Sea Ranch
Berkeley Parents Network >
Reviews >
Places to Go >
Sea Ranch
Feb 2005
We are thinking of renting a beach cabin for a week this
summer, in the Sea Ranch vicinity. We've never done this
before, and would like recommendations for how to go about
this. What realtors have people found reliable? What's the
approx. cost? Recommendations for restaurants in the area? And
so forth. The website recommends Sea Ranch generally, but I
didn't see any specifics. Thanks.
Wendy
We stay in Sea Ranch a couple of times a year and always rent
through Rams Head Realty. They are really nice and efficient,
and we've been very happy with all the houses we've stayed in
through them. The website has all the houses with pictures, but
if you have specific questions, they are happy to answer them by
phone.
About 10 years ago we rented houses in/around Gualala through a
smaller company called Serenisea. The lady was a bit of a
character, and the houses more rustic, but we were happy.
However, many of her places don't allow kids, which is why we
started staying in Sea Ranch once our kids were born. It's very
convenient in lots of ways--there's a couple of pools, river
access, great walking trails, and even a minimal but sort of
cool playground called One-eyed Jack's.
We do our own cooking there, so I can't recommend restaurants. I
hear that in the past few months a bakery has opened up on
Annapolis Road in Sea Ranch and that it is terrific.
Have fun!
coastal gal
Sea Ranch Escapes is a good company, and has 3 nights for the
price of 2 during the winter (till March I think?).
I love Sea Ranch! Friends of our own a home in Sea Ranch. It's called Ocean Knoll.
Here is the website:
http://www.searanchrentals.com/ We have stayed there
several times and it's gorgeous, comfortable, and in a prime location. I can't speak
to restaurants as we pretty much cooked there most meals, but if you have more
specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me and I'd be happy to chat.
Lori
Dec 2004
We plan to rent a house in Sea Ranch in February with two other
couples. All total, we will be 6 adults, three babies and one toddler.
We've selected Sea Ranch mostly for its proximity to the Bay Area, but
I've never been and I don't know much about it. I'd appreciate any
recommendations for local activities (great trails, restaurants, etc.). Also,
any recommendations regarding renting a house would be appreciated
(websites, agents, location). Thanks.
Amy
My parents own a home in Sea Ranch that they rent via Rams Head
Realty. I'd point you to their house, but it's too small for
your group. The website: http://www.ramshead-realty.com/ has a
decent search feature so hopefully you can find something you're
happy with. I've stayed at other Rams Head rental (beyond my
parents) and found them clean with well supplied kitchens and as
described. Sea Ranch itself is wonderful - lots of long walks to
view the ocean and spot meadow wildlife, the little town of
Gualala has lots of neat shops and galleries to browse, Mendocino
is not too far away if you want a day trip (I never have, I stay
put!). Get your bakery goods at Twofish Bakery off Annapolis
Road (same as RamsHead office) and do your shopping at the Surf
Super in Gualala (sea side grocery, not land side). At this time
of year you can often buy fresh crab from fisherman at roadside
in the afternoon when they come in with their catch.
cynthia
My inlaws own and rent out a house at Sea Ranch. It is a great place to visit,
especially in
the winter months. Their house has 2 full bedrooms and a loft if you're interested.
It's called the Brown-Hansen house and is available through Beach Rentals
(707) 884-4235. It has a spectacular location. It depends on how much privacy you
want with such a big group and babies. I might recommend a larger house with
more one more bedroom. In any case, Beach Rentals should be able to accomodate
you. As far as things to do. Great hikes along the bluffs and beaches. Bring baby
bjorns and/or backpacks for kids. Good tidepools along the coast. 3 rec centers
with heated pools. Yoga, tennis, etc. Food: Pangaea in Gualala is excellent. Good
Mexican food in the little town that is 1/2 way between GUalala and Pt. ARena (north
up Hwy 1). There is a great bakery in Pt. Arena too. The Food Company on the
NOrth end of Gualala on left side of Hwy 1 has great gourmet take out. The ginger
snap cookies are amazing. We usually cook big dinners there and shop at Surf
Super in Gualala. Food there is fresh and you can find lots of organic produce. Great
meat department too. Have fun.
sdalbey
Re: A quiet couple days away with kids (Nov 2005)
Go no further than Sea Ranch. It is 2 1/2-3 hours up Hwy 1. You can rent an entire
house. Most houses have hot tubs, and you'll have use of several pools, yoga classes,
tennis courts, and beautiful trails along the coast. You can explore the charming little
towns of Gualala and Pt. Arena.
