Artist's View & Jenner Headlands

Artist's View proprietor, Scot Sier performs, "Jenner" at the mouth of the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean.


Jenner, California is a place to commune with nature and your inner world. The two are brought together in perfect harmony through the peaceful surroundings of this hamlet on the Sonoma Coast. There is an enigmatic energy that flows through the air, brought about by the opposing bodies of water that collide together where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. Like the yin and yang of life, the river represents the peace and calm of nature and the ocean, the noisy interaction of our busy, daily lives. This is what makes Jenner a special place and the grounds for those searching for serenity and a chance to re-connect with the beauty of nature.


Artist's View Private Garden

When you visit Jenner by the sea, think of Artist's View as your artistic, spiritual base camp for this connection and the many activities that bring joy and happiness in your life.


Ariel View of the Jenner Headlands Land Trust Purchase

This meditative place has recently been awarded a special gift with the purchase of 5,630 acres of pristine Jenner headlands by the Sonoma Land Trust. With this purchase, Jenner will soon become a world class destination for outdoor enthusiasts and naturalists.



New Jenner Boat Launch




Jenner Kayak Rentals



To accommodate those visiting Jenner, a new parking lot and boat launch was completed this week, thanks to a partnership between the California Department of Boating and Waterways and California State Parks.

As the trails are being mapped out and prepared for hiking enthusiasts, you must currently sign up for a guided tour to access the Headlands. You can be the first to traverse this magnificent land with dramatic coastal views by registering here:

As Jenner becomes the new low-key getaway for vacationers, we have had a very busy winter, with excellent five star views by our guests. We truly appreciate their kind remarks, which can be reviewed here:

Artist's View Secret Garden

To continue our momentum of introducing vacationers to Artist's View in Jenner by the Sea, we are offering a three nights for the price of two winter special through the end of March. We welcome you to this enchanted land of beauty and mystery on the dramatic Sonoma Coast and look forward to your stay.

Scot Sier and Anne O'Brien
Proprietors, Artist's View

Artist's View Zen Spa Retreat

Artist View has a new addition that we are excited to announce. Our new private zen spa awaits you on our recently renovated master bedroom deck. Situated in the tree line, under ocean skies with views of the spectacular Jenner valley hillside, bask in the warmth of our tub and wash away your cares in this peaceful relaxing setting.

We have been busy creating a retreat that caters to our guests imaginations, with beautiful French style country gardens, newly appointed baths, soaking tubs, reading rooms, great room with grand piano, private decks with river views, outdoor gas grille and a kitchen well equipped for your culinary pleasure.

Artists View is your base to come home to after the many exciting adventures the Russian River and Sonoma Coast have to offer. The latest news for outdoor enthusiasts, is the acquisition of the Jenner Headlands, a 5,630 acre park of pristine hiking trails overlooking the rugged Pacific Ocean. This newly acquired land by the Sonoma Land Trust promises to be one of the most scenic and beautiful hikes on the coast. There are 3 habitat types, 8 watersheds, 8-1/2 miles of streams, 3,100 acres of redwood and Douglas fir forest, 1,500 acres of rare coastal prairie and numerous threatened and endangered species, including the northern spotted owl, steel head trout, Coho salmon, peregrine falcon, red tree vole and osprey.

Visit their website for more information on this park by clicking
here:

For grape lovers, the wineries on the Russian River are pure gems that offer a laid back and personal tasting experience, unlike the frantic and crowded hustle of the Napa Valley. Take this fun video trip down Westside Road on barrel tasting weekend and see why the Russian River wineries are a great place to visit by clicking here:

Artist View is located 1.5 hours from San Francisco and is one of Jenner's premier romantic getaways for the lover of nature, art, wine and food. For reservations and pricing information, please phone Russian River Getaways at 1.800.433.6673 and ask for Artist's View by name.

We look forward to making your stay an unforgettable experience in beautiful, Jenner By The Sea!

Proprietors,

Anne O'Brien & Scot Sier

Artist's View Winter