Events Archive

Salsa & Salsa: Dancing to the Beat of Flavor

Discover the perfect blend of culinary artistry and dance at La Cocina que Canta’s Salsa & Salsa ! Indulge in a hands-on cooking demo by Executive Chef Reyna Venegas, crafting savory salsa dishes inspired by our Tres Estrellas Organic Farm, while mastering the steps of salsa dancing from expert dance instructor Manuel Velázquez. Join us for an unforgettable fusion of flavors and rhythms. Reserve your spot now for an evening of fun, flavor, and flair!

Tuesdays 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm
30 guests; $100 USD, includes tax

Itinerary:
4:00 pm – Guests meet @ Front Desk for prompt departure
4:15 pm – Guests arrive @ LCQC
4:15 pm – Introduction and garden tour with Salvador
4: 45 pm – Cooking Salsa Demo with Chef Reyna
5:30 pm – Dinner is served family style
6:15 pm – Manuel’s Lecture on Salsa History while dessert is being served
6:30 pm – Dancing outdoors LCQC with Manuel
7:15 pm – Acknowledgments, Q&A, thank you!
7:30 pm – Guests return @ RLP

Chef Reyna Venegas prepares fresh and delicious food that energizes, inspires, and nourishes guests. She fuses the culinary and cultural heritages of her own Northern Baja roots with the nutritious “spa cuisine” pioneered 80 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. At La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen That Sings,” Chef Reyna teaches healthy eating as a celebration of life in farm-to-table cooking classes.

As a lifelong learner, Chef Reyna graduated from the University of California, San Diego’s Integrative Nutrition program, which focuses on how food promotes wellness. She is also a graduate of the Culinary Art School in Tijuana, and holds a Pastry Degree from the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monte-Carlo and Fondation Turquois.

Manuel Velázquez is an international fitness continuing education provider and presenter for over two decades. His versatility and multifaceted functional approach leading land, aquatic and mind/body fitness programs has won him recognition as a Presenter of the Year and All Around International Presenter of the Year presenting at fitness conferences worldwide. He is a proud Faculty Member for SCW Fitness Education and Creator Designer & National Trainer for their signature WATERinMOTION®Platinum Instructor program. Manuel is a continuing education faculty member for SCW, ACE, AFAA, ACSM, AEA and stars in over 50 Fitness Instructor Training Videos. Former Lead Instructor at Puerto Rico’s exclusive Golden Door Spa, now is a dynamic instructor at Rancho La Puerta Resort & Spa in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico (outside of San Diego).

Salsa & Salsa: Dancing to the Beat of Flavor

Tuesdays 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm
30 guests; $100 USD, includes tax

Salsa y Salsa Sign Up

Itinerary:
4:00 pm – Guests meet @ Front Desk for a prompt departure
4:15 pm – Guests arrive @ LCQC
4:15 pm – Introduction and garden tour with Salvador
4: 45 pm – Cooking Salsa Demo with Chef Reyna
5:30 pm – Dinner is served family-style
6:15 pm – Manuel’s Lecture on Salsa History while dessert is being served
6:30 pm – Dancing outdoors LCQC with Manuel
7:15 pm – Acknowledgments, Q&A, thank you!
7:30 pm – Guests return @ RLP

Chef Reyna Venegas prepares fresh and delicious food that energizes, inspires, and nourishes guests. She fuses the culinary and cultural heritages of her own Northern Baja roots with the nutritious “spa cuisine” pioneered 80 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. At La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen That Sings,” Chef Reyna teaches healthy eating to celebrate life in farm-to-table cooking classes.

As a lifelong learner, Chef Reyna graduated from the University of California, San Diego’s Integrative Nutrition program, which focuses on how food promotes wellness. She is also a graduate of the Culinary Arts School in Tijuana and holds a Pastry Degree from the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monte-Carlo and Fondation Turquois.

Manuel Velázquez is an international fitness continuing education provider and presenter for over two decades. His versatility and multifaceted functional approach to leading land, aquatic, and mind/body fitness programs has won him recognition as a Presenter of the Year and All Around International Presenter of the Year, presenting at fitness conferences worldwide. He is a proud Faculty Member for SCW Fitness Education and Creator Designer & National Trainer for their signature WATERinMOTION®Platinum Instructor program. Manuel is a continuing education faculty member for SCW, ACE, AFAA, ACSM, AEA and stars in over 50 Fitness Instructor Training Videos. Former Lead Instructor at Puerto Rico’s exclusive Golden Door Spa, he is now a dynamic instructor at Rancho La Puerta Resort & Spa in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico (outside of San Diego).

