I’m writing this looking out at the rugged terrain of Sea Ranch’s coast, fireplace crackling & pancakes cooking. Yesterday, I cured my fear of driving in the rain through 3 hours of exposure therapy in our trusty chariot [a rented Tiguan] along a hundred miles of California coastline.
In the Gualala grocery store, a local commented on Gaby’s NYC marathon sweatshirt, and asked if we were all from New York and how we came to be at Sea Ranch.
“No, we’re not all from NY”
Did you meet growing up?
“No”
So you all went to the same school?
“Well, no”
So you met where?
“Well we all met online during the pandemic through Twitter and Clubhouse and started a group chat that’s been active for the last three years. Then we started getting together for biannual retreats”
That’s so cool!
And this marks our third trip together! For dinner, we visited the Sea Ranch Lodge. Smooth wood sidings diagonally striped, large paper lanterns, and bold graphics. Low slung green couches surrounding a record player manned by two men in turtlenecks and belted jeans straight out of an LLBean catalog and a woman in a lime green sweater.
We waited in the bar for our table, watching lively conversations in the dining room through a glass window etched with the Sea Ranch moniker. Abena had gone to a 2018 SF MOMA exhibit on Sea Ranch titled Architecture, Environment, and Idealism – and shared more about what she learned.
The font on the menu looked strikingly familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I later learned the font is Helvetica, chosen by Barbara Solomon in the 60s, along with the iconic Sea Ranch moniker. We asked the bartender if there was anything we should see while we were here, and he said:
“Take a breath, that’s what Sea Ranch is for. And maybe some hiking”
We started laughing, his response unexpected but obvious after the fact.
After three hours of rugged forest and coastline and craning my neck to see around the next corner, I could see what he meant. Restraint in Sea Ranch’s design mutes the architecture, forcing you to focus on nature. Around every corner, there’s more of the same – beautiful coastline, smooth cabins. And space to breathe.
I had the Sea Ranch design principles on my pinterest board for ages, so it’s incredible to spend time in this place.
Over focaccia, castelvetrano olives, mushroom bucatini, fresh sole [a white fish], we caught up about our lives between four different cities, and laughed. We ended up closing down the restaurant and dancing to Fleetwood Mac.
When I went to add photos from dinner to our shared photo album, I noticed the name was Homecoming – which is exactly the feeling I have spending time with Abena, Shreya, and Gaby.
