Imagine visiting a seaside enclave in Northern California designed in the 1960s by architects who wanted to take advantage of pristine views, towering bluffs, lush meadows and the rugged coastline of the Pacific Ocean. The community's founders also wanted their homes to integrate fully with this natural beauty, rather than stand out from it. With more than 1,700 distinctive houses scattered along a 10-mile stretch of the Sonoma County coast, Sea Ranch, located about 110 miles north of San Francisco, is precisely that community. Aside from its architectural calling card, the Sea Ranch area has activities for nature lovers and wine connoisseurs as well.
The Beaches and Ocean
- Whale watching, diving, hiking and tide pooling are just a few of the activities to engage in on the stretch of rugged coastline located around Sea Ranch. From the community, you can access a 10-mile-long trail on the bluff or visit the beaches along Highway 1 that are all open to the public. At Black Point you'll find a steep set of stairs leading to a 1/4-mile-long sandy beach. You'll be able to explore tide pools in Pebble Beach's cove. And on Shell Beach, you can launch a small boat on the ocean. In addition, popular sites for whale watching can be found at Bihler's Point or Black Point. Restrooms are available at these beaches as are paid parking lots.
Architectural Treasures
- Architectural enthusiasts will undoubtedly wish to study and admire Sea Ranch's unique homes. Given that all roads and most facilities in the community are private, however, the only way to take a self-guided tour is to rent a house on either a short or long-term basis; weekend rentals are quite popular. Once you're temporarily ensconced in the enclave, you can walk or drive around to admire the works of architects like Charles W. Moore, Joseph Esherick, William Turnbull, Donlyn Lyndon and Richard Whitaker, in addition to projects by the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. High points of Sea Ranch's architectural landscape include the original building, Condominium One; it was added to The National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The Hedgerow Houses, nestled in a row of bent cypress trees, is another highlight. Guests also have the use of three recreation centers, each with a pool and tennis court.
Salt Point State Park
- Head less than 15 miles south of the community to discover the underwater park at Salt Point State Park. The park's Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve was one of the first underwater parks in the state designed to protect marine life. If you'd rather cast a line in the surf, you can do that along the park's over six miles of coastline; fishing is prohibited at the reserve, however. Anglers generally catch lingcod, cabezon, rockfish and greenlings while fishing from the rocks. At the end of the day you can pitch a tent or park your RV in the park's campground. You'll have access to drinking water and restrooms, but there are no showers or dump station.
Wineries
- Take some time to visit the 20-mile-long Alexander Valley, located less than 50 miles east of Sea Ranch. Doing so will allow you to explore the more than 30 wineries situated in the area near Geyserville and Healdsburg. Enjoy more than a glass of wine at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, where you can play free bocce ball all day long, or spend Friday summer nights enjoying wine, food and Latin dancing under the stars. Swimming pools are open during the summer for kids and adults to enjoy. In addition to the wine, the highlight of the winery is the Movie Gallery, a display of Coppola's enormous collection of authentic movie memorabilia spanning more than 50 years.
