Southern Cross Guest Ranch: Two Visits, Two Very Different Reasons to Go

One trip was a birthday getaway during the early days of COVID. The other was about giving someone we loved a few happy days. Both reminded us that sometimes the best trips are the ones where you don't have much planned.

A Birthday Getaway at a Very Strange Time

In April 2020, the world was a pretty strange place.

COVID was spreading, people were staying home, and nobody was quite sure what was going to happen next. Gina had just turned 50, and her birthday celebration consisted of exactly one visitor coming to the house.

Not exactly the milestone birthday we'd envisioned.

We wanted to get away for a couple of days, but we weren't looking to fly anywhere or take a major vacation. Somewhere within a few hours of home would be perfect.

Gina found Southern Cross Guest Ranch online, near Madison, Georgia, about four to four-and-a-half hours from home.

She loves horses. This was a working horse ranch with stables, riding trails, open pastures, and plenty of opportunities to spend time around the animals.

It sounded like exactly what we needed.

We booked two nights in a Superior King room, chose the all-inclusive non-riding package, and headed to Madison on April 4.

First Impressions: This Was Exactly What We'd Hoped For

The approach to Southern Cross made a pretty good first impression.

A long, sweeping driveway led toward the main guesthouse. Fences lined both sides, with green pastures stretching beyond them and horses scattered around the property.

It looked exactly like the place we'd seen online.

That's not always the case with travel accommodations, so it was a welcome start.

We arrived in time for lunch, settled into our room, and spent the afternoon exploring.

Our room was on the second floor, above the dining area. It was a comfortable Superior King overlooking one of the pastures. We could watch horses wandering around without leaving the room.

Nothing particularly fancy, but comfortable and entirely appropriate for the setting.

And there was more to do around the ranch than we'd expected.

The main building had a game area with pool and ping-pong tables, an outdoor deck with seating, and a swimming pool. We never used the pool, but it was there.

Outside, there were horses to visit, ducks wandering around, and a few cats who seemed perfectly content with ranch life.

We wandered down to the stables, watched people getting their horses ready for rides, and spent time looking at the mares and their foals.

Gina was in her element.