AT THIS RUSTIC YET WHITE-TABLECLOTH DESTINATION, THE INFLUENCE OF FARMERS, RANCHERS, FISHERMEN AND FORAGERS INTERSECT TO DELICIOUS EFFECT. How to describe the aesthetic? Country nautical? Cowboy contemporary? Ralph Lauren meets Fess Parker? All of the above. And inside there are spa inspired surprises galore, such as the 20-foot wide walk-in stone fireplace and the seven-person hot tub found at the top of the water tower. Slumbering in a suite in the Redwood building is the next best thing to sleeping in a forest. Twenty-four giant redwood trees appear to spear the structure from the ground up through the roof, and headboards are hewn from burls. Every room includes daily breakfast, while lunches and dinners are available to preorder if you prefer to stay on the picturesque premises all day. Rooms are equipped with TV, WiFi, kitchen, grills and private hot tubs or access to the communal hot tub. An hour’s drive south in the community of Philo, the Apple Farm conjures up “Little House on the Prairie” as rendered with an urbanized edge. Not far from Hendy Woods State Park, this unassuming apple orchard is tucked inland on a side road. The only hint of its existence is a wooden sign advertising organic juice. No paparazzi will find you here. Three generations of the Bates family have run this rustic oasis since the farm’s inception in 1984. Over the past three decades the Bates have transformed the once neglected property into a thriving organic farm that offers lodging, cooking classes and a farm stand selling its own bounty. 80 South Bay Accent The vibe is casual, happy and healthy. When you tread the premises, you feel as if you’re on a movie set for a feel-good film. Multi-colored eggs on a picnic table in a potting shed wait to be cracked and scrambled while white sheets pinned on a clothesline flap in the breeze. The smell of freshly pressed cider sweetens the air. Rising up is a cacophony of animal sounds: bleating goats, baa-ing sheep, squawking chickens and squealing pigs. At the self-service farm stand, ciders, jellies and apple juice are sold on the honor system. The property has outdoor fire pits, picnic areas and plenty of benches under arched boughs of greenery. Accenting the acreage are three freestanding cottages with private bathrooms, painted floors, four-poster beds, quilts, rustic-chic chairs and side tables. Every charming abode comes stocked with a couple of bottles of organic apple juice. And if you’d like to sharpen your culinary chops, you can sign up for weekend cooking classes at one of its “Stay and Cook” events. For dinner, make reservations at nearby Bewildered Pig. At this rustic yet white-tablecloth destination, the influence of farmers, ranchers, fishermen and foragers intersect to delicious effect. Launched in 2009 by executive chef Janelle Weaver with solid Napa Valley restaurant influences, this down-toearth Philo eatery is serves updated classics like filet mignon with grilled vegetable terrine, carrot top pesto and tarragon lemon gnocchi. COURTESY OF VISITMENDOCINO.COM The Inn at Newport Ranch features breathtaking coastal views on a 2,000 acre private preserve.
South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2017
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