Words I never thought I’d say – we went to a barn dance last weekend! I was definitely skeptical at first, but the night went down as completely memorable. Such an amazing night of laughing, eating, and of course, dancing! It was all thanks to the planning our dear friend Ana, who is an expert adventurer and fellow blogger.
Along with a group of friends, we did the pretty drive down Highway One to Pie Ranch with a few stops along the way to enjoy the beach, the food and the sights. You can read more our stops in Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and Pescadero in this post!
Having grown up in rural Wisconsin, I thought I knew what to expect for a barn dance. I mean, we had an actual gym class unit dedicated to line dancing! Thanks to my upbringing, I can electric slide with the best of them.
A true barn dance is totally different from line dancing. The leader of the barn dance is the ‘caller’. The one at Pie Ranch is the best around. He somehow managed to talk us through a bunch of pretty complicated dances and I didn’t even step on any feet!
We swung round and round, dancing with friends, dancing with strangers and dancing with strangers who started to feel like friends. Face flushed, hair swinging, and out of breath, I think I laughed harder than I have in a long time.
Pie Ranch is a special place for many reasons. It’s an educational farm with a focus on educating the community. They provide field trips for high school students, farmer training, nutrition classes, CSA shares, and of course, barn dances one Saturday a month. Attendance is donation-based with a recommended $10-20 per person. All profits go to support the farm.
In addition to the dance, there is a potluck dinner. It’s the perfect way to make new friends, try new dishes and enjoy being outside in the beautiful California countryside.
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Go there:
The Pie Ranch
2080 Cabrillo Highway
Pescadero, CA 94060
650.879.0995
http://www.pieranch.org/
P.S. – Looking for more on fun things to do outside of San Francisco? You might like these posts:
Pescadero Travel Guide + Highway 1 Road Trip
Carmel Valley Wine Country
Big Sur Travel Guide
Eatwell Farm Tomato Sauce Canning Party
Napa’s Fiesta del Sole
A 24-Hour Escape to Wine Country
This looks amazing!! I absolutely love that there was a potluck dinner and also that the farm is educational!
Obviously Nick and I will be visiting so that we can start the process of establishing our own farm 🙂
xx Katie
lovely letters
Obviously – research is hard but important work! 🙂
So fun! I’ve heard so much about Pie Ranch these days. Might have to make a visit. 🙂
You definitely should! Such a fun and special place!
That looks like so much fun! I’ve never been to a barn dance, but now I want to try one! How great there was a potluck dinner – that’s such a good idea. xxx
I hope you can find one in your neck of the woods! It was such a special experience!
The barn dance looks like so much fun! That’s awesome that there was a potluck dinner too! Such a great way to meet new friends 🙂
The potluck food was so good too! It was a ton of fun!
I’ve always wanted to do this but I’ve also been somewhat nervous or something to do it! It sounds like a very non- SF style night…which can definitely be a good thing!
Xx, Tiffany | http://www.sunshinedaydreamphotography.com/
You absolutely should! Perhaps non-SF style, but definitely Sunshine Daydream style! 🙂
This is SO right up my alley, oh my gosh, how have I not heard of it? Not only am I a country line dancing fan, but I’ve also done some square dancing with a caller, much like this. INVITE me next time!! 🙂 So fun, Kelly!
You need to go Ashley! We definitely want to go again in a few months, so I’ll keep you posted!
Oh! WHAT FUN! I can’t believe you can find something this adorable so close by!
Right!? It’s such a gem!
How fun! We had a square dancing unit in high school too – so this is right up my alley! Looks like you ladies had such a fun evening!
Haha, good to know Chico also has its fitness priorities straight! It was a great trip!
This looks like a fun place to visit! My husband and I have been wanting to take a trip North for the weekend. I’ll keep this place in mind! P.s. swinging by from Bam’s Kitchen. I’m in CA too – Monterey area.
Oh awesome! I love connecting with other bloggers in the area! It’s a great idea for a day or weekend trip!
That looked like you had an absolute blast! We had a line dancing unit in HS gym class too, and my country girl heart totally loved it! 🙂 I think I would have so much fun at a true barn dance like this.
Yay! Glad to know I’m not the only one. 🙂
I <3 California! This sounds like so much fun… I had no idea there was a place like this close to SF.
Me too! We’re so lucky, right? You should definitely check it out!