Quail House Writer's Retreat

Enjoy the north-central coast of California at the Quail House in Bolinas, a clean, comfortable retreat for singles, couples, or couples with a child under 5 or 6. There is much attention to detail throughout this private building with its own parking place and entrance to the property. Located within a well-known one and a half acre demonstration garden of coastal native plants, in the incomparable "hippie-chic" (as one visitor called it) town of Bolinas, one hour but a world away from San Francisco. Here at the southern end of the Pt Reyes National Seashore, 150 miles of hiking trails await you.

The cottage is an entirely self-contained 400 sq. ft (20'x20') unit that includes a full kitchen and spacious bathroom, with its own parking space, visited only by you and the quail. In the surrounding garden, we grow some of the many threatened native California wildflowers, for seed-collection and for the seasonal enjoyment of our guests and us. 

The cottage is one large room, with a completely equipped modern kitchen area, including apartment sized refrigerator, butcher block and tiled counters, and a new gas stove. The style is "California bungalow." Guests often remark on the furniture. The sound of the ocean, 1/3 of a mile away, will rock you to sleep.

You will enjoy a new and comfortable queen size bed with organic sheets and down comforters, a reclining 2-person loveseat, and a spacious bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub and on-demand unlimited hot water for long, luxurious baths or showers after hiking. Fine bath products are available for your use.

We provide Peets caffeinated coffee, and a wide selection of teas. We stock staples like olive oil and Balsamic and other vinegars and seasonings, and dutch cocoa for hot chocolate. Books on the area are supplied, including three books written by the property owner, partly about the development of this garden, "Gardening with a Wild Heart", "The Landscaping Ideas of Jays," and UC Press, "California Foraging,".

Organic, local, salvaged, and re-purposed materials were used whenever possible in the construction of the cottage. The floor and shelving is made of locally-milled California bay laurel. Tile from the Sausalito Heath Tile Factory ornaments the kitchen, with a built-in butcher block counter. The high ceiling and many windows add to the pleasantness of the dappled sunlight changing throughout the day. A large coast live oak surrounds the cottage, providing roosting spaces for our local quail covey and a scenic backdrop for the cottage.

Coffeeberry, coyote bush, redwoods, and many native wildflowers and bunchgrasses, surround the cottage. The garden has been designed with the needs of California quail in mind, and their sweet and varied calls can be heard throughout the day at certain times of the year. This is why no pets are allowed. Sorry, no exceptions.

The Quail House is perfect for writers, with a spacious wooden dining table to spread out at, along with a small private desk area.

Guests have the use of their own private garden immediately surrounding the Quail House, as well as total access to our entire 1.5 acre site, including the Demonstration Garden, their own private parking space, the pond area by the Larner Seeds Office, and all the nooks and crannies and areas of special plantings. You are heartily encouraged to explore! 

The whole garden is open to you, and we love to see guests finding their own favorite garden spots or taking photos throughout the garden (please share). We also host day-after-the-wedding brunches for up to 45 people in the Quail House Garden, you supply the caterer.

Your neighbors are an eclectic assortment of local fishermen, surfboard shapers, woodworkers, one publisher, and several ceramicists. The owner is the proprietor of Larner Seeds, dedicated specialists in California native plants, so plant and bird lovers will find a lot to learn and enjoy on-site as well as in the vicinity. 

Nearby Agate Beach is a 1/3 mile walk away, and includes Duxbury Point, a famous Marine Sanctuary for tidepooling and beach walking. It's a rocky beach, so if you prefer a sand beach, go downtown to Brighton Beach, or make the trek to Stinson Beach, 15 minutes south on Hwy One. 

This town is a unique enclave of dedicated artists, writers, naturalists, and rugged individualists. If you choose, you can be busy all the time, with the many local events taking place in our lively community. The Hearsay News, available downtown at both grocery stores, lists all events.

Downtown Bolinas is one of the sweetest downtowns in the world (in our opinion). Though we have less than two thousand people in Bolinas, downtown you will find a restaurant, two markets, a library, a post office, several shops, a saloon, a sandy beach, a second-hand store, and an excellent regional museum. A downtown like this is a real center for the community, Explore!

Check out the events and classes at the Bolinas Community Center as well. Here are many interesting cultural events, and some of our visitors have thrown themselves with gusto into local events and classes. One couple planned their visit around a talk at the New School at Commonweal. You can go to their website and register. These talks are usually free. 

The local saloon, Smiley's, is the oldest continuously operating saloon in California, providing a continuous array of musicians, both local and not. 

There are two markets in town. The Bolinas Peoples Store, a natural foods store and The Bolinas Market, providing local meats, seafood, and poultry. We also have a great restaurant offering local produce and seafood, the Coast Cafe. We suggest reservations on weekends. The brunch at the Coast Cafe is highly recommended.

The Bolinas Museum has top-quality exhibits and a fascinating and informative History Room. Musical events and exhibit openings often take place in its courtyard.

On Fridays, Star Route Farms, the oldest organic farm in the state, sells directly to the public. Our local surf shop provides lessons and surfing supplies. 

Located at the southern end of the Pt Reyes National Seashore, we have access to 150 miles of trails. Nearby is the Pt Reyes Bird Observatory, a must-see, as well as Commonweal, a well-known retreat center sponsoring an impressive array of NGOs and with a lecture series packed with interesting speakers.

A favorite trail begins at Palomarin parking lot at the end of Mesa Road, with access to Bass Lake (a favored summer swimming spot), Alamere Falls, and Pelican Lake. For the intrepid hiker looking for a challenge, these trails can be taken all the way into the northern part of Pt Reyes National Seashore. There are hikes of all lengths and difficulty.

Only an hour's drive from San Francisco, we are surrounded by national and state parks and county open space. Mt. Tamalpais State Park, with its gorgeous views, the summer Mountain Play, and an astounding number of different ecosystems, is accessed just across Hwy One on the Bolinas-Fairfax Road and includes redwoods, serpentine, grasslands, and chaparral, with numerous beautiful trails available. Hikers will never run out of trails around here.

We are 10 minutes north of Stinson Beach and about half an hour from the renowned Muir Woods, where mighty redwoods can be viewed, a good stop along the way, with a great cafe and bookstore as well. 

 

Public transportation is provided by West Marin Stagecoach.

A required Transient Occupancy Tax of 10%, added to the monthly price of $5,000, is collected by Airbnb to help pay for the fact that over 50% of Marin County, the unincorporated West Marin, is parks and open space for your enjoyment. Cancellations require one week in advance. Singles, couples, and families with one child under 5 can be accommodated.

Guests who wish to sample the life of the town are advised to pick up a copy of our local paper, the Hearsay News.