Soccer with Sasha Victorine

Lots of fun with 10-year veteran Major League Soccer player, Sasha Victorine:
Soccer Training for Children, Tweens, and Teens
Pick up Soccer
7pm Soccer Game at Professor’s Park

Sasha Victorine began his professional soccer career in 2000 with the Los Angeles Galaxy and was taken in the first round of the 2000 MLS SuperDraft out of UCLA, where he won the Missouri Athletic Club trophy as the most outstanding college soccer player. A versatile midfielder, Victorine represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia and would go on to earn four appearances with the full U.S. Men’s National Team, scoring in the team’s first match after the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

His MLS career saw him help the LA Galaxy secure the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in 2001, CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2002, and the MLS Cup trophy in 2002. After five seasons in LA, Victorine was traded to Kansas City and played in 106 games over the course of four seasons. He returned to Los Angeles in 2008 with Chivas USA, closing out his career with two seasons to bring his career totals to 265 games played in MLS competition with 36 goals and 43 assists.

Victorine has also served as a Sports Envoy Ambassador for the United States Department of State. In 2011 and 2012, Victorine was a member of the Budget Committee for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and has also served on the US Olympic Committee’s Athletes Council.

Following his sports career, Sasha has spent the last 15 years leading software companies. He is currently the Chief Revenue Officer at Ad Astra Information Systems, an Ed Tech company in Kansas City, Kansas. Victorine graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a degree in economics and currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife, Melissa, and their daughters Halia, 16, and Malena, 13.

Personal Healing is Earth Healing

Red Road Journey is bringing native elders and wisdom keepers to Rancho La Puerta, to share stories, pray, sing, teach and inspire; to celebrate the deeply rooted traditions and practices that can help us care for the earth, bring healing to our spirits and care for each other.

Creating Harmonious Balance in Self, Home, and Community within The American First Nations with Tony Skrelunas; Sunday 4pm Olmeca Gym

A Course in Voice Activation with Ilhem Khodja; Monday 4pm Milagros Gym

Interbeing: An Interactive, Healing Sound Journey That Connects Our Senses to The Universal Sacred Element with Ilhem Khodja; Tuesday 5pm Oaktree Pavilion

An Indigenous Way to Connect and Heal through the Four Sacred Elements of the Universe: Earth, Air, Wind & Fire Elements with Antonio Romero; Tuesday 4pm Oaktree Pavilion

Mountain and Earth Healing: Talking Circle with Song and Earth Offering, with Chimalli Wash Fernandez, Antonio Romero and Ilhem Khodja ; Wednesday 7am Central Lawn at Villas

A Talk on Traditional Mexican Cosmology and Ceremony with Chimalli Wash Fernandez; Friday 2pm Olmeca Gym

Tony Skrelunas, cofounder of Red Road Journey, who also serves as head of commerce for the largest 1st Nation in America, and a friend of Rancho La Puerta, will lead a discussion on his efforts to create harmonious balance in self, home, and community within the American first nations and how the lessons learned from their past can lead to better humanity in the future. Tony is leading economic transition for a resource extractive dependent Nation to one that focuses on the culture, time tested food systems, communal commerce, respectful trade, and keeping the knowledge of the land and climate for future humans.

Ilhem Khodja, whose name means “inspiration” in Arabic, is inspired by our ancestral connection to sound, and exploring innovative ways of healing through voice. Her singing has been a core of her life’s work, starting a jazz career in France at the age of 10. Her life’s work through shamanism and meditation shapes her current art expression: curating sound healing experiences by blending jazz, world music and electronic sounds. She currently has residencies in Berlin and Mexico City through her solo project Interbeing, a sound journey experience that she is eager to share with the guests this week at the Ranch.

Antonio Romero is co-founder of Red Road Journey, a Native-run nonprofit organization based in Arizona that focuses on Conscious Tourism: placing tourism in the hands of tribal nations, while revitalizing traditions that teach us to heal through ancient modalities. By leaning into his Native Mexican roots, Antonio was inspired to bridge the promise of indigenous wisdom to the modern world, which has led to the co-creation of Red Road Journey. While at the Ranch, Antonio will spend the week sharing the traditional Mexican way of healing through the four universal elements: fire, earth, air and water. This workshop will teach you how to reconnect with Nature and heal in a way that honors our sacred connection to Earth.

Chimalli Wash Fernandez is an Aztec/Mexica elder, ceremonial leader, historian and traditional linguist from Mexico City. Chimalli is fluent in Nahuatl, the ancient language of Mesoamerica, and has spent the last twenty years travelling the world offering workshops and talks surrounding Aztec history and culture. He is looking forward to sharing with the Ranch a talk on Aztec cosmology and ceremonial traditions, which continue in Mexico for thousands of years, as well as lead an offering and prayer for the sacred mountain Kuchumaa.

