I've been coming to Sea Ranch for years, yet I had never heard of Stone Ranch until recently. A…read morefriend invited me to their First Sunday of the Month public tour, and I left in awe. Stone Ranch is an enduring legacy of Peter Mullins, who devoted his life to stones, and it has now been lovingly opened to the public by his daughter, Genevieve Mullins. Spread across acres of redwoods, this open air museum holds a collection of extraordinary stone art installations and a few unique dwellings perfect for retreats, weddings, and special events. Absolutely not to be missed when you're in the area. Plan at least 2-3 hours to enjoy the art rain or shine (as a matter of fact some installations come alive with color when raining). See www.Stoneranchmendo.com for the history, tours info, and venue rentals.

From the owner: The stunning view from the top of the Fish Rock Watch Tower overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the…read moreMendocino Stone Ranch is a memory made to last. Perched at the top of the ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean – Mendocino Stone Ranch is the perfect unique venue for a wedding, elopement, family reunion, anniversary party, birthday party, corporate retreat, or event of any kind – that you and your guests will never forget. Mendocino event venue Stone Ranch boasts over 30 one of a kind stone masonry art installations created by stone masons from around the world, linked by trails throughout 30 walkable acres of beautiful redwood forest with stunning ocean views. We are located in Anchor Bay, CA, a 2-hour drive from Santa Rosa, 10 minutes north of Gualala, and 15 minutes south of Point Arena, CA, on the Mendocino Coast. Our 35-acre outdoor event venue space is perfect for weddings, corporate events, retreats, and any celebration. Self tours are offered M-F, 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Guided tours happen the first sunday of every month, 12pm-2pm email contact@stoneranchmendo.com to RSVP

Gualala arts center is a hidden gem and highly recommended if you're in Gualala for a weekend or…read moremore. There are numerous outdoor art installations that are worth checking out as a part of a quick walk. There's a small theatre indoors that hosts plays (mostly on weekends). We didn't have a chance to visit the play but it was seemingly packed given the number of cars parked :-). We had a chance to speak with the staff and they were super friendly. All in all, I'd recommend keeping aside a couple of hours if possible during your trip.

Wonderful community art center in a gorgeous location surrounded by redwoods and sculptures. Worth…read morea visit anytime.

Like a mighty gray whale breaching the surface of the beautiful Pacific off the Mendocino County…read morecoast, the Whale Watch Inn has reopened. And if you're looking for a place to relax and revel in the calm, powerful beauty of that ocean and that coast, you should consider making this recovering gem your base of operations. A short drive to the restaurants, markets, art galleries and other artifacts of modern Northern California life, including multiple parks and trails. Grounds rich with local trees and well-tended flora. An eclectic selection of comfortable, television-free rooms and suites, some with kitchens or mini-refrigerators so you can lay in provisions and hide from the outside world. Free, fast Wi-Fi for when you want or need to reconnect to said outside world. A Whale Watch Lounge where you can read, play board games, heat some of your provisions or restaurant leftovers in the microwave (if there isn't one in your room) or just gape in slack-jawed wonder at the views. Several rooms have amazing views from windows or decks as well. A highlight of your stay will doubtless be any interactions you have with the marvelous Miren, She Who Runs Things at the Inn. Whether she's bringing your included hot breakfast to your room or recommending nearby attractions, Miren will definitely enhance your stay. There is a weathered, 134-step stairway that deposits you on a lovely stretch of beach. But if you walk, bike or motor to the nearby Anchor Bay Campground, you can buy a day pass that lets you skip those steps and walk comfortably to and from the beach with unlimited "in and out" privileges until sundown. It's not lavish, or pretentious, or overdone. It's comfortable, quiet, and in harmony with its surroundings. The Whale Watch Inn is a nearly perfect place to relax, recharge, and enjoy a perfect dose of some of the magic of the Northern California coast.

I prepaid two nights on VRBO, coming from Healdsburg for R & R after driving West from…read moreChicago--having preceded the furniture I need to complete my relocation, a couple nights of relaxation with a jacuzzi tub seemed in order. However, on arrival last night, the jacuzzi failed to operate, which I reported to site manager the following morning (this morning)...her response was that a, the previous occupant hadn't reported (that is my problem??), and b, jacuzzi repair would be expensive (see previous parenthetical). Also this morning I heated a cup of coffee in the microwave, lounged around (after reporting the jacuzzi sitch), then couldn't get microwave to work a second time (yes I have no shame, I'd rather reheat coffee twice than make a new cup), reported that and went off for a hike. (The area is gorgeous especially for a flatlander like me. And weather though 20-30 degrees cooler than inland was perfect with the correct clothes!) Eventually site manager sent ONE text promising a new micro when she was back onsite, but when I got back to room I could see nothing had changed...wondered if I was the problem, flipped switches, tried a different outlet for micro and...omg the electricity was 100% out, with sunset approaching and restaurants closing at 8 pm. So I threw everything into my car, drove 20 miles north and thankfully grabbed the last room at an inn (wildflower inn, point arena) where management seemed glad to see me and carried a microwave to my room so I could heat up my carryout dinner. I've asked Whale Watch for a full refund. Their negligence is inexcusable but I'll take an apology and a refund (and will never again believe their slick marketing).