Contact Beach Rentals at http://www.searanchrentals.com/
Re: A quiet couple days away with kids (Nov 2005)
Sea ranch is lovely, peaceful, has many vacation rentals-look on
google under sea ranch. The ocean is right there, and there are
rec centers with pools, etc. Most houses have hot tubs. It is
our favorite place to go to relax. It's about 3 hours away.
Re: Family Getaway within 2hr of SF (Feb 2005)
I don't have a lead on a specific house, but Sea Ranch is
absolutely fabulous for families, and super-close to the Bay
Area but still offers amazing redwoods and Pacific beaches for
your visiting relatives. I know http://www.ramshead-realty.com
handles rentals; you can probably find others via Google.
JP
Re: Mulitple family getaway destination (April 2004)
Try renting a house at Sea Ranch -- there are beautiful houses there on
the ocean, and you will have full access to everything (kitchen included),
so you can cook all your own meals. Many of the houses have two
master suites, so it is a good place for mulitple families. Lots of beautiful
natural scenery for walking/biking/beachcombing, the little town of
Gualala is close with a few nice restaurants and some cute little shops,
there's a golf course that's OK.
Only (potential) downside is that it's pretty quiet (for us that's a plus);
what I described above is pretty much all there is to do. But we LOVE it
there!
Karen
Re: Inexpensive comfortable place for a reunion (Nov 2003)
Try Sea Ranch. There are a lot of rental houses up there within walking distance
of the beach. Great trails. It's close to the town of Gualala. About an hour from
Bodega Bay and an hour from Mendocino. Beach Rentals in Gualala handles a
lot of the rental properties.
Sara
Re: Family getaway in a beautiful location
(Oct 2003)
Sounds to me like you are describing The Sea Ranch. You can
easily find rental agencies on the web. Most houses have a hot
tub, so that shouldn't be a problem. It's a private community,
so you can't enjoy their facilities unless you stay there. There
are at least 3 recreation areas (pools, sauna, tennis), miles of
beaches and hiking, and incredible scenery. It's also a perfect
get away for a family. We often go there with our daughter (now
3) and she loves it. The Sea Ranch is a very unique community,
both architecturally and by design. Read up on the history, as
the creators had a great vision way back in the 1960's. I'm sure
you will like it.
Lisa
September 2003
Re: Pet-friendly Getaways
While looking for a romantic getaway for me and my husband, I
stumbled upon house rentals up north at Sea Ranch. A couple good
websites...
http://www.ramshead-realty.com/
With this one, you can actually search for rentals that allow
pets.
http://www.donberard.com/
This is who we rented from. Most of these rentals have an ocean
view and hot tub and many allow children and pets. Prices drop
Oct. 1 due to low demand and you can get one night free with 2
or more paid days.
Good luck!
Dawn
I have a word of warning regarding the recent recommendation for
Don Berard Realty near Sea Ranch. My friends and I (all of whom
are reasonably fastidious and neat) have rented in the Sea Ranch
area for about 30 years.
Some years ago, Don Berard Realty began charging a cleaning fee
for homes requiring cleaning, whether or not the home was
thoroughly cleaned or not. In one instance, following an
especially thorough cleaning of the rental on our part, they
charged for a hot tub whose ''chemical balance had been
altered.'' As we didn't use the hot tub, we presumed the charge
reflected Don Berard Realty's inability to find anything else to
charge for. Sea Ranch Rentals is much more reasonable, in our
experience.
