Southern Sonoma Country Life

Petaluma Reader's Theatre Present Two Holiday Classics at the Polly Klass Perfornming Arts Center: A Christmas Memory and A Child's Christmas in Wales Dec 15, 16 & 17, 2023

Kick off your holiday season with a Petaluma tradition: Capote and Thomas. I'm a fan of Petaluma Reader's Theatre, such a lovely escape for a couple of hours. 

Dylan Thomas's prose poem, A Child's Christmas in Wales, is a lush description of a Welsh Christmas. It's a beautiful and poignant work from simpler times. "Bring out the tall tales now that we told by the fire as the gaslight bubbled like a diver. . . ."

Then, enjoy this delightful interpretation of Truman Capote's early work. In his 1956 story, A Christmas Memory, Capote remembers when he was 10 years old and it was "fruitcake weather." His holiday rituals are painted with loving and nostalgic strokes, becoming a truly memorable experience for all ages.

Featuring:
Jeff Savage
Judy Abbott
Rob Neidel
John Mills

December 15 & 16 at 7pm

December 17 at 2pm

Polly Klaas Community Theater
417 Western Avenue
Petaluma

Click here for tickets

Escape to the Beach this Winter — A Home-from-Home in Dillon Beach Resort's Tiny Homes on the Sonoma-Marin Coast

Dillon Beach has been my go-to beach for dog walks and family beach outings since I moved to Petaluma in the 1990s. I wrote about the history of the 1880s Dillon Beach Resort in my non-fiction Fog Valley books and it features in my first novel, Big Green Country. It's a special place along the California coast, tucked away, off the beaten path of the coastal highway. To know it is to love it. Because of its remote location, it's never inundated, except for holidays and on extremely warm weekends when the folk of the central valley wake up early and move heaven and earth to spend the day in the cooler, ocean clime. 

I've been eyeing the ocean-facing upper trailer park for decades as a prime spot for a revival and sure enough, it has undergone a complete makeover with a tiny home village replacing trailers several years ago and now complete with barbecue and social patio areas. 

It's not inexpensive to stay the night, but there are several options in the tiny homes, starting in the upper $200s per night to the upper $600s for the bigger units housing six guests. The good news is if you sign up for the mailing list you can be in on any mid-week specials, which, if you are local, like me, makes an overnight or two at the coast quite appealing.

Occasionally I fantasize about buying a camper van or, when I'm thinking big, a beach cabin of my own, the perfect writer's retreat, but when I break down the costs I could stay in the big cabin at Dillon Beach with my family for numerous visits over several years for the cost of property tax alone. 

Lodging Director Kaleigh O'Rear and team are doing a wonderful job keeping the cabins spotless and inviting. I was lucky to have a quick tour this past weeked and I was super impressed with the style, design and comfort level of each unit. 

Word is out about this wonderful resort, but not so much that you can't get a booking. Weekdays and out of school vacation season is the time to book a stay if you're looking for a peaceful get-away to the beach. Bring a book, board games, listen to music, nap, walk the beach, relax. Sounds good, doesn't it? 

Guests and visitors are now able to eat at the Coastal Kitchen on-site Sunday through Thursday. The general store stocks a great selection of local foods, wine and beer, so you won't go hundry or thirsty if you arrive empty handed. The hamlet of Tomales is a ten minute drive away, with a farm stand and several good spots to enjoy takeout pizza, wood oven breads and deli foods. 

Click here to book online

Cypress Cottages - Sleeps 2 $249 per night (non-ocean view)

Sandpiper Cottages - Sleeps up to 4 $399 per night (non-ocean view)

Osprey Cottages - Sleeps 2 $399 per night (ocean view)

Sweetwater Cottages - Sleeps up to 4 $499 per night (ocean view)

Sweetwater Accessible Cottage -Sleeps 2 $399 per night (ocean View)

Coho Cottages - Sleeps up to 6 $599 per night (ocean view)

Coastal Cabins - Sleeps up to 6 $699 (ocean view)

All Cottages and Cabins Are Dog Friendly. One dog over 20 lbs or two small dogs under 20 lbs per unit with a $125 Pet Fee per stay.