Greenpeace Now and Then: A History of Environmental Activism

Join us for a captivating program presentation delving into Greenpeace’s storied history of activism. From their courageous beginnings confronting nuclear testing to Greenpeace’s iconic campaigns defending whales in the 1980s and 90s, Greenpeace has remained at the forefront of environmental advocacy. Explore how Greenpeace’s legacy of action has evolved to address contemporary challenges, including their pivotal role in securing unprecedented conservation measures. Today, they spearhead the largest act of global conservation in history while steadfastly opposing the destructive forces of the fossil fuel and deep-sea mining industries. Discover how Greenpeace’s unwavering commitment to environmental protection continues to shape the world for a more sustainable future.

Born and raised in the humble embrace of San Antonio de Padua, a pueblo in the heart of Zacatecas Mexico, Carlos Prieto De-Leon’s journey reflects a lifelong ambition to activate individuals in protecting our planet. He found his calling at the intersection of environmental protection and social equity, recognizing that the two are intrinsically linked. His passion for championing the environment led him to Greenpeace USA, where he has served 10 years as a dedicated staff member, channeling his energy into connecting influential donors with the organization’s impactful initiatives. Within Greenpeace USA, Carlos plays a pivotal role in showcasing the tangible impact of environmental activism and forging meaningful relationships with key stakeholders and donors. Through his efforts, he ensures that the vital work of protecting our planet receives the support it deserves. Outside of his professional endeavors, Carlos loves hiking the majestic redwoods and finding solace listening to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, near his home in Santa Cruz, California.

Solstice Blessing Circle with Felicia Ruiz

Solstice Blessing Circle with Felicia Ruiz, curandera, author, and medicine keeper from the Sonoran Desert. Felicia’s Indigenous ancestry is connected to the Mexica of central Mexico and the Pueblo People of northern New Mexico. As a curandera, she provides healing rituals and earth-based practices to care for her community and students. For this event, Felicia will be offering a smudging of sacred smoke to release what no longer serves you, followed by the calling in of the Four Directions, and a flower blessing to replenish your spirits.

Meditation with Sylvia Boorstein

Meditation – Sunday through Friday

Sylvia Boorstein has been teaching Dharma and mindfulness meditation since 1985. She is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a psychotherapist, wife, mother, and grandmother. She is particularly interested in emphasizing daily life as mindfulness practice and including informed citizenship and social activism as integral to spiritual maturation. Her books include: It’s Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness (1997); Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat (1996); That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist (1998); Pay Attention for Goodness’s Sake: The Buddhist Path of Kindness (2003), and Happiness is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life (2008). She has visited and taught at Rancho La Puerta since 1972.

Meditation with Sylvia Boorstein

Meditation – Sunday through Friday

Tennis and Pickleball

Dan Dinenberg, MD, is an avid tennis player who has been teaching tennis to adults and children since he was 12 years old. Prior to a career in medicine, Dan was the head tennis pro at Club Med as well as being in charge of beginner, intermediate, and advanced tennis workshops at UCLA. Currently, Dan practices a unique blend of conventional and holistic medicine, drawing on his extensive experience with integrative techniques like healing touch, guided imagery and yoga. Dan’s enthusiasm for tennis, coupled with his extensive knowledge of the human body, allow a focus on stretching, visualization, footwork and injury prevention. Dan received his MD from the MCP-Hahnemann College of Medicine and completed his residency in family practice through UCSF. Dan’s ability to bring the best of a mind-body healing approach to tennis instruction creates a unique experience he terms “transformational tennis.”

Weaving & Macrame

Weaving: Making a Pillow Pet for Children and Tweens

Macrame: Water Bottle Holder for Tweens and Teens and Adults

Janita Anne Nelson is a working Artist, Yoga Teacher, and Woman’s Wellness Retreat Facilitator and Organizer.

Born in South Africa, she spent her formative years in the wilds of Botswana and the Okavango Delta which gave e a deep love and respect for nature.

Janita has a Bachelors of Fine Art and Ceramics from Witwatersrand University. She had her own ceramic studio for 10 years, then moved to the USA; taught Art at the Christian Montessori School for 10 years. She has taught Yoga for 33 years, run Woman’s wellness retreats, and is currently making as much art as possible! She believes we all benefit from expressing ourselves creatively.

Self-Defense – Tweens, Teens, and Women

Self-Defense: Awareness, assertiveness and hands on training

Boxing

Lecture: 5 Ways to Keep Children Safe and Stay Connected at Any Age

Katie Sasso is a self-defense instructor and Master (8th degree) black belt in the art of Kung Fu San Soo. Katie has worked with André Salvage and Associates for over 20 years, sharing her knowledge of Assault Prevention and Street Safety. She works with businesses and schools around California and teaches in-person and online seminars to children, teens, and adults that focus on learning how to be aware, assertive, and physically stop someone from harming them. Katie believes in living from her True Nature and shares with others the importance of listening to our intuition. Prior to working with André Salvage and Associates, Katie graduated from the University of Oregon where she played collegiate soccer. She continued her soccer career playing for Sacramento Storm. Katie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, including three children.