Michael
March 2003
Re: Week-long family vacation within California
We have always enjoyed renting a house at Sea Ranch, especially
with little kids. It's a beautiful spot, quiet, nice houses, you
can enjoy the out of doors without going far. Nice recreation
areas with pool, tennis courts, kid's play area...The weather
will be less foggy in Sept./Oct., so it's a good time to go.
Lots of house rental options to check out online.
pat
March 2003
Re: Weekend getaways near water
Try Sea Cliff Ranch for a good family getaway. Lots of cabins to
choose from -- some in woods, some near ocean. Some allow pets,
too. We're going to try this cabin (see link below) in a couple
weeks.
http://www.mcn.org/searanch/Autumn_Mist.html
Good luck!
Katrina
June 2002
Re: Beach rental for a long weekend
This recommendation may already be on the website, but I thought
I'd mention it. There are very nice places in Sea Ranch, some of
them not terribly expensive, and whatever size you want -- you're
sure to find something that can accomodate several adults plus
children. It's a few hours away, but there are lots of beaches, a
cute little town, a golf course, some wineries, and it's beautiful
quiet country.
Karen
Aug 2001
Re: multi-family vacation rental
Try Sea Ranch, just over the Mendocino border right on the Pacific ocean.
It's pretty reasonable, especially if you share a place. There are lots of
rental resources.
One is http://www.searanchrentals.com/. They might be able to help you
get a group
of places together.
--
Ilana
RE: getaway with an infant
You might want to check out the Sea Ranch
http://www.888searanch.com/ and also see
www.donberard.com/
Go to it and look at the Vacation Rental link.
Located on the Sonoma coast near Gualala. We recently rented a
home there for a week and it was great! The homes range from
very posh(and expensive) to cozy and comfortable(much less expensive.)
You'll need to bring your own food, linens, etc. Rental prices vary
with location and size of home--the closer you are to the ocean the more
$$$ you'll pay. it sounds like you won't be needing a large house which
will make it that much more affordable. It's farther than your less than
2 hour drive requirement though--for us it was 2+ hours from Marin--but
worth every minute of the incredibly beautiful drive. When you rent at
Sea Ranch, you have access to 10 miles of beaches to explore--we didn't
do much swimming but did a lot of walking, tidepooling and just sittin'
on the rocks watching the pelicans fly by. Many of our friends have gone
with their little ones, aged 4 months and up, and enjoyed getting away
to peace and quiet--and I mean peace and quiet. There's no resort nightlife,
no major metropolitan city closeby, no hum of traffic--a nice change from
the hectic pace of life in the Bay Area. You can get groceries in nearby
Gualala. On our trip we met many families with young ones in jog strollers
or hoisted into a back pack. I'd do it again in an instant.
Mary
Two families totalling 3 adults and 3 kids (ages 10-12), want to rent a
house for a long weekend (midweek or weekend) this summer just to "veg
out" and get away from it all (e.g., a place to read books, lie in the
sun, let the kids ride bikes, play board games and just relax- TV *not*
necessary).
In April, we spent a wonderful weekend in a rental house at Sea Ranch, which
is just south of Gualala. I had driven by the development on Highway 1
several times, but never felt particularly attracted to it, since we tend to
like more secluded, rustic sort of places. Friends invited us for a
weekend, and we found it to be great. It's a planned development, but the
planning seems quite well-considered and designed to harmonize with the
environment. We were three couples and a baby, and stayed in a large,
attractively furnished and well-appointed house with a great hot tub, giant
wrap-around deck, just a short walk from the ocean. There are many trails
and paths, and you can walk for miles along the water. East of the highway
are miles of wooded trails. (I don't know that bikes are permitted on all
the trails, but there are a lot of roads within the complex.) There is a
grocery and some small shops up the highway a bit. There is also a big
outdoor pool and some other recreational amenities, although we didn't use
them. Despite the proximity to other homes, our house and experience felt
quite private. The friends we were with had rented homes on the beach in
Mendocino, and said they thought the Sea Ranch house much nicer. The cost
for three nights (Thursday-Saturday) was under $500 (total, not per couple).
We visited off season, so rates may be somewhat higher.
Kristina
this page was last updated: Dec 30, 2006
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network