Dillon Beach Resort, One Beach Avenue, Dillon Beach, CA

 
 7078783030   [email protected]

 

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Mendocino on My Mind — A Writer's Solo Retreat

Point Cabrillo Light Station, part of the California state park system as Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park, had been on my to-visit-list for a while. Its location, on a spectacular headland on the Mendocino Coast between Mendocino Village and Fort Bragg is about 100 miles from my house in Petaluma, in neighboring Sonoma County. Close by some standards, far by others. For anyone familiar with this stretch of the coast, you'll know that 100 miles of winding roads through the meandering, hilly Anderson Valley and Navarro-riverside redwood forest is a three-and-a-half-hour minimum journey and requires at least two to three nights to make it worth the driving time. 

There are two paths to the station on arrival. It's a little bit of a trek. A dirt path begins at the north end of the parking lot off Cabrillo Drive and takes you through introduced grassland and coastal prairie. A paved access road, which I took in the afternoon drizzle, is an easier, half-mile walk. 

The lighthouse was built in 1909 when this stretch of the Pacific coastline was a major maritime freeway for boats transporting massive amounts of redwood from Mendocino and Fort Bragg to San Francisco. It was perilous navigation and sailing this rocky coastline in rough weather. Several ships wrecked in the waters a mile or two north of Mendocino. There was a big gap between the lighthouses at Point Arena and Point Reyes before the U.S. Lighthouse Service recommended the addition of Point Cabrillo. It is surrounded by 270 acres of undeveloped coastal bluffs. This State Park occupies the headland tht extends out into the Pacific.

Consider staying overnight at the Light Station if you're into authentic experiences. Check out the lighthouse keeper rental units. Some units are pet friendly. I didn't stay there overnight, but I walked through the Keeper house that has been turned into a museum. Its easy to imagine life in the early 1900s and how hard the family of the keepers, especially the women, worked to keep to rigid and robust routines. There are three restored Lightkeeper homes; the first house is the  period museum of a lightkeeper’s house in the 1930s; the other two houses are comfortable vacation rental homes. The Lighthouse was restored in 2002 and is operated by the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association, a non-profit that was formed to maintain this remarkable landmark within the State Parks system.

Currently, the still operational Lighthouse is open to visitors from 11am-4pm every day, as well as the Assistant Lightkeeper’s House Museum and Marine Science Exhibit .Click here for more of its history. 

The keeper's houses are well preserved and attractive. I could imagine a fun few days turning back the clock with a 1920s, 30s or 40s house party! 

My current work-in-progress is set in a beach house within a cliff erosion scenario on the Sonoma Coast, so it was interesting to read about the work taking place to minimise erosion along parts of the California coast. 

I'm especially interested in the sights, sounds, smells, wildlife and weather along the coast when I'm on one of my writer's jaunts. As soon as I hit the redwood approach to Mendocino coast I feel the melancholy in the atmosphere of the land and ocean. This was utopia for thousands of years for the Pomo people and other tribes of the redwood region. The discovery of the redwoods during the Gold Rush as a resource and a fortune devastated the first people's way of life. Paradise was destroyed on so many levels. And yet the tireless work of the parks, conservationists and preservationists more recently in these storied parts is palpable and some consolation for what we did as European settlers in devouring the west. 

Traversing the oceanside village of Mendocino, Northern California feels like a New England seaport community in design, yet its Pacific Ocean and Mendocino Headlands State Park surrounds are distinctly north, wild-west coast. This isolated and protected, historic district is a unique, 19th-century architectural treasure, populated by charismatic characters running small stores, galleries, the Mendocino Art Center, museum homes and eclectic inns, nestled amidst breathtakingly beautiful natural settings of grassy headlands, rocky shores and redwood forests. 

