Winter

Winter is my favorite time to drive up the coast. All of the baby animals are out and following their mamas. The ocean is dark and full of wonder. Whales spouting in the distance and rainbows are always not far off.

I do often wonder if I am the only person that seems to know about the Sonoma Coast's Wonderful Winter. The coast is always a summer's haven but winter is for the true lover of all things nature. I hope you get a chance to experience it more often.

Wedding Season

Wedding season does not really start until April but the hunt is on to find the perfect venue. We are all different in what we are looking for in the perfect day and each wedding we do at the Sea Ranch Lodge is so unique. No two wedding are the same. Some venues boast that they host a lot of weddings each year but they are cookie cutter events that all meld together.

The Sea Ranch Lodge is a unique place that designs the weddings around the couple. Even the Chef gets involved and is on the creative team. He meets with the couple and discusses the likes of the individual couple and then helps create the perfect day that is perfect for each individual couple. Can you imagine a chef writing a menu after a meeting with you? What would be on the menu? Our wedding couples are really treated with care and love in hopes that your union will last a lifetime. Happy Trails!

Much anticipated Recipe............

Kendall Jackson Tomato Festival Recipe

Heirloom Tomato Bread Salad

Executive Chef Phillip Kaufman

1 pound Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes- ie..Green Zebras, Brandywine Tomatoes, Red Flame, Sungold Cherry, etc. Cored and sliced.

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

½ Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

2 cups Cubed, Seasoned and Toasted Ciabatta Bread

1 cup Sliced Fresh Mozzarella

1 cup Washed Baby Spinach

2 Tablespoons Fried Basil, Sub fresh when Fried not available

¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Oilve Oil

1 Tablespoon Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

To Taste Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Pinch Mendocino Sea Salt

Combine Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Onion, Garlic, Spinach, and Basil and Bread. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Add the vinegar and EVOO and mix again.

Plate the dish and finish with the Meyer lemon olive oil and Mendocino sea salt.

Tomato Fest

The Kendall Jackson Tomato Festival this year was a blast. We met so many new people and loved sharing info about the Sea Ranch Lodge with new people.

I was so surprised that so few people that live in Sonoma County rarely get out to the coast. We are so lucky to be living in Northern California, we are so close to so many things and the coast is our hidden treasure. You should make some time to get out to see the beautiful ocean a lot more. It is food for the soul.

Harvest Season

We are now headed into what Sonoma County refers to our Harvest Season. This is when the vintners begin to test the sugars in the grapes on the vine, the tomatoes are in full swing and the strawberries are at their sweetest.

I personally look forward to the tomatoes..It reminds me of when I grew up on a tomato farm. This is when your forearms turned green from harvesting tomatoes of all colors and sizes. It is a grown up easter egg hunt. The beautiful leaves leave the most wonderful smell on your arms and the sweet succulent tomato popping into your mouth when the sun has kissed it with a warm glow. It also creates a craving of fresh mozzarella and basil. Luckily I am always prepared in the Harvest season for these such occasions and have basil and mozz on hand at all times. I would hate to miss such an occasion by bad planning on my part. Off to the fields...

Summer and Fall when does one start and another begin

Since when does school start in the middle of August? Isn't August designed to be the hottest month for outdoor swimming and beach fun? I always thought when school started that was the beginning of fall and the end of Summer.

Living in California our Summer usually goes all the way through September and sometimes October. Out on the Coast the best time to visit are the outlying months of all seasons....early spring and late summer are so beautiful and still hold all of the beauty of the actual meat of the season with less traffic and people to navigate. I love the Northern California Coast because it feels like I am part of an exclusive group that few are invited to be a part of. I know that once the smell of salty air and a cool breeze hits my face that Summer is very much still here and there is no end in sight.

Camping

When you are planning a camping trip what are you most looking forward to? Is it the campfire, the time spent with your friends and family or is it the packing and unpacking of your car and food stuffs?

I like to think that it is the shared experience with family and friends. Spending uninterrupted time with the people we care about. Plus getting to go kayaking or hiking is also a favorite past time. Well when you stay on the Sonoma Coast at the Sea Ranch Lodge you get the best of both worlds. Uninterrupted fun with family and friends without the hassle of setting up a tent or making your own breakfast.

Whales

Today was an exciting day. 2 Pods of whales were passing by the property and they were close enough for all on the property to see. No Binoculars needed. They jumped, splashed, waved a tail or two and spouted water for all of us on the shore to watch in amazement. It was 15 minutes of pure bliss. I was in awe and then looked into the eyes of our guests and realized that we are all lucky today to get such an amazing opportunity.

Vacation

What does vacation mean to you? Is it getting away from work? Is it spending quality time with your family or friends?

Whatever a vacation is to you I think it should include a little bit of relaxing time without distractions. The distractions include, phone, email, internet, work..etc. Just some time to really take a deep breath long enough to enjoy the exhale. Hear your heart beat and ponder the next years tasks. Most days we get to caught up in what's next and not enough of really enjoying the moment.

I relax and listen to the waves crash as I wonder if this is really a body double for Heaven.

Body Double for Heaven

Recently I was at a seminar and heard someone refer to Sonoma County as the body double for Heaven. Boy did that get me thinking.

I think she was right. Why would we want to be any where else? We have it all and it is all relatively close to the next amazing place.

Driving through the vineyards and then the dairy farms on your way to Sea Ranch Lodge just helps remind me of the amazing place we call home. It also gets me thinking about the Slow-Food Movement and the farmers that are helping our chefs deliver such great items.

Not only are we the Body Double for Heaven but we are also the Caterers for Heaven with our abundance of amazing fruit and vegetables, fresh cheeses, grass fed meats and fresh local seafood.

I think I will like Heaven!

Sonoma County has such an amazing variety of adventures and things to see and do. Yes we have the best "Wine Country" but there is so much more to the county than just wine. We have winding rivers, beautiful white sand beaches, breathtaking cliffs with panoramic views, mountains, valleys, hiking, biking, you name it Sonoma County has it. Out on the coast we have all of the things that make Sonoma County great. Adults, children and dogs can all find something that they love out on the Sonoma Coast and will yearn to rediscover for all of their years.

Hiking along the coast is such a rewarding experience in the spring. The wildflowers are out and some are still just sprouting so I can see each stage of the amazing awakening of the earth. What a powerful place to be an observer. The waves are crashing, wind blowing and the natural wonder of everything opening to be a part of the eco-system. The Sonoma Coast is an amazing place year round with many changes each season and each day. I hope you get a chance to be an observer on a day like today. I hope it changes the way you see and feel about life's blessings

June Art Shows

We are so thrilled to have such amazing artists to be showcasing their art on our walls. each moth we showcase a new artist and have a small reception to welcome the artist and for our guests to have an opportunity to meet the artist. This next month we will be Showcasing artist, Connie Matz, Oils. in the fireside room

The show runs from June 1st to June 30th.
The artist Opening Reception is Friday, June 4th from 5-7PM.
The other two galleries remain the same through June.

We hope to see you there!

There are so many days when I feel relaxed and enjoying the Journey of Life. On my drive home from The Sea Ranch to Sonoma I was acutely aware of the deep level of relaxation that I was able to reach while there. The universe was reminding me that we do not let our bodies reach that level in our everyday lives and it is something I need to strive for. Thankfully I have this slice of heaven to help get me there.