On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Mawado
I’m not sure how I managed to mess up my submission. I think the submission was too large and when I resubmitted, it only had one image attached.
I really did intend to have pictures of the buildings at Sea Ranch. I forgot the original captions, so I’m working from memory.
The original plan called for buildings tucked in next to the wind breaks. You can see the row of houses alee of the cypress trees. The plan allowed all of the houses to have a diagonal view of the sea and leave a common meadow.
The variations in ageing of the redwood siding cause the assorted colors in these houses. Some houses in the development are stained.
Later construction required different strategies to deal with the wind. This house looks a bit like a ship. Its prow faces into the prevailing wind from the west.
It leaves an unusual triangle-shaped room that comes to a sharp point.
From some angles the homes are distinctly square. Many of the houses are built in “modules” (my word, not the architects) around an enclosed courtyard. The practice leaves space around and between the houses.
The practice leaves space for wildlife. This doe led her two fawns away from a group with a dog on the bluff trail. (A public access trail along the coast the entire 10 mile length of the development.) The two fawns disappeared into the meadow grass while she kept an eye on me. It’s not a trick of the photo, I couldn’t see them from about 20 feet away.
I had to admire this one not afraid to show their scars. Because of the redwood siding, repairs take a while in the sun and rain to match the rest of the house.
In the 1980s, Robert and Betty Buffum contributed a tract of land and the resources to build a chapel. James Hubbell, a local artist designed the chapel with a sea snail as an inspiration. The design included sketches and a model, but no blue prints. A team of artisans lead by Thamby Kumaran built the chapel. The perfect place if you want to keep your wedding small, it only has space for about a dozen people.
I felt sorry for the poor roofer who had to cut all those shingles to fit over the double curves.
Dibs on the chair on the left.
For our gardening commenters, and this being California, there must be poppies. This is the California Costal Poppy (Eschscholzia californica var. maritima). It grows close to the ground, has bluer foliage, and blooms bright yellow as opposed to orange. Some blossoms have an orange center.
And the original photo from the first post, so all the Sea Ranch photos are together.
The ranchers and shepherds of the nineteenth century planted rows of Monterey Cyprus (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) as wind breaks. They have grown into impressive, if a bit eerie, corridors.
OzarkHillbilly
Love that chapel. It had to be a lot of fun to build it.
JPL
Fascinating.
JPL
@OzarkHillbilly: Depends on your definition of fun.
Laura Too
Wow, really cool! I get a feeling of timelessness looking at them. I’d sit in those chairs forever! Beautiful, thank you!
arrieve
Wonderful. I’ve often fantasized about living at Sea Ranch.
zhena gogolia
Most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Thanks for the memories.
zhena gogolia
@Laura Too:
If you can believe it, it’s even more magical than that picture makes it look.
DFH
It is indeed beautiful, the entire area. I rented a place there for a long weekend, a long time ago before BnB was a glimmer in its inventor’s eye.
namekarB
Spouse and I have been visiting that part of the coast for 50 years. We considered relocating to Sea Ranch. We peregrinate a lot between Bodega Bay and Westport in our RV staying at various campgrounds. Alas, we are in our 70’s and medical facilities are sparse. The nearest doctor is Fort Bragg 80 miles north or Santa Rosa 50 miles southeast and both involve long stretches of 2 lane cliff hanging roads. Any major medical crisis would involve a life flight by helicopter over to Santa Rosa.
J R in WV
Very tasteful stuff, the houses, the sea, the photos are great too.
Thanks!
stinger
So visually different from anything I know. Love the Monterey Cyprus corridor!
worn
Hubbell’s chapel really is an incredible little architectural jewel.
Back in 1993, I had the honor of meeting Jim as part of some volunteer work constructing a school of his design in a Tijuana slum. Later that summer we were able to visit him at his residence in Julian. This compound was his life’s work and just a delightful warren of quirky shapes, interesting spaces & funky materials. I heard thru the grapevine that he lost it all in the fires that raged through the area several years back, a thought so depressing I wasn’t able to dredge up the motivation to go and verify.
Thanks for the photos & memories!