Salt box cottages and Victorian homes with distinctive water towers and white picket fences are home to third, fourth generation families and more relative newcomers, drawn by an unspoiled lifestyle which remains financially viable as long as intrepid travelers venture this far out west.  

I like this quote in the LA Times which explains the New England likeness: "They came, in the 1800s, for the whaling and the timber: the Kelleys, the Kastens, the MacCallums, the Hills, the Fords. They brought with them a powerful love of the sea and the tenacity to create new lives on the harsh and beautiful Northern California coast.

The homes they built and the village that grew up around them were mirror images of those they left behind in New England."

I left my phone charging in my car while I pottered around town, unlike me not to snap photos of the 1854 Ford House and the 1861 Kelley House Museum across the street. It was a treat to talk to the volunteers on duty that day, all of whom are snowbirders living in their trailers and giving their time at remote state park museums in return for a place to park up for an extended stay. 

Gallery Bookshop in Mendocino is everything a bookshop should be and I spent a long time browsing a fantastic selection in multiple rooms, nooks and crannies. An emphasis on local books and books about Mendocino is a delight to see. Promoting local writers and artists should be the essence of a community bookstore in my humble opinion, but it doesn't always translate. Gallery Bookshop thinks out of the box with offers all kinds of fun activites, subscriptions and events. It's evident this is an area that places major emphasis on the enduring power of the arts. Any reader, young or old who has the chance to browse this particular bookstore can't help but be entranced.

Deciding where to stay in Mendocino isn't an easy choice as there are so many historic inns to choose from. Everyone has their favorite. I've stayed at the same inn several times over the past couple of decades and I was ready for something different since I hadn't been up to the town of Mendocino since before the pandemic. As with inland Mendocino, times are a changing with regards to inn and business ownership in the county. 

Victorian inns and vacation rentals enjoyed a distinctive charm of yesteryear for so long, the region's slow growth and no-growth within the preservation area was part-and-parcel of a trip back in time. The last visit I made pre-2019 the town was bustling with vans and vehicles, growers and trimmers from the bouyant Cannabis industry that had bolstered the economy throughout the Emerald Triange (Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity Counties). Big cash flowed for quite a few years until legislation brought Cannabis prices down to record new lows. Not much evidence of the Green Rush in view today. 

Then COVID hit and the hospitality industry was forced to shut its doors, independently owned inns and restaurants in Mendocino and surrounds were amongst the most impacted of any place along the California coast. This has led to a gradual reimagining of what today's visitors are looking for and expecting when traveling far up the coast from the Bay Area and beyond. A more modern approach to rustic, heritage hospitality has emerged. 

Mendocino Inn and Farm bed and breakfast came highly recommended by a close friend who had stayed there more recently and was a frequent visitor before the sprawling 1867 inn was bought by Soul Communuty Planet group. She liked what the new owners have done to the place and so I decided to give it a try for a couple of nights. I was not disappointed. It was especially good to stay somewhere with low key, friendly staff and no fuss digs as I was traveling solo and looking to find some peaceful, quiet spot to write after my daily expeditions.

There are several buildings on site in which to stay, I enjoyed the garret in the original farmhouse. The whole place has been given a modern refresh, no fuddy-duddy bedding or funky old bathrooms. It's definitely the new Mendocino, as everything else felt original and authentic and suited to the times we live in. 

I really liked the chickens and llamas and the breakfast basket delivered to my room. Common spaces in each part of the inn work well for groups of family or friends in which to congregate for a glass of wine or games in the evenings. The company's Every Stay Does Good Program is encouraging when paying the going rate for coastal accommodation these days. It's always more affordable to stay during weekdays. 

SCP group has recently bought The Albion River Inn to the south. I'd like to try that spot next time as it looks directly over the ocean and hosts one of the best restaurants in the Mendocino area. 