David Williams (aka Super Dave) has studied martial arts for over 30 years, starting with Tae Kwon Do. In the 90’s, he met Grand Master André Salvage, who opened his eyes to the Master’s path of Kung Fu San Soo. Dave received his Master’s Degree (8th-degree black belt) 15 years ago and continues to work on his art as he teaches Kung Fu San Soo and Assault Prevention. Teaching self-defense to all ages is a passion of his, and he strives to empower all with his knowledge. As a business owner since 2000 of Super Dave Dog, Inc. in San Francisco, he walks and trains dogs through exercise, discipline, and affection. Another passion is pickleball, which he picked up eight years ago at the Ranch and now plays almost daily and in amateur tournaments. His routine of fitness and meditation keeps him grounded and enables him to be a loving husband and father of two sons, Malyk Williams (20) and Kekoa Williams (17), both of whom are assisting him at the Ranch this week.

Flexing Your Creative Muscles: Using Storytelling to Stretch & Release

“Flexing Your Creative Muscles: Using Storytelling to Stretch & Release” is a series of writing workshops inspired by Jennifer Harris’s diverse experience as a writer, educator, organizational storyteller, and fitness enthusiast! In an era where every day storytelling has been reduced to 280 characters or less, Jennifer sees a growing need to reframe its intrinsic value. She compares writing to running, resting, and eating well, and suggests that writing as a form of storytelling is, in fact, good for our health and wellbeing. “We share a basic human need to flex our creative muscles,” she says, “to move, stretch, and release our inner spirit.” Jennifer likens her workshop experience to an energizing workout: “It may seem hard to get into at first, but if you surrender you can hit a stride, and you will feel empowered after.”

Jennifer believes that storytelling is primal, that we are wired for story, and that writing is a wellness practice we can all access. By designing exercises that warm up the mind and root writers in their bodies, Jennifer takes participants inward in an effort to draw stories outward. Her philosophy is simple: every person is a writer and every writer deserves a safe place to learn, experiment, share, and receive. Writing in this way will ignite connection and community, and will nourish your mind, body, and spirit.

Join Jennifer for an evening program that will invite dialogue around the “science of story” and will introduce writing as a wellness practice. She will host three 50 minute guided-writing sessions thereafter that allow participants to engage more deeply in the therapeutic power of storytelling.

Jennifer Harris is a San Diego-based entrepreneur who has spent over two decades writing and storytelling across sectors. A graduate of University of Chicago’s Master of the Arts Program in the Humanities and UC Davis’s undergraduate program in English and Creative Writing, Jennifer has built a career applying creative thinking and writing techniques to the fields of education, arts and culture, health and environmental sciences, and philanthropy. Over the last decade, Jennifer has produced custom storytelling workshops for hundreds of individuals, associations, and companies, she attained a Certificate in Narrative Health Care from Lenoir Rhyne University, and she is now chair of the board for Health Story Collaborative, a patient-centered, research-based nonprofit organization committed to the therapeutic power of storytelling. Her consultancy, JH Collective, Inc., continues to fuse her personal and professional ethos—an ethos centered on the power of stories; that stories can serve personal growth and healing, develop organizations and business, and preserve communities and histories. On the Web jhcollectiveinc.com. Linkedin: Jennifer Harris

Pickleball and Tennis with Jaimi Foster

Jaimi Foster is a lifelong tennis and pickleball player and has been coaching since 2012. She was a featured athlete in Pickleball Fundamentals (2015), the first instructional book endorsed by the U.S.A Pickleball Association. Her family was one of the earlier adopters of pickleball, and she holds several (junior) U.S. national pickleball titles. She was a collegiate tennis player at the University of Toronto, and the co-founder of the first Canadian collegiate pickleball club.

Now residing in Arizona, Jaimi runs a Virtual Assistant agency, supporting clients across North America in operations and event planning. The flexible nature of her work allows her to continue teaching clinics and camps throughout the year, and she loves opportunities to travel the world and grow tennis and pickleball in new communities. Teaching at the Ranch has been an incredibly special experience for her, and she is thrilled to be returning for another Family Week.

StageKids

Juggler, Magician, Poet, Dancer, Thespian, Singer, Mime; no matter what’s your jam, there is a place for you on stage Thursday night.
Join Tom to craft the best talent show ever! Together we’ll really bring down the house.

