You don't have to board a plane to get to the quaint seaside village of Gualala, which offers a peaceful escape from daily chaos.*
by Matt Rosenberg

A winding drive west from Santa Rosa along the Russian River through dense redwood groves brings our family's hulking, white rented SUV to the dramatic southern tip of what some locals call the Mendonoma Coast.

Here in the tiny, picturesque coast village of Jenner, the famed wine valley river twists into the Pacific amid stately rock formations and Route 1 scales steep heights with vast ocean views.  Lying to the north is our destination, the seaside village of Gualala (pronounced wa-LA-la), where the north branch of the Gualala River bisects Mendonoma's namesake counties - Sonoma and Mendocino.

Visitors to Gualala enjoy beautiful scenery, unparalleled peace and quiet, splendid accommodations, fine wines, and a myriad of outdoor pursuits.  Though only 100 miles as the crow flies from San Francisco, this enticing decompression zone is largely unknown, even to many Californians.

To get there from Jenner it's another hour's drive along a breathtaking cliff side.  We pass placid cud-munching cows, which are mere steps from a steep tumble over the edge, but they must know what they're doing.  Then, a welcome pause at the rustic Stewarts Point General Store.  From the "Help Wanted" sign out front, it's pretty clear owner Arch Richardson isn't terribly enamored of consensus-style management.

"You will be working for me, not the other way around.  If you can follow orders and work hard, apply.  Otherwise don't waste my time or yours."  The solid, walrus-mustached fellow is helpful to customers but seems as no-nonsense as his sign sounds.  We pass on the abalone permits, tent stakes, and rope, opting instead for an old Waylon Jennings CD and two bottles from Wild Hog Vineyards of Cazadero, Sonoma County, not far inland.  There's a Carignane made from the eponymous mellow red grown in France's Rhone Valley, and a Russian River Valley Nebbiolo, a smooth but muscular red derived from a local planting of that Italian varietal.

Shortly we're settling into Ocean Pines, a bluff-top vacation home in Gualala, overlooking roiling white surf and miles of blue ocean.  The spacious two-bedroom abode, which we've rented for four days, is comfortably furnished in Scandinavian modern and comfy brown leather, with a well-equipped kitchen.  A huge deck and hot tub share the same wide water views seen from the living room.  We spend every morning on the deck basking in the sunny, warm November weather to plan the day's forays.

Gualala - peopled by urban and suburban refugees, many from the Bay Area - runs about a mile astride Route 1.  The organic, franchise-free strip is studded with art galleries, gift shops, and other stores catering to locals and visitors alike; restaurants and coffeehouses; a few old hotels and real estate offices; and is flanked by inland and bluff's edge homes.  In one coffeehouse, a visitor from Philadelphia loudly explains he'll have his usual - a quadruple espresso.  Clearly he hasn't been here long enough to mellow out.

We stick to double lattes.  And later, along with our home-cooked dinners, we sample the real local beverage of choice - California wines.  There's a deep selection at the Surf Supermarket.  We enjoy tastes of a '97 Rocking Horse Zinfandel/Petite Syrah blend; a '97 Rodney Strong Old Vine Zin; a '97 Husch Pinot Noir; and a scrumptious Fife '95 Petite Syrah Port.

Inland seven miles on Soda Springs Road lies the only North Sonoma Coast winemaking facility regularly open to the public, Annapolis Winery, with a pleasant hilltop picnic area abutting its vineyards and a tasting room offering a range of well-made reds and whites.  Many other vineyards and some discreet wineries dot the sylvan hills.  Driving up Soda Springs Road or Stewarts Point Road, it could be 1910.  There's nothing but winding, two-lane road, lushly canopied with trees, and the occasional backwoods hamlet and schoolhouse.  Turn off your mobile phone and beeper, and chuck that stress-management audiotape out the window.

Visitors find Gualala "a refreshing, renewing, close-in getaway," says Jan Harris, CEO and marketing director of the Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce.

"But at the same time, it takes a little bit of effort to actually find the place," says Harris, a Marin County refugee who also runs a kayak and canoe excursion service called Adventure Rents.  "So we promote 'conscious tourism.'"

The idea of that is to celebrate the raw, rustic beauty - the clean air, clean ocean, and clean beaches - along with all the other amenities like great restaurants and golf.  The weather is another draw.  A banana belt microclimate boost average daily temperature 5 to 10 degrees above nearby coastal spots and means less fog as well.

Harris says that local entrepreneurs - including caterers, massage therapists, and meeting facilities operators - are beginning to recognize the importance of corporate retreats and business gatherings to the region.  Allan Hemphill, 62, a wine industry consultant who splits his time between homes in Geyserville and Gualala,  says that 20 years ago the typical visitors would be in campers and fishing for abalone.

"Now, there's a real upscale market," he says.  "Nice hotels and resorts in the immediate area, and high-end second homes for rent.  Yet it's still quite laid back."

While the ocean is a dominating presence in Gualala, beach access is limited.  One prime entry point is Gualala Point Regional Park, just south of town.  A short hike from the visitor's center parking lot leads to a huge sandy expanse where the north branch of the Gualala River feeds into the Pacific.
 

A meeting of the waters

The town's name is derived from a Native American phrase for "where the waters meet."  Just beyond that convergence, gray whales can be seen migrating south to Baja California from November through January, and back north to their Arctic feeding waters from February through June.  Humpback and blue whales also pass by.