I took the coastal bluff hike north from the Mendocino Inn and Farm and headed back via William Kent's 1860 Pioneer Barn. It struck me that the change in guard in ownership of many of the inns in the area is not unlike the end of the era of dairy and cattle farms that studded the coastal pastures for over one hundred years. Once the lumber industry declined and the population of Mendocino and Fort Bragg dropped dramatically, there would've been a massive drop in demand for dairy goods locally. The advent of the highway delivering dairy and other products to regional markets was equally impactful. 

It's our good fortune that many of these former farm houses have been restored and preserved as places to stay. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dried Pressed Flower Pumpkin Decorating at Dutcher Crossing Winery

Dutcher Crossing Winery, Sonoma County's hidden gem with award-winning wines, has a festive, fall “add on” to tasting reservations: mod podge pumpkin decorating!

 

For  $30 per person, each guest will be supplied with a pumpkin, pressed dried flowers and the space to create their masterpiece to bring home. Dutcher Crossing is one of my favorite wineries and I love the idea of having something fun and creative to do while tasting excellent wines here in the north of the home county. 

 

Get yourself up there with family and friends before Halloween. 

Dream Big – Exploring the Boundaries of Creativity — A Warm Community Welcome to World Class Scultpure, Huru — Petaluma River Park's Mark di Suvero Installation, Sonoma County, Northern California

What an incredible example of art as a collective endeavor of passion and collaboration. The power of art connecting us was demonstrated during a poignant sunset gathering celebrating all the people who made the installation of breathtaking Huru, by internationally renowed American sculptor, Mark di Suvero possible, at the fledgling Petaluma River Park on the McNear Peninsula, in the heart of Petaluma, Sonoma County, this October (2023).

Seeing majestic and graceful Huru (An Australian Aboriginal word for hello and goodbye) extend its monumental arms ever-so-slowly in the evening light as a welcome to the River Park and Petaluma is a moving experience in itself. I was captivated and pleased to learn that this 38-foot-tall, 12,000 pound tower of public art is capable of withstanding the most powerful wind gusts and a Magnitude 10 earthquake — so firmly is it anchored to its indefinite home at the gateway to Sonoma County. 

Its generous loan by the McKegney Family, in remembrance of the late & much loved Lowell McKegney, studio director and longtime friend of lauded sculptor, di Suvero, is a full-circle moment in the anchoring of ties that interconnect our community here in Petaluma. Lowell, who passed away in 2011, was gifted the giant, steel structure by the sculptor during his longtime career traveling the world on installations, most notably, locally, in San Francisco, in a Crissy Field Exhibit of eight structures that stood in view of the Golden Gate Bridge from May 2013 too 2014. 

Di Suvero's west coast yard has been discreetly located in Petaluma for decades. In more recent years, locals have become accustomed to all kinds of weird and wonderful, large-scale Burning Man art structures popping up in storage yards around town, a continuation of the large-scale expressions of art that have been created in di Suvero's tucked-away corner of the community, for so long now. 

Carol and family have been searching for the perfect spot for Huru since the Chrissy Field exhibit wrapped in 2014. The McKegneys were my neighbors in the late 1990s and our families have remained close ever since. I picture Lowell as I write, unassuming and gentle, undoubtedly pleased by Huru's placement and his family's loving dedication to his legacy and memory.

Petaluma River Park is a 24 acre natural refuge within the city. Non-profit, Petaluma River Park Foundation is on a mission to restore our riverfront habitat and transform it into a vibrant, welcoming public park that unifies our community for generations to come. While the park is already open daily with a rudimentary pathway and picnic tables for all to enjoy, the non-profit is working tirelessly to transform this rare space into a vibrant and healthy riverfront park. With support from the CA State Coastal Conservancy, the non-profit and its hard working and visionary volunteers are working with our community to develop the final park plan with a goal of completion by 2028.