Tom Birmingham is an artist and teacher with rich experience leading family enrichment programs. After 35 years living in Big Sur, California, he has recently located to a home near the Long Island Sound in Connecticut.

As a founding director of the Big Sur Arts Initiative, Tom has provided instruction and enrichment in the creative arts in a variety of mediums. For ten years he led the art department in the summer children’s theater program, StageKids in Big Sur.

For over fifteen years Tom has taught photography and drawing at Rancho La Puerta. Along with his wife, Erin Lee Gafill, he’s been a part of The Ranch’s Family Week since it’s start.

Tom was the director of the Big Sur JazzFest, founding member of Big Sur’s Hidden Garden’s Tour, and currently manages Studio One – Big Sur.

More recently, Tom is the founder of 26Letter Press, a small press dedicated to printed materials celebrating and inspiring creative expression.

Arts and Crafts

Rubber Band Jewelry (children)

Silk Scarf Tie Dye (all ages)

Arm Knitting (children, tweens)

Basic Crochet & Granny Squares (teens)

Mallory Newbern is a long-time creative, portraitist, and textile artist. Following her graduation from Rice University in 2022, she lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a year to experience Spanish immersion and conduct research with a local nonprofit. During her time with the organization, Mallory completed a mixed-media portrait series to accompany the project entitled ‘Narrated Images of African, Afro-Argentine, and Afro-Descendant Testimonies.’ Mallory loves teaching workshops and encouraging children to explore their unique artistic styles. https://www.instagram.com/malnewbernart/?hl=en

The Amazing Paint-Out

Get Ready for an Epic Art Adventure!
Join artist Erin Gafill for a super-fun week-long project: Painting the Mural!
Help design and create a gigantic, colorful mural that will amaze everyone! Work together with new friends and make your artistic dreams come true! Come be a part of this awesome art adventure and take home memories that will last a lifetime!”

An award-winning painter and author, Erin Gafill has inspired people around the world with her inspirational art, heartfelt stories, and uniquely engaging teaching methods. Her work bridges art, craft, and community, weaving observation, intuition, and imagination into her painting, writing, teaching, and public speaking. A fifth-generation California artist, she was born in Big Sur, California in 1963, the daughter of a beatnik and a flower child. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Carmel’s first artist-in-residence. Growing up at her grandparents’ legendary restaurant, Nepenthe, a mecca for poets, bohemians and dreamers, she drew inspiration from its ever-changing cast of characters as well as the stunning and mystical beauty of the coast.

Erin is the founder of the nonprofit Big Sur Arts Initiative, and a founding member of the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association (MBPAPA). In 2001 Erin was honored to serve as the first American Artist-in-Residence at the Hamada International Children’s Museum, Hamada, Japan.

In 2009, she and her husband Tom Birmingham were named Champions of the Arts by the Arts Council of Monterey County and were honored by the United States Congress for their service to the community through the arts.

Her exhibit Color Duets was the featured 2021 Spring/Summer show for the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, California, followed the next summer by a solo exhibit, California Atmosphere at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, California. She is the author of a coffee-table art book, Color Duets, with Kaffe Fassett, and a memoir about life/work balance, Drinking from a Cold Spring, a Little Book of Hope. Both books are available at www.colorduets.com. eringafill.com

Art Classes with Resident Artist Jennifer Brandt

Drawing
An introduction to basic perceptual tools for representational drawing—how our eyes and brain shape the reality we believe we see.

Watercolor
Demonstration of abstract and figurative watercolor techniques, followed by plenty of time to experiment and practice.

Landscape Sketching
Drawing, continued: putting the tools together to draw the world.

Collage Card Making
Scissors, glue sticks, painted watercolor paper: collage is a relaxing, friendly medium, no expertise required.

Painting Day
Open studio — still life or landscape, weather dependent — paint with our resident artist, or watch a painting in process.

Ancestor Altars
Create a small sacred space to honor those who came before you, whether connected by blood or spirit.

Mandala
Meditation with ink and paper — a deceptively simple, deeply calming practice of mindful doodling.

Jennifer Brandt paints, exhibits and teaches in Baja California, Mexico, as Resident Artist of Rancho La Puerta. jenbrandt.com

Summer Solstice Celebratory Festivities

Thursday, June 20:

9am Meditation
1pm Solstice Blessing Circle with Felicia Ruiz
3pm Sound Healing with solstice theme
4pm Solstice garland workshop at the Gazebo followed by a processional to the Bazar

Friday, June 21

11am Indigenous Wisdom walk with Norma with summer solstice theme
3pm Sound Healing with solstice theme
4pm ceremony in Oaktree

Farm Fresh Family Feast

Thursday Farm Fresh Family Feast 4 PM Sign Up
Celebrate the abundance of our organic farm and the connection to community with a Farm-to-Table dining experience – a perfect blend of health, tradition, flavor, and fun! Cost is $110 per person, tax included, ages 13 and up; $45 per person, tax included, ages 7 to 12. Wine sold separately. The maximum number of guests is 30. Sign Up at the Appointments Desk or through the link above.

