Melt into the scenery at SEA RANCH
There are no cattle on this ranch. No cowboys, either. Sea Ranch, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, is a mostly private enclave along a rugged, 10-mile stretch of Sonoma County coast. It includes about 1,800 low-slung homes — many of which are vacation rentals — all designed under tight limits to blend into the landscape, mimicking natural forms.
From its start in the 1960s, the development has tangled with some environmental groups. Many say frustration over Sea Ranch helped provoke the creation of the California Coastal Commission in 1972. Yet the project also has won design prizes from the American Institute of Architects.
There’s no denying that these handsome homes have been tucked into a beautiful place. It includes six publicly accessible trails, a linksstyle golf course and a tiny but emblematic chapel of stone, redwood and stained glass by artist-designer James Hubbell. Rental homes typically go for $275 to $1,000 nightly, often with minimum stays of three to five nights. (Sea Ranch Lodge itself serves as a rental representative for seven homes.) All of Sea Ranch’s roads and most of its trails are private and intended for use only by owners, renters and their guests.
The Sea Ranch Lodge Dining Rom offers lunch and dinner (Thursday-Monday) and a cafe serves snacks, breakfast and lunch, daily.
BONUS TIP: After an ownership change, a renovation and a delay or two, ranch management says it will begin renting out the 17 guest rooms in the Sea Ranch Lodge in July, starting at $500 nightly.