The Petaluma River Park Foundation has assembled a stellar Board of Directors, drawing on local talent in the arts, ecology, place-making, community engagement, strategic planning, fundraising, and operations. Seair Lorentz has been Executive Director of the Petaluma River Park Foundation since 2021. She was born and raised in Petaluma and is one of the original founders, visionaries, and volunteer developers of the project to purchase McNear Peninsula and transform it into a community park. Her husband, Sean Paul Lorentz is di Suvero's current Studio Manager, following in the footsteps of Lowell McKegney and is a founder and board member of the river park, completing the circle with overseeing Huru's return. 

A six-person team expected the installation to last for days, but, remarkably, it proved surprisingly straight forward , despite its magnitude, as if it was waiting to come home. Funds for hauling Huru to the park, assembly by professional welders and putting it back together with the help of a 70-ton crane were donated entirely by community members and grants from Creative Sonoma and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Looking around the crowd at the evening gathering, it was wonderful to witness the interconnectdness of Petalumans, coupled with the energy infusion of art and open space lovers who are relative newcomers to the city. 

I can't wait to see and be a part of the future development of the park over the next few years. Under Huru's mighty watch, we're in good hands. 

 

 

McEvoy Ranch and Hog Island Seafood Dinner & Wine Pairing — October 28th, 5pm

McEvoy Ranch is teaming up with Hog Island Oyster Co. to celebrate their new cookbook, The Hog Island Book of Fish and Seafood, written by acclaimed chef John Ash.

 

Recipes taken straight from the new book will be paired with McEvoy Ranch wines or beverages over a four course meal for an unforgettable evening.

What's more, President of McEvoy Ranch Samantha Dorsey, Chef and Hog Island Cookbook Author John Ash and Hog Island Oyster Co. Founding Partner/CEO John Finger will all be there to share stories and mingle.

 

General Price: $150

 

McEvoy Member Price: $127.50 - Not a Member? Join Here

 

There's a lot going on at the ranch this fall, click here for the event page on the website. 

Travel Tuesday — Four Top-Rated Petaluma Gap Wineries Invite Wine Lovers to Join them on a Burgundy Cruise in June 2025

The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance and Expedia Wine Club Cruises, an award-winning wine-cruise agency located in Petaluma, CA, are pleased to jointly announce a June 2025 Burgundy sailing adventure with four top-rated Petaluma Gap wine producers aboard the luxury river cruise ship, the AmaCello. 

Expedia Wine Club Cruises is the exclusive partner of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance on this wine enthusiast's dream vacation. Join Al and Lisa Brayton, founders and proprietors of Thirty-Seven Wines, Victoria De Crescenzo, proprietor of Bevan Cellars, Suzanne Farver, founder & proprietor of Panther Ridge and Robert & Laura Schermeister, founders & proprietors of Schermeister Winery for exclusive wine tastings, wine-pairing dinners, and social events. 

All four wineries have won awards for their Pinot Noir or Chardonnay from the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA).  Passengers will also be able to savor Burgundy’s wines at excursions to visit local producers in Chalon-sur-Saône, Mâcon and Lyon, with great opportunities to understand the similarities and differences between these two growing regions known for world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

“This will be the third cruise for the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance as a partner with Expedia.  A Burgundy trip was long overdue, since the Petaluma Gap is known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, signature grapes for both winegrowing regions,” said Tom Gendall, President of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance. 

"What could be better than sipping wine with one of your favorite Petaluma Gap wineries? Sipping wine with four of your favorite Petaluma Gap wineries while sailing through the Burgundy region of France!” said K-K Afre, VP of Sales for Expedia Wine Club Cruises. 

Staterooms can be booked immediately, and early reservations are recommended as this is a small craft with staterooms for just 137 passengers.  A portion of the proceeds from this cruise will support the ongoing marketing and communications for the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance.

For more information, please contact Expedia Wine Club Cruises at 877-651-7447 or email at [email protected] and mention that you heard about the cruise from the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance.