It's not the best wine we've ever had but it was pretty scenery and a great place to bring a picnic…read morelunch and play board games with friends.

We were driving down the California coast and were looking for somewhere to do some wine tasting…read more Annapolis Winery was the only place in the area, but it's a 25 min detour from Hwy 1 in each direction on a long windy road. We decide to try it out. We get there and we are the only customers. Not sure if there is any seating in the inside but we grabbed a table outside to enjoy the views. A guy came out and gave us the tasting menu which is three pre chosen wines for $20. We do the tasting and was incredibly underwhelming. They poured the wine and that was it. No education or description provided. We did the tastings and left. At the end of the day, it was a bit of a waste of time.

My boyfriend surprised me for my birthday by taking us to Sonoma for the weekend. The highlight was…read morewaking up Sunday morning for a horseback ride with one of the most beautiful views. Our guide was wonderful and friendly, the horses were absolute gems, and overall this is one of the best trail ride experiences I've ever had. Getting the mountains, water, and some redwoods was fantastic! We were fortunate to be in a small group (us and two others). It made the ride feel more intimate. I rode El Negro and highly recommend. His gait is smooth! (He is a walking horse after all). My boyfriend rode Leslie who was a bit slow and liked to trail at the back but sure footed and a sweetheart. We ended the ride with a glass of wine overlooking the lake. This space is often use for weddings as well and I can absolutely see the appeal! I would love to go back some day!!

If you only read one review, read this one! First, their music venue offering is quite good,…read morebeverage service in more than one area, usually food and ice cream, vendors varying event to event, live music, dancing, roping, cornhole. After going to the music venue for a summer, our son decided to get married there, and at first everything went smoothly, the owner we dealt with was Nikki and she was quite a good communicator, friendly and engaging, business like, although became a brusque and a bit snippy as the wedding grew closer. Our wedding planner sheltered us from most of it but said "this is how she talked to me the entire time". Not quite what we expected when you are throwing $10K + their way for a 5 hour time slot. Note: The bride bought her wedding dress from The Ranch during a wedding dress expo they put on. We invested in these people!!!! The 1-star is because when the wedding was complete and we were cleaning up, it was discovered we had danced on some rose petals in one section of the concrete in the barn, there was some staining from the red petals which we offered to clean up. At this point we were dealing with the husband, not Nikki. He didn't allow us to try to clean, as he was worried the cleaning might harm the sealer. He said it was sealed once a year, but in a manner that wasn't visible, nor an actual vapor barrier to the concrete as it can't be slippery when wet for safety. He said they had the concrete mottled with a brownish color and didn't want to possibly harm that with our cleaning. We were going to use water and Dawn dish soap as a start, mixing with some rubbing alcohol if needed, this is safe for concrete and grout. You can view previous pictures from others with time stamps, my pictures are time stamped 6/27/26 and you can "maybe" see what they are talking about, you can also see the concrete is far from perfect, many marks, cracks and stains. So, while we offered to clean it that night, or the next morning, we were refused. My son had taken out a $1MILLION insurance policy for this 5 hour event, and The Ranch has kept our $250 safety/cleaning deposit and filed a claim with the insurance, which is a $1000 deductible to us + the $200 for the policy. We also have email from Nikki exclaiming surprise that we are "coming at them this way". (Offering the insurance policy???) We tried to clean, were denied, and offered the insurance as well, what more could we do...but more importantly folks, this is a horse ranch! They didn't even clean up all the poop in the yard where we could walk! But our rose petals were the breaking point? It is noteworthy that there is NO clause in their contract denying rose petals. This is a wedding, so it's quite common for a flower girl to toss petals in the aisle. They are claiming that this concrete is special, was treated to simulate the look of leather because they are a horse ranch, and our rose petals have stained the concrete ruining the vibe for their music events and future weddings. (We have been to music events where they have had large carpets covering the entire seating area, with chairs on top, effectively hiding this concrete and the leather vibe they claim to want to portray. The staining was so very minor that we are worried the insurance will deny the claim and come after our son personally. Think about this for a minute - wedding, roses, minor staining that they have probably already cleaned up, it's a ranch where horses walk and do their thing, and they are making a really really large deal about this. I think this speaks to their character and just want anyone else looking to have their event here, to consider our experience. For us, we will not be attending another music event, we will share our experience with all that we know, and I hope that somehow the owners learn from this, and relax their stance and attitude a little, and realize that folks don't go to a horse ranch or a music venue to inspect the concrete. If this wasn't so serious for us, it would quite a laughable manner. Thank you if you have read this far. IMPORTANT: If the owners read this review and contact us to drop this frivolous claim, I will remove, or edit this review to 5-stars, because other then the "staining and complaining" this was a 5+ star experience for the rest of us!!!