Sabrina A. Falquier (Fall-Key-Ay), MD, CCMS, DipABLM loves delicious food. One of her areas of special focus and interest is teen culinary literacy, having co-created an 8-week program for teens for an entire school district in San Diego. This program showed positive changes in both food choices and cooking knowledge and the program outcomes were presented at three national conferences. Dr. Falquier is a board-certified Internal Medicine, Culinary Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine physician. She is bilingual (Spanish and English) and multicultural, born and raised in Mexico City to Swiss and American parents. Dr. Falquier worked as a primary care doctor for over 15 years and in 2020 founded Sensations Salud, which focuses on empowering through nutritional knowledge and culinary literacy by way of Culinary Medicine education and consulting. Dr. Falquier promotes Culinary Medicine throughout San Diego and internationally for incredibly varied audiences. She is the proud host of the Culinary Medicine Recipe podcast, which includes educational video episodes in both English and Spanish. She serves on the board of two non-profits and is a clinical professor at three universities. Her work can be seen through the powerful documentary: The Kitchenistas. Additionally, she has won numerous awards and has been interviewed regarding food and health by multiple media outlets. Follow along @SensationsSalud on social media.

Born in Mexico City to Japanese parents, Chef Marcelo Hisaki grew up surrounded by a diversity of flavor, texture, color, and tradition that combined both Japanese and Mexican culinary heritage.

At an early age, his talent and discipline led him to earn a scholarship from Fondation Turquois Monaco to study French cuisine at the Lycée Hotelier de Monte Carlo and train in Michelin-starred restaurants Yoshi and Joël Robuchon, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

In 2013, Chef Marcelo and his wife Chef Reyna Venegas opened Restaurante Amores in Tecate, Baja California. Their culinary concept is influenced by Mexican, Japanese and French cultures, using local produce with respect, love, and creativity.

He recently represented Mexico in the Bocuse d’Or Finale 2023, a prestigious culinary contest in Lyon, France, receiving the social commitment award as a recognition to his team’s involvement in support of migrants’ food insecurity in Baja California. Read more here.

He currently works as a mentor and teacher for new generations of culinary professionals at Culinary Art School and collaborates in the development of BRECHA, the first Mexican culinary innovation and research center. @restauranteamores, @marcehisaki

Executive Chef Reyna Venegas’ classes are about fresh and delicious food that will energize, inspire, and nourish our Tween guests!! She fuses the culinary and cultural heritages of her own Northern Baja roots with the nutritious “spa cuisine” pioneered 80 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. At La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen That Sings,” Chef Reyna teaches healthy eating as a celebration of life in farm-to-table cooking classes.

As a lifelong learner, Chef Reyna graduated from University of California, San Diego’s Integrative Nutrition program, which focuses on how food promotes wellness. She is also a graduate of the Culinary Art School in Tijuana, and holds a Pastry Degree from the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monte-Carlo and Fondation Turquois.

She and her husband Chef Marcelo Hisaki own Restaurante Amores, a hidden culinary jewel in the heart of Baja and currently collaborates as manager of Team Mexico on their way to the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2024.

Stay Cool with Family Water Activities

Jenny McTaggart is a Personal Trainer, Group Fitness, TRX & Yoga Instructor. She teaches Bootcamps, Yoga, and TRX at The Bay Club Marin, in the San Francisco Area. She is passionate about helping people find the joy in their health and wellness routine and weaving it into their lifestyle. She first came to the Ranch when her mom brought her in 1993, and it has continued to be a place of retreat, reflection, and empowerment for her every time she visits. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, weightlifting, & spending time with friends and family. She has three children, Ethan, Camilla, & Charlie, who are the light of her life! Bring your family together and join at the end of the day for water activities, friendly competition, and tons of laughter!

Musical Exploration with Royce and Rory

Royce and Rory kick off their program with a Sunday Concert!
Join them for their daily songwriting class with coaching included in preparation for Thursday’s RLPGT.
Add more fun with three lighthearted improv classes.

Songwriting
Sunday through Thursday: 60 minute session each day
Participants in the class will partner with Royce and Rory to learn the basic building blocks of songwriting in multiple genres. The class is focused on answering the simple question: why do we love songs, and what is it about those songs that makes us love them? The aim for the end of the class is to have each student be an active participant in songwriting, and feel confident in their ability to express themselves in a way they hadn’t been able before. We will also help coach and workshop original music so if any participants want to share their song at the talent show, we can help prepare them and give them confidence to do so.