About the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance

The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance (PGWA) exists to educate members of the wine trade and consumers about the Petaluma Gap AVA and to increase awareness of the region’s unique growing conditions and resulting wine quality. PGWA additionally supports member winegrowers and vintners within the region through ongoing programs and communications designed to help them maximize their success within the industry. The group’s membership is made up of grape growers, wineries, associate business members, sponsors, and local community members with a passion for the region and its wine.

About Expedia Cruises – Wine Club Cruises is a travel agency specializing in unique wine cruises designed for a limited number of guests, allowing each  passenger the opportunity to better interact and dine with exclusive wine personalities. Guests explore both favorite and exotic destinations in the company of fellow enthusiasts from all over world. With limited availability, these programs do sell out well in advance.

Petaluma River Park Welcomes Huru — a Monumental Sculpture by Internationall Acclaimed Abstract Expressionist sculptor and 2010 National Medal of Arts RecipientMark di Suvero

Come out and say hello to Huru!

Thanks to generous community support, Petaluma River Park is delighted to welcome Huru home to Petaluma for the entire community to enjoy. Built in Petaluma in 1984-85 by world-renowned artist, Mark di Suvero, the monumental sculpture is on long-term loan to the Petaluma River Park by the McKegney Family. Lowell McKegney was a lifelong friend and "right-hand-man" to di Suvero until Lowell's passing in 2011.

 

Huru's installation marks one more milestone in the Petaluma River Park journey to create a shared space that connects people, art, and nature. This is one of the most exciting projects coming to fruition in the North Bay. If you haven't yet explored Petaluma River Park and its mission, click here for more info.  

Travel Tuesday — Berkeley Based Backroads Launches New Women's Adventures

Avery & Liz Hale - photo Backroads & TravMedia 

Backroads, the Berkeley-based leader in active travel announced the launch of Women's Adventures, this August, a new offer exclusively for women travelers. Since 1979 when Backroads was founded by Tom Hale, more than 50% of its executive team and leader population have been women. What a fantastic opportunity to adventure ravel without the headache of having to do all the research and bookings. 

The launch of Backroads Women's Adventures, inspired by his wife Liz and daughter Avery, is a highly anticipated addition that celebrates this commitment, as well as the unique camaraderie and chemistry of all-women groups.

Set in some of the world's most beautiful places, these new vacations feature 26 of Backroads' most popular Walking & Hiking itineraries in bucket-list destinations, both far flung and backyard favorites, from Arizona, Yosemite and Yellowstone to England, Peru and Bhutan. While the all-women trips will naturally have a different dynamic than other Backroads' trips, they will offer the same commitment to excellence, flexible itineraries and exceptional Trip Leaders for which Backroads is known.

"As part of the Hale family business, I've been lucky enough to take many Backroads trips, several of them with women only to destinations like Argentina, Vietnam/Cambodia and the California Wine Country," said Liz Hale, Backroads' Director of Community Partnerships. "There's nothing like traveling with a group of women. The shared experience on and off the trail, the sense of adventure, the deep connections and conversations, easy laughter and the joy of sisterhood that forms and strengthens as we create new lifelong memories.”

Women seeking outdoor and cultural travel experiences in combination with stylish creature comforts—whether traveling solo or with female friends or family members—has been a growing trend over the years. Backroads has seen an increase in select travel dates becoming all-women trips, often as Private Trips.  

Backroads Walking & Hiking tours are crafted to offer travelers an unfiltered and genuine connection to the culture, landscapes, people and natural beauty of the region they are exploring. With over 30 years of experience designing and leading Walking & Hiking trips across the globe, launching Women's Adventures that feature some of the company's top hiking itineraries is an exciting evolution of the Backroads trip collection.

“There's a special magic and connection that often happens when women gather,” said Backroads Executive Vice President, Avery Hale Smith. “I've experienced this firsthand on the girls trips I've participated in over the years, and we've heard it repeatedly from guests who have traveled privately on all-women Backroads trips. We're excited to offer women the opportunity to connect, learn and be immersed in the local culture and community while discovering these amazing destinations together.”  

