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| Foggy view from our Berkeley deck right before our trip |
We left Berkeley on a foggy morning in mid-October for Sea Ranch on the Sonoma coast just south of Mendocino County. This was our first real trip since our Italian
VACATION in the fall of 2019 before the lockdown in March 2020. Reservations were made on VRBO for a 3 night stay in a little house on Foothill Close in the "tiny town of Sea Ranch which stretches along 10 miles of rugged Pacific Ocean coastline, offering stunning coastal trails and several beaches to explore." We were renting one of the 2,200 houses in the unincorporated community. I had specially picked one with a sea view!
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| Gulls on the pier at Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay |
In October 2019 we had planned to stay in our friend Rita's house at Sea Ranch, but had to cancel when fires were raging toward the coast. We also had to cancel a trip to Tahoe this September when smoke from a Sierra foothill fire choked the Tahoe basin. This 3rd time was a charm. On the way north, we followed Rita's advice and stopped in Bodega Bay for lunch at Fishetarian. Our fish and chips were delicious and I was glad I'd packed a few extra down vests for the chilly damp weather we endured sitting at the restaurant's outside picnic tables.
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| All bundled up in Bodega Bay |
After lunch we wound around hairpin curves on HWY 1 and reached Sea Ranch over an hour later. We followed directions to our cozy house, figured out the lockbox, turned on the heat and made ourselves at home. Here it was even colder and foggier and instead of a sea view I could only spot waves breaking over a few rocks in the distance. The ocean was nowhere in sight. What a disappointment! We entertained ourselves by visiting the nearby town of Gualala and stocking up on supplies for the wintery night ahead. We imbibed while soaking in the hot tub on the deck, and tried to get Netflix to work.
The next day dawned drizzly and foggier than ever, so we set out for Point Arena to visit Franny's Cup and Saucer, advertised as the best bakery in the area. Before hitting the town we went down to the pier and snapped photos of the sultry ocean and the deserted coffee shop
This Swedish fisherman filled us in on information about the area and his colorful life
The misty town of Point Arena reminded Dean of Wales in the '70s, but Franny's Cup and Saucer, billed as the best bakery in the area, welcomed us with its colorful exterior and tempting scones and pastries.
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| Interior view of Franny's Cup and Saucer |
They had one beautiful loaf of artisanal bread, which we coveted. A kind Franney's employee told us it was from the Pelican bakery down the street, which was only open on Wednesday mornings from 8 to 11am. We hustled over there to make it just in time.
After waiting in line outside, we discovered what the excitement was all about. Here was an array of freshly baked loaves that rivaled any rustic breads we had seen anywhere.
We chatted with the baker, bought a yeasted sourdough loaf, and soon regretted not buying more. We felt lucky to have shown up on a Wednesday before 11 am.
On our way back to Sea ranch we stopped at the impressive Russian hotel of St Orres. Many Russians had come down from Alaska in the mid 1800s and you can see their influence in some of the architecture. We made reservations for dinner on Thursday night and toured the grounds.
Though we intended to dine there one night, the scene was so chaotic and the place so understaffed that we left quickly.
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| Ohlson Pool, one of the two Sea Ranch pools |
After touring the area all day, I hit the pool down the road from our house. Because it was late afternoon and foggy I had the pool and sauna all to myself - what luxury!
Wonder of wonders, Thursday morning dawned sunny and bright and as advertised, there was the vast expanse of the blue pacific seen from our deck.
We filled our last day with all the activities we had missed the days before. We drove around marveling at all the Sea Ranch architecture, much more appealing in the bright sunshine, and then visited the "neat little hardware store" that Rita recommended.
All the Sea Ranch inhabitants patronize this treasure trove of hardware and such, as well as the lively garden center pictured above. And we were very fortunate that the woman at the counter encouraged us to walk up the path to the community garden.
We hiked up a short path and were amazed when we opened the gate and entered a wonderland of flourishing plants and trees. Though not at its peak, the late blooming veggies and flowers were thriving and garden members were greeting each other —and us!—while picking ingredients for a harvest dinner to be held in a few days.
There is a long wait list for membership in the garden community. In fact, technically we weren't supposed to be there, but a member of the board and his wife, picking late raspberries and potatoes, took us under their wings and explained the garden protocol at length. It was obvious that they felt blessed to live there
We wandered around for a long time taking pictures and basking in the warm, welcome sunlight.
In the afternoon we checked out Black Point beach, but it was too windy to hike.
We found a charming little bookstore in Gualala. Actually, the only thing lacking in the area are good restaurants. I guess the Sea Ranchers like to cook at home, but I was disappointed. We ended up eating twice at the Thai restaurant because I was on vacation.
Friday morning was foggy again, so we packed up early and drove down Highway 1 out of Sea Ranch. A short drive down the coast, we stopped at Fort Ross State Historic Park and parked in the lot of the Russian fur trading outpost of Fort Ross.
I knew nothing about the fort, but I learned that the area was settled by Russians who had claimed land in Alaska for fur trapping and expanded to what is now the California coast. They built this fort in 1812 and stayed until the 1860's. The buildings are almost all reproductions but they are so realistic that we could picture life within the fort in the early 19th century. Dean took this revealing photo of the arsenal from outside the bars.
Still shrouded in atmospheric fog, we passed an old scarecrow on our way to the gift shop
We amused ourselves viewing the displays in the fort's museum and left only after I found the perfect refrigerator magnet.
After about an hour's drive south toward the Bay Area, we stopped at the Valley Ford Creamery and had the best meal of the trip. Their grilled cheese sandwiches were beyond compare and they offered their own chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream. We also ordered cauliflower soup and cheese toasts on home baked bread!
We enjoyed our lunch outside on picnic tables and finally headed back home satisfied and happy