Improv
Three family-friendly 60 minute sessions
Improv is the fundamental practice of thinking on your feet and creating character. Primarily used as an acting or comedic exercise, improv has many general applications and is an invaluable tool in helping people think on their feet and feel confident in spontaneous situations. It’s also hilarious, fun, and teaches trust. Learn basic improv games and the foundation of how to succeed at improv. It will be lighthearted, fun, and a great way for guests to get out of their comfort zone and connect with each other.

Royce Lundquist is a multi-disciplinary artist living in LA. Drawing inspiration from his childhood spent abroad in the military, Royce has a unique perspective on life that he weaves into his music, acting, and storytelling. Royce studied music and acting at the Orange County School of the Arts, before attending Pace University’s International Performance Ensemble in acting and directing in New York City, and graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Theater Arts. Royce looks for opportunities to tell complex stories of people’s experience with faith and love.

Aurora Lundquist is an upcoming singer-songwriter living in Nashville. She is a junior at Belmont University majoring in Songwriting and minoring in classical voice. Finding her roots in participating in musical theater and arts she found true love for songwriting and performing. In February of 2023 she released her first single titled Habit, and since has released two new singles. She writes about her own experiences and experiences in the lives of others in order to create music that is meaningful and relatable. She writes pop, indie and R&B but has had experience in all genres.

¡Mambo! South American Serenade

¡MAMBO!!!

The GRAN MAMBO for two flutes and piano will receive its premier on Thursday, August22, when it is played by Elena, Martha and Cheryl in Oaktree. It was commissioned by Elena from the brilliant young Venezuelan composer Efrain Oscher who is also a flute player. The concert will open with another work for two flutes and piano, Samuel Zyman’s FANTASIA MEXICANA which was also commissioned by Elena twenty years ago and is Zyman’s most popular work, celebrating the joy of popular Mexican music!

Samuel Zyman
Fantasia Mexicana for two flutes and piano (Elena, Martha, Cheryl)

Efrain Oscher
A short piece for flute and piano (Martha & Cheryl)

Efrain Oscher
Barroquiana Venezolana No. 2 for flute and piano (Elena & Cheryl)

Efrain Oscher
Gran Mambo (Elena, Martha, Cheryl)

Elena Durán grew up in Oakland, California and has enjoyed an international career, appearing as soloist with more than 50 orchestras all over the world, playing on a number of occasions for the Queen of England, HM King Charles as well as the President of Mexico. She has recorded a hit single with Paul McCartney and has made two albums with jazz great Stephane Grappelli. At various stages of her career, she has taught at University and Conservatory level including at Stanford University, the London College of Music, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Hartt School of Music. She has given masterclasses and courses all over the world and was the director of the Stratford International Flute Festival for twenty years and the Mexican Flute Festival at UNAM for five years in the nineties. She was named Mexico City’s Ambassador of Culture and Tourism, and with her personal outreach program FLAUTA SIN FRONTERAS, she has taken music to those who can’t attend concerts, especially those in prison and those who live along the US/Mexico Border. Elena is a passionate supporter of the Ranch’s Fundación La Puerta bringing her programs to the local community.

Martha Aarons’ professional career began with her appointment as principal flute of the North Carolina Symphony. Subsequently she played with the Cleveland Orchestra for 25 years. After becoming a freelancer, she performed often with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During this time, she appeared as guest principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Mostly Mozart Festival. Ms. Aarons served as Artist Faculty with the Aspen Music Festival for 19 years. Her teaching credits include the Cleveland Institute of Music, Duke University, University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, Oberlin College, Skidmore College, Shanghai Conservatory and Eastman School of Music. She has been soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, and with the Aspen Festival Chamber and Festival orchestras. Her first solo CD, The History of the Tango, is recorded on the Azica label and additionally features pianist Frances Renzi and Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux. Her newest release is the CD Last Silence with violinist Lev Polyakin and pianist Frances Renzi. Martha is also an avid runner and has qualified for her fifth consecutive Boston Marathon in April 2025!

Praised by the New York Sun for her “Warm, grand and rich” pianism, Cheryl Lin Fielding has performed on some of the finest stages throughout the world, including the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Juilliard Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, Musco Center for the Arts, and Soka Performing Arts Center. A sought-after\ collaborator and vocal coach, Fielding has been honored with the Grace B. Jackson Prize in Excellence by the Tanglewood Music Festival, recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and received the distinguished Gwendolyn Koldofsky Award in Keyboard Collaborative Arts.

Cheryl’s musical studies began at the age of three in Taiwan, first on the piano and later on the violin, and continued through dual master’s degrees at the Juilliard School (Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano), and Doctor of Musical Arts in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at the University of Southern California, with extended emphasis in Vocal Performance.