Backroads New Women's Walking and Hiking Adventures include:

North America

• Banff to Yoho
• California's Palm Springs & Joshua Tree – 4-Day Getaway
• California's Yosemite
• Oregon's Crater Lake & Cascades
• Sedona – 4-Day Getaway  
• Wyoming's Yellowstone & Tetons

Europe

• A Taste of Camino de Santiago
• Cinque Terre & Tuscany
• Croatia
• Dolomites to Lake Garda
• England's Cotswolds
• French Pyrenees to Basque Country
• Greece's Peloponnese
• Iceland
• Italian, French & Swiss Alps Lodge-to-Lodge Hiking Tour
• Italy's Amalfi Coast
• Norway's Fjords
• Portugal
• Provence to the French Riviera
• Scotland's Inverness to Isle of Skye
• Switzerland

South America

• Argentina's Patagonia
• Chile's Lake District
• Peru

Asia Pacific Region

• Bhutan
• New Zealand South Island

Backroads' new Women's Adventures are all available for immediate booking. For the complete collection of Backroads Women's Adventures and for more information, visit Backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

About Backroads

Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been a leading innovator in active and adventure travel for over 40 years. Guests join Backroads to bike, hike, and so much more—on expertly planned active adventures highlighting the unique character of each destination. The company offers multiple ways to go active: Biking, Walking & Hiking and Multi-Adventure tours; Active Ocean & River Cruises, Safari, Culinary and Snow Adventures; and Dolce Tempo trips for travel at a more relaxed pace. Backroads also offers Private Trips, Women's Adventures and Family Trips designed for three distinct age groups: Families with Teens & Kids (best for ages 9+), Families with Older Teens & 20s (one or more kids age 17+) and Families with Adult Kids 20s & Beyond (one or more kids age 20+). Repeat guests and referrals from past guests make up many of the travelers that Backroads hosts each year in hundreds of locations across the globe. For more information, please visit backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

Falling for Filoli — History, Heritage & Horticulture, An English Country House in California

Photos — Frances Rivetti 

Oh what a lovely day spent wandering the house and gardens of Filoli in Woodside, a half-hour's drive south of San Francisco. This was my first time visiting and a wonderful outing with my British American girlfriends, who all love a smashing National Trust property pit-stip as much as I do. This one, however, is a lavish 20th Century American estate, which harkens back to a dazzling era of California wealth and luxury.  

The British National Trust abounds with historic homes and gardens, its US contemporary, The National Trust for Historic Preservation is considerably smaller in scope, but an important non-profit that, hopefully will continue to expand in the future. By supporting The National Trust for Historic Preservation, we can all help save these extraordinary places for generations to explore in the years to come. 

Today, over 100,000 visitors flock to Filoli to experience its seasonal splendor, inside and out. It remains the sole intact estate from an era when San Francisco’s wealthiest families created grand showplaces in the countryside outside of the city in the years after the 1906 earthquake.

The Filoli Library (below) and Florilegium collections provide valuable resources for the study of horticulture, botany, the arts, local history . . . this gorgeous library was modeled on a historic library design from Denham Place in England.

“Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.” When Anglophile William Bowers Bourn II and his wife, Agnes turned the key to their Georgian manor, built 30 miles south of San Francisco in 1917, he came up with its unique name as a clever combination on his life credo. As heir to California’s Empire Mine gold fortune, William Bourn built his magnificent English-style Filoli estate with 16 acres of formal gardens amidst 654 sprawling acres. 