The point arena lighthouse is very impressive and it's history is very interesting. This is…read moreactually the 3rd lighthouse on the premises. It is well worth the $5 extra fee to climb to the top. The views from the top of the lighthouse are inspiring and very beautiful. Very polite staff and a nice gift shop as well.

I went out to the light house but parked outside the gate. Beautiful scenery and view of…read morelighthouse. Grounds look nice and clean. Ample parking inside and outside the main gate. Views of the oceans and lighthouse. I had my dogs with me and they needed to run. I'm confident the light house and grounds are just as spectacular inside the complex as they looked from outside the gates.

My husband and I came to Gualala for a relaxing getaway before our first baby is born. We decided…read moreto make a dinner reservation at the lodge and boy, are we glad we did!! Food was incredible, service was exceptional, ambiance was unforgettable. We loved it so much that we wanted to stop by the breakfast bar on our way out of town. Coffee and food did not disappoint!! We will most definitely be back!!!

We had such a great dining experience at the restaurant!…read more The food was fresh, seasonal, and thoughtfully prepared. The flavors were amazing. Our server, Lila, was very friendly and attentive! She made us feel completely taken care of throughout the entire meal. It was one of those meals that feels special without trying too hard. Definitely a highlight of our time at Sea Ranch, we'll absolutely be back.

We used it for a recent meeting. Great service, great facilitate, good price and AWESOME mission…read more Keep up the good work.

We hosted a small after wedding brunch at the Key Room and the experience exceeded expectations in…read moreevery respect. Darby was a gem to work with and helped make the event planning go so smoothly. The event staff during brunch was outstanding. They were efficient, friendly, hospitable and so very accommodating in every way. And the food was amazing. All in all the Key Room experience was better than the wedding venue. In fact, the food at the Key Room was much better! I would not hesitate to hold another event here. The icing on the cake is that all proceeds from these events go to support Homeward Bound of Marin in their mission to provide housing and build employment skills for the homeless and people facing crisis. You won't go wrong having your event here. Ten stars!

This place is epic. Spent four days there with my family. Wouldn't trade it for a week at the Ritz…read more Kids and I had a blast splashing around in the beautiful lake. My daughters got to do "chores" (translation feed and pet animals, including a baby lamb) with the crew in the morning. Chef's special meals were delicious and nutritious. If you live in SF or are in town for a wedding (as we were) GO TO BLACKBIRD. You will not regret one minute of it.

A magical place to stay. 200 acres of rolling hills and forest to explore. Lakes, sheep, horses and…read morea beautiful farm house.

This is a very special place and a remarkable community. However it is you find the opportunity to…read moreget here, work it out and do it. I can't really compare this to any other experience I've had. Sidenote, there is outstanding Wi-Fi across the whole property, and my phone's 5G also did well (t-mobile). The grounds and various group rooms, the kitchen and food prep, all of this is personally handled by the diligent and caring staff. The thing they call cabins -- not really the name I would use, I dislike cabins, but this room was terrific. simple, but excellent bedding.

5 Stars - A True Sanctuary in Nature…read more The property is absolutely breathtaking, like stepping into a portal. From the lush, vibrant garden (hands down the most beautiful I've ever seen) to the peaceful meadows filled with wild deer and turkeys roaming freely, every inch of this place radiates natural beauty and serenity. My partner and I came here to unwind, and we left feeling deeply nourished, inspired, and recharged. We had some profound creative breakthroughs during our stay, and were finally able to get the kind of rest our bodies and minds were craving. Our dogs were in absolute heaven too, especially swimming in the river nearby! But what made this place truly unforgettable was the people. The hosts are warm, genuine, and full of heart. You can feel how much love and intention has been poured into this land and community. It felt like we were welcomed into a sacred little sanctuary, and we're already dreaming of our next visit. If you're looking for a healing, grounding, soul-expanding getaway, this is it. Thank you to everyone at The Land for creating such a special space. We'll be back soon.