Broad-winged black buzzards circling overhead are more readily apparent than the whales.  It's a bit unnerving, as they seem just about to swoop down upon me, but I'm reminded later that's not their modus operandi.  If you're alive and moving, they're not really interested.

Bordering Gualala and the regional park to the immediate south is Sea Ranch, a classy resort community of 1,550 homes spread across a 10-mile-long and two-mile wide expanse bracketing Route 1.  Several hundred of the luxurious homes are available for rent.

There's hiking and biking; 10 beaches; facilities for swimming, exercise, tennis , and horseback riding; a 2,600-foot private airstrip for property owners and guests; and the impressive Sea Ranch Golf Links, an 18-hole, Scottish-style course designed by noted architect Robert Muir Graves.

On this visit, our Sea Ranch explorations are confined to the waterfront public trails, some running post carefully designed modern homes that mesh perfectly with the pristine landscape.  All are built of wood, unpainted, and face toward the ocean with sprawling open floor plans.

There are very few fences or other visual distractions, thanks to strict regulations enforced by the local property owners' association.  Sea Ranch has won numerous architectural and environmental design awards, and has received glowing write-ups in Progressive Architecture, Architectural Record, and Sunset.  We pass a number of other residents and visitors while exploring Sea Ranch on a Sunday afternoon.  Everyone is palpably exuding serenity and satisfaction at their surroundings.  Some are simply strolling, while others are jogging, tide pooling, or watching a group of seals sunbathe on a rocky outcropping below.
 

Why rent a Sea Ranch unit?

Ask Jer Skibbins, now a permanent resident, who relocated from Sausalito with his wife in the mid-1970s, why you should rent in the area, and he'll provide an answer typical from most locals.

"I'm sure living here has added 20 years to my life," says Skibbins, 82, a former VP for the West Coast operations of the Opinion Research Corp. and founding dean of the School of Management at John F. Kennedy University, a multi-campus East Bay institution.  "You feel like you're living as part of nature.  The air is absolutely pure, and the ocean pervades your spirit.  It's simply glorious, and as relaxing as can be."

High-profile visitors and residents alike appreciate the low-key social atmosphere of Sea Ranch as well, according to Skibbins.  He describes the locals as a very well-educated bunch, people who have seen a lot of the world."

"They don't go for a lot of guff," he say.  "There's no society here.  No Junior League, no opera, no dress code, whatsoever.  This place allows you to be completely obscure if you want to."

According to local sources, Sea Ranch property owners have included the noted economist Milton Friedman; Lawrence Halprin, designer of the Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.; the late Louis Lundberg, chairman of Bank of America; and a number of CEOs.

About one out of the three homes are owner occupied, says Skibbins.  Other owners, who visit periodically, come from Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, and throughout California.

Watching the whales from home

A few miles up the road from Sea Ranch, Marshall Sayegh, 47, is looking out his eight picture windows at the Pacific, watching the whales go by.  The senior technology specialist for Gualala-based Platform Horizons LLC, a network solutions provider, works from home.  He says that a number of telecommuters are setting up shop in Gualala and Sea Ranch, something he encourages, based on personal experience.

"I try not to leave, and I charge a lot when I have to," he says.

Wine consultant Hemphill, who's former president of Chateau St. Jean and Gauer Estate Vineyard, says, "For anyone who's reasonably independent, it can be quite workable.  You just have to make sure you sound business-like on the phone, while you're sitting on the deck in your shorts."
 

*California CEO, April 2001.  www.californiaceo.com.  Matt Rosenberg is a Seattle-based writer.

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Getting there.
Though it's only a 120-mile drive from San Francisco to Gualala, figure about three hours due to winding two-lane roads.  Take Highway 101 north to River Road (just beyond a batch of Santa Rosa exits).  Continue west through Guerneville, along the Russian River as the road merges with Route 116 and follow to the turn off for Route 1.  Take Route 1 north through Jenner, and continue on an hour or so to Sea Ranch or Gualala.

Alternative route.
Take 101 north from Golden Gate Bridge to East Washington St., exit in Petaluma.  You will continue north on East Washington St., which turns into Bodega Bay Highway and later Route 1, as you head west and north through Bodega Bay to Jenner, and up the coast to Sea Ranch and Gualala.

Gualala Weather.
They call it a Banana Belt.  The weather is often great, and usually 5-10 degrees warmer than nearby coastal spots, though naturally cooler than inland.  Summer is the foggiest season, fall the clearest and best.  Spring sees some storm activity, but locals says beautiful days in the 70s and 80s are not uncommon.

En route, through the Russian River Valley.
A comprehensive guide called "The Russian River Wine Road Map" details wineries and lodgings in this attractive region that also serves as a gateway to the coast at Jenner.  For maps and other information,  call 800.723.6336 or go to www.wineroad.com.  One of many worthwhile stops is Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, which can be reached at 707.887.2294.

A Sonoma coastal winery.
Well, almost coastal, Annapolis Winery, 26055 Soda Springs Road, Annapolis, 707.886.5460.  Off Route 1 as you pass through Sea Ranch, take Soda Springs Road inland seven miles to the winery.  Open noon to 5 p.m., daily.  Available for wedding receptions and special occasions.

Regional resource guide.
The Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce business directory is a comprehensive listing of lodging, dining, recreation, events planning, shopping, and entertainment options.  For a copy call 800.778.LALA (5252), or go to www.redwoodcoastchamber.com.  (Note:  Another name used for much of Mendonoma - and beyond - is the Redwood Coast).