Shortly after the gardens were completed in the early roaring twenties, William Bourn suffered a severe stroke and was confined to a wheelchair. The estate he had created as his refuge became just that as he took solace and joy in being pushed around his gardens to soak in plantings and panormaic views until he passed, in 1936, aged 79. His wife Agnes died six months earlier, aged 75. And, sadly, their daughter, Maud Bourn Vincent, had passed away from pneumonia before her parents, at age 45, after falling sick during a transatlantic voyage from Europe to the United States. The couple's young son had died in infancy. The entire family is buried on the estate.

The house is a lot bigger in scale than a contemporary country house in England, built at the end of World War I. It's easy to see the influence from William's years in England when he studied at Cambridge University, only with all the resources he had at hand, back home in California, most aspects of the house interior living spaces are  plus-sized, starting with the kitchens.

Lurline Matson Roth, a San Francisco shipping heiress and self-taught horticulturalist and her husband, William, purchased Filoli in 1937 for an undisclosed price. It was an irresistable country retreat for her family: twin teenage daughters, Lurline and Berenice and their 21-year-old son, William. Lurline employed 16 gardeners, but she was frequently outside in all weathers, working alongside them, deadheading camellias, pruning roses and overseeing the garden she saw as a living tapestry.

Lurline, a naive San Franciscan and heiress to the Matson Navigation Company, was a well-known and accomplished equestrian who competed in horse shows across the country and bred award-winning specimens. In 1964, she and her son, an unsuccessful California gubernatorial candidate in 1974 renovated Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. 

It's not hard to picture the Roth family and guests enjoying the bounty of their California orchard and garden in lavish meals around this elegant dining table. A Tiffany silverware set for 18 and floral arrangements from the property would've set the table scape off nicely, I'd say! I chatted to one of the estate managers in the dining room as he and his team prepared for a fundraiser. We discussed what it would have been like to work in service to the Bourn and Rot families and he said he didn't think it would have been very easy to cater for the elite. I doubt things have changed. Can you imagine cooking for and catering to Zuckerberg or Musk? Even with today's modern amenities, it can't be easy to blend into the shadows while tending to the rich, powerful and famous. 

Elegant and informal, the grounds are as enchanting as any I've vistied in my native England.

Lesley looking very "English Country Home" covergirl in her pretty summer frock. 

Jane and Gail wouldn't mind hosting us for the weekend if they were in charge!

Lurline Roth lived on alone at Filoli after the death of her husband in 1963. She had the foresight to donate the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975 after establishing an endowment to maintain the gardens.  Although she moved to a smaller house not too far from Filoli, she returned frequently on weekends to wander her beloved brick walkways and allées. She passed away in 1985, aged 97. My friend Laura's Mom Louisa was one of the first docents at Filoli and she remembers the kindness of Lurline B. Roth toward volunteers and visitors, fondly. 

A stroll though Filoli’s summer Garden is a treat for the senses! Take in the decadent scents of lavender and roses and the colorful rows of vegetables. Silver and blue perennials and succulents are paired with a parade of pink annuals including begonias, fuchsias, and zinnias.

Tempting to say the least. Both Lesley and I love a swim and a few laps of this super pool would've been a welcome respite from the August afternoon heat. I don't suppose anyone swims here these days, but if pools could talk, there must've been some fun poolside parties back in the day!

Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and bring a full water bottle.  No pets allowed. 

There's a plant sale section attached to the store. Here's Lurline's old golf cart put to good reuse.

Having staff to help maintain fresh floral arrangements at all time was a thing! Priorites. 

Lady of the house. In another life, I could do it! Meanwhile, we did enjoy a nice lunch at the Quail Cafe (open 10 to 4.30 pm).

One's own ballroom. So civilized. 

If You Go:

Filoli is nestled on a slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounded by the protected Peninsula watershed. Filoli is proud to participate in Museums for All offering free and reduced admission to any holder of a SNAP EBT card. Please email [email protected] to reserve your admission with Museums for All. Otherwise, it's best to book tickets ahead. Check out the website for special seasonal events and workshops. 

Admission

86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062

Open every day 10am - 5pm

Open 5-8pm every Thursday for Summer Nights.