite memories actually, waking on Sunday morning to the sound of wild turkeys outside our door. Being from the ‘burbs, this is a big deal, so of course we stepped onto our porch and took photos. It appeared to be a family, and two of them had their feathers tufted up while they all talked. We had a laugh when what appeared to be a baby was separated from the rest of the group. It peeked around our car, leaned its head out as if to look for the others and made a very timid sound. I imagined it was “Mom? Mom!” and very quickly, one of the larger turkeys responded, loudly, from the other side of our cabin, resulting in the baby turning and running towards the sound. It was something we just don’t experience at home, where our most exotic visitors are hummingbirds.

rancho oso rv resort

Each cabin has an outdoor picnic table and a barbecue, but check with staff regarding fire pits. Those rules change depending on environmental concerns, and permits are required, which you can obtain at the ranger station.

There’s adequate space between cottages to park your vehicle so loading/unloading is easy. There’s also plenty of space indoors to cook, though there is no oven beyond a toaster oven so don’t get crazy with baking plans. There is a two-burner stove top, a full-sized refrigerator (though not a regular kitchen size, though who needs it when camping) and a toaster, so it was easy to cook breakfast, put together a killer charcuterie tray or make salmon and veggies for dinner.

And there are wine glasses in the cabinet, right next to the coffee mugs. Priorities, right? There is also the very important corkscrew…if you’re not like me, carrying one around in your purse.

Clean linens, towels, extra blankets and pillows are plentiful, all designed to up the cozy ante. A nice hot shower at the end of a day full of exploring is exactly what you’ll get.

Monthly menu selections change for weekend prepared meal choices. When we were there, we could order hamburgers or hot dogs, breakfast (eggs, bacon, meats, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, pancakes) or a BBQ dinner. Prices start at $2 per item for food, and $1.25 for beverages.

rancho oso santa barbara rv resort

There are also weekly events every Friday. Our weekend, there was a rodeo event, wagon rides, a camp cookout and games by the chapel. Adult wine tasting occurred on Saturday afternoon, and there are various crafts, games and movies scattered throughout the weekend.

view from rancho oso

The camping environment was peaceful, largely in part to resort guidelines requiring no outdoor music, no scooters and basically, being respectful towards other guests. We barely heard anything our entire time, and it was so nice.

thousand trails rancho oso rv

Checking out was easy. We went through the list of cleaning requirements, and it took all of 15 minutes. We took the trash out, dropped the key in the box by the gate, and we were on our way. (There is a $150 cleaning fee if you do not clean your residence when you leave.)

A yearly membership costs $585 for one zone (there are five zones in the United States) and you get an additional 100+ locations for $214, with monthly payment options available. A membership means no nightly rate for camping! (There are a few that still require a $20 per night fee.) You can find out more about a Thousand Trails membership here.

rancho oso rv resort cabins

Staying at a Santa Barbara RV resort is a wonderful option for a getaway or vacation. You are close enough to downtown of Santa Barbara and the coastline to enjoy everything the beautiful city has to offer, and still have your tranquility and independence. If you want to stay away from the city the whole time,you’ll have plenty of things to do and you’ll wake up to views you won’t get anywhere else.

Don’t let the drive worry you, as it’s an easy climb up the mountain. We did it after-dark twice, and never had an issue. We did run into some fog a couple of times, but the flow of traffic slowed down safely and posed no issues. There are some signs to watch for wildlife, but we saw none other than some jaywalking turkeys. (And they just turned and looked at us like WE were the problem.)

wild turkey

And then there was this guy waiting to say hello to us when we arrived.

horse at rancho oso rv resort

We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in Santa Barbara. Thank you, Thousand Trails Rancho Oso RV resort and staff. You keep a clean park that’s comfortable and peaceful, and when our coffeemaker didn’t work that first morning, you immediately brought us a new one, saving the day! We’d come back and stay again, I think the husband wants another chance to beat me at cornhole!

If you’re interested, here’s a very brief (just barely a minute) video tour of our accommodations. Enjoy!

Tweet
Share32
Pin1
33 Shares

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: getaway, rv, santa barbara, travel, vacation

Previous Post: « Things to Do on a Santa Barbara Getaway
Next Post: Get Marvel’s Captain Marvel on Blu-ray on June 11 »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

dangerous cupcake lifestyle club 33 profile
I’m Donna, and I’m not a mommy blogger.
I’m a Marvel geek and creator of Dangerous Cupcake, a Southern California lifestyle blog dedicated to life after the kids grow up. As my four kids enter different stages of their lives, I get to do the same, having fun, loving Disney, watching Marvel, and not letting my age define anything. Phase 2 of life is pretty amazing. Join me in changing focus ands enjoying life during our next adventure, without totally starting over. However you do it, life is short, live a little dangerously.
Donna@DangerousCupcakeLifestyle.com

We are an Amazon affiliate, which means some Amazon links you click may be our affiliate links. In that case, we may make some money IF you purchase using those links or other affiliate links.
We appreciate you!