Fielding has had the honor of working alongside luminaries such as Matthew Aucoin, Christian Badea, Cori Ellison, John DeMain, Luana Devol, Peter Kazaras, Kelly Kuo, James Levine, Timothy Lindberg, Angela Meade, Carol Neblett, Linda Watson, and Dolora Zajick, and has served as music director, vocal coach, pianist, adjudicator for organizations including Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, Santa Fe Opera, the Philadelphia Virtuosi, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, Operafestival di Roma, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera San Jose, OperaWorks, Pacific Vocal Series, Pacific Symphony, Opera Chapman, California State University at Northridge, Azusa Pacific University, the Juilliard School, and the USC Thornton Opera. You can hear her playing on all major streaming platforms on the newly released album with soprano, Tory McKenna: Awakening.

Dr. Fielding is passionate about keeping the arts thriving in the communities and has recently help produced several concerts with Parnassus Society at Soka Performing Arts Center. She is currently the Artistic Director of Parnassus Society and Coach at Opera UCLA and Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices.

Dance with Galit Friedlander

One year after graduating from the ‘FAME’ school (LaGuardia) as a theatre major, Galit Friedlander moved to Los Angeles to pursue a degree from the University of Southern California. Shortly after graduating college, Galit found that her drive gained her the opportunity to work as an assistant choreographer for Prince in the Los Angeles leg of his Welcome 2 America Tour. She has worked on projects for Pharrell and MC Lyte. She has toured China and the U.S. with groundbreaking artists, choreographed for short film, works for the WNBA’S LA Sparks as a head choreographer, and has been the SparKids head choreographer since 2017.

Within her 18+ years of experience teaching dancers, Galit discovered that one of her greatest joys and life purpose is to keep expanding dancers’ knowledge through her work as a choreographer and teacher. She is also the host and creator of the DanceSpeak podcast since 2016 which shares unfiltered and authentic interviews from dancers all around the globe.

Learning to Live with Less

Learning to Live with Less and Why it Matters
What are the financial and psychological costs that clutter can have on your personal and professional life? Leave this session with solutions to help you declutter and be motivated to discard unneeded ‘stuff.’ Presentation will include group discussion related to struggles with letting go of items in your home.

Spring Decluttering: 10 Items to Let Go of Today
Springtime is usually a period when people feel inspired to start fresh and anew. But before Spring Cleaning, you may want to start with Spring Decluttering. In this session, get inspired to go home and declutter those 10 items that are no longer are serving you, so there is less to manage, clean, and dust. Get motivated to clear out the clutter to create space for new things to enter your life that are in alignment with your values and priorities.

Too Much Clutter? How Do I “Let It Go?”
Are you stuck? Feeling overwhelmed, too many clothes, piles of paper, photos, bags, spices, magazines, craft projects, China, and antique furniture? Have you inherited boxes of family heirlooms and have let them sit? Participants will learn the 5-step method of organizing items in your home and office. You will also learn about Brain Organizing to help you declutter your brain so you can declutter your life. Clearing out the clutter will create space for new things to enter your life that are in alignment with your values and priorities.

Tips for Downsizing
Do you or a family member need to downsize or right size their life? Are you ready to move to a smaller place or just live with less? We will discuss what to do with all those mementos, kids school work, sports equipment, photos, dvds, and videos? Participants will leave with a new outlook on your items and be inspired to start downsizing now!

Amy Carstensen, a San Diego based Professional Organizer, started her business “Organizing with Amy” in 2013. Amy holds a Master’s degree from UCSD in International Relations. She’s taught high school Spanish, worked for the International Community Foundation and was the Founder and Executive Director of Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. When she’s not out helping clients let go of excess Tupperware and bags, she’s home annoying her husband and two teenage boys reminding them “to never leave a room empty handed.”

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Salsa & Salsa: Dancing to the Beat of Flavor

Salsa & Salsa: Dancing to the Beat of Flavor

Soccer with Sasha Victorine

Personal Healing is Earth Healing

Greenpeace Now and Then: A History of Environmental Activism

Solstice Blessing Circle with Felicia Ruiz

Meditation with Sylvia Boorstein

Meditation with Sylvia Boorstein

Tennis and Pickleball

Weaving & Macrame

Self-Defense – Tweens, Teens, and Women

Flexing Your Creative Muscles: Using Storytelling to Stretch & Release

Pickleball and Tennis with Jaimi Foster

StageKids

Arts and Crafts

The Amazing Paint-Out

Art Classes with Resident Artist Jennifer Brandt

Summer Solstice Celebratory Festivities

Farm Fresh Family Feast

Stay Cool with Family Water Activities

Musical Exploration with Royce and Rory

¡Mambo! South American Serenade

Dance with Galit Friedlander

Learning to Live with Less