STUFF WE WRITE ABOUT

Footer

dangerouscupcakelifestyle

Mom life after the 4 kids grow up🥂
Lifestyle~Travel~Food~Crafts~Entertainment
Collabs: donna@dangerouscupcakelifestyle.com

Donna B ~ SoCal Blogger
In 2020, we started our home renovation. We knew i In 2020, we started our home renovation. We knew it could be a challenge during the pandemic, but we’d been waiting and were ready. 

We started with new lighting throughout, adding additional outlets and power along the way, outside and in. What a difference it made! Then we moved on to the kitchen and its adjoining family/dining space, making it perfect for the family to eat in on the daily and for holiday meals and perfect for me to watch TV while prepping food or writing late at night. So many plans!

To really change it up, we decided to add a Butler’s Pantry to one wall, where there originally was nothing permanent. The design needed to incorporate our two wine fridges (one white, one red), our booze bottles, all our crystal and dishwater, and our bar equipment. I wanted two glass doors to display the pretty stuff and a hanging wine glass area...and a countertop to serve as a beverage area while entertaining. Easy, right?

The main kitchen layout stayed the same, but we gutted it entirely, removing all the aged oak cabinets and dark marble counters. Swinging the sledge that first time felt amazing! We chose Shaker-style cabinets in a slate grey, a stainless farmhouse double-sink and white quartz with grey marbling. To really maximize space, we turned a pony wall into a cookbook shelf with a matching counter, had a custom island built to stow my gear and provide more food prep area, and had a copper pot rack replated. I can’t forget the bench seat by the weird window that is extra storage and a great place to sit, with its new purple cushion. 

Then came a new dining set, a loveseat to complete the relaxing hangout nook, and a refaced fireplace. The blues of the backsplashes brighten up a once dark space, purple pops of color bring it all together, and we LOVE it in here!  Thanks to my son, the contractor, we have a unique area to entertain and spend time together. Stay tuned, more reno posts coming, as we’re doing the entire house!

#renovation #homerenovation #renovate #remodel #homeremodel #homedesign #homeredesign #kitchendesign #kitchenrenovation @Lowes #designyourhome #kitchenredesign #farmhousesink #shakerstyle #laminateflooring #newfloors
Did you watch Tom and Jerry as a kid? I did, and I Did you watch Tom and Jerry as a kid? I did, and I loved it! Who didn’t, right? I always rooted for Jerry the Mouse! It was a popular cartoon then and now, the infamous duo is back in a new movie hitting the big screen, and HBOMax, on February 26!

A fun hybrid of live-action and animation, the new Tom and Jerry has a stellar cast, including Chloe Grace Moritz, Michael Pena, Colin Jost, Bobby Cannavale, Jordan Bolger and more! Based in New York City, now we get to see something we never thought we’d see: Tom and Jerry have to WORK TOGETHER.

In preparation for the movie, Warner Bros. sent us this awesome box of goodies, including this smash cake, full of treats and surprises. We’re going to have movie night this weekend, where we’ll play the game and laugh together, but I’m most excited to introduce my granddaughter, Charlotte, to another cartoon I grew up with. I’m sure she’s going to love Tom and Jerry just as much as I do!

I’ll have a blog post up soon with a downloadable activity pack and links to some games to prep for the movie — or just to stay occupied on another weekend safe-at-home! I’ll also include some photos of what’s inside this massive cake! (And let me just say, the CAUTION tape on the outside of the box had the delivery man doing a double-take. “Should I just put this right here?” ...as he set it down OH so carefully!)

Thanks, Warner Bros.! Can’t wait to watch the movie and have fun with the goodies!

#TomandJerryMovie @TomandJerry #TomandJerry @hbomax @warnerbrosentertainment #warnerbros #familyfun #familymovie #movienight #familygamenight #gamenight #tomandjerrygame #cartoon #animation #hbomax #liveaction @wbpictures #liveactionmovie @boutiquepublicity
Since lockdown started, we realized just how much Since lockdown started, we realized just how much money we spend on takeout and restaurant food. I'll be honest -- I miss restaurants but at least this past year has pushed me back towards one of my favorite activities: making food for those I love. I may not be able to entertain like we used to (yet), but now that our kitchen renovation is complete, I have the space to experiment and get ready with some new recipes. I also can throw together simple food and healthier options, like this caprese salad. It's just about the easiest thing to make that can be a side dish or a meal in itself. 

I made this one using three different kinds of heirloom tomatoes from Melissa's Produce, fresh pre-sliced mozzarella and fresh basil, both picked up at our local grocer for just a few dollars, making this meal also inexpensive. Slice the tomatoes, layer them with the cheese and basil, and drizzle with your favorite type of balsamic vinegar. I used Bertolli balsamic glaze, which adds just a little tang to the salad. 

I used to order Caprese salads a lot when we'd got out. The crisp of the tomato, the creaminess of the cheese and the savory taste of the basil -- I may have made a smaller serving just for myself the next day. Healthier options don't have to be fancy, expensive or time-consuming. They also don't have to be super low-cal or small portions. Life is short, so eat good food, get some exercise and make new things.

#MelissasPartner @melissasproduce #salad #food #recipe #capresesalad #basil #freshtomatoes #heirloomtomatoes #tomatoes #freshproduce #freshbasil #saladrecipe #kitchenremodel #renovation #kitchendesign #instafoodie #foodiepics #foodie #foodphotos #foodpics #balsamicvinegar #balsamic #eathealthy #healthyfood #healthyfoodies #healthyfoodie
During lockdown, it’s been so important to have During lockdown, it’s been so important to have a safe space to spend our time. I’ve never enjoyed having a garden more than this past year. Early on, it provided vegetables and throughout, it has been a haven. We put up a tv, spruced up the furniture and still, sitting under this tree has been a favorite. Even Shuri gravitates toward its shade, and these oranges have contributed to many breakfasts, brunches and mimosas. Here’s to another Sunday being happy at home!

#oranges #orangetree #orangetrees #sundayfunday #sundaymornings #sundayvibes #sunphoto #sundayphotography #garden #backyardgarden #backyarddesign #backyardgardening #backyardgoals #backyardoasis #backyardfun #backyardphotography #naturephotographer #growyourown #growyourownfood #growyourownfruit
We haven’t had a date night out of the house on We haven’t had a date night out of the house on a normal scale since pre-COVID. We love going out but things have been closed and we also want to be safe. Normally, the hubs cooks a fancy dinner for Valentine’s Day, but this year, he surprised me with reservations for a favorite restaurant of ours, Scarlet Kitchen and Lounge in Rancho Mission Viejo. They offered a special holiday menu, served outside in a beautiful setting, with heaters keeping us toasty. I started our meal with this amazing themed cocktail, a Love Conquers All. It is made of bourbon, macadamia nut liquer, Benedictine, coconut water, pineapple, lemon, egg white and edible glitter. OMG it’s a top-three cocktail EVER. The bartender is a genius, as these flavors came together in a drink I could enjoy on a regular basis. 

The rest of our meal was equally good, but made better because we got to see our sweet friend Marla and we thoroughly enjoyed just being out in public. Hearing others laugh and talk....oh how I have missed that. 

Masks are required, tables are set apart and we felt totally safe. And happy. That matters now, more than ever. 

@scarletkitchenandlounge #scarletkitchen #scarletkitchenandlounge #cocktail #cocktails #cocktailsofinstagram #bourbon #bourbongram #bourbonlover #bourbonenthusiast #bourbonlife #bourboncocktails #bourbondrinker #bourbondrinkers #bourbondrinks #bourboncocktail #edibleglitter #fancydrinks #fancydrink #valentinescocktails #valentinesday2021 #datenight #nightout #foodblogger #blogger #ranchomissionviejo
Last night, I made an amazing chili verde in the I Last night, I made an amazing chili verde in the Instant Pot. It's a family favorite, and so easy that I had time to experiment in the kitchen for the first time since we finished the redesign. I decided it was a good night to enjoy another olive oil cake, using hearty and flavorful oil and fresh produce gifted to me by Garcia de la Cruz and Melissa's Produce. It was a hit!

This particular cake uses 1 1/3 cups of olive oil, which makes it incredibly moist. Garcia de la Cruz oil has such a rich and fruity flavor, it makes it better than a typical olive oil cake. You can make this cake with any kind of olive oil, but I really recommend this one. To ramp it up a notch, I used fresh blood orange juice and 1/4 cup of strained passionfruit juice, adding sweet, citrus nuances without overwhelming the basic foundation. This cake has no frosting but the top of the cake develops a slight crust, adding a little crisp to each bite. 

If you've never had a blood orange, they're in season now and it's the perfect time to give them a try. They're not just a gorgeous red color, but they are sweeter and tangier than regular oranges. I love how they changed the color of this cake batter just a little, and if I'd used another 1/4 cup of the juice instead of the passionfruit, I think the cake would be a slight pink, making it an even better item to add to your Valentine's Day meal! Passionfruit, however, is a favorite of mine and I love how versatile they are! I use their juice quite a bit in a morning smoothie!

@melissasproduce @GarciadelaCruzOliveOil #ValentinesDayRecipes #valentinesday #dessert #food #recipe #oliveoil #valentinesfood #valentinesdayfood #melissasproduce #baking #instantpot #passionfruit #bloodorange #bloodoranges #bakedessert #freshproduce #foodies #sidedish #bakeacake
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Life is short, so it should never be boring. Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle is all about enjoying life, finding yourself after your kids grow up and above all, keeping it real. Live dangerously. We'd love to hear from you -- let's work together!

Copyright © 2021 Dangerous Cupcake and Thunderbolt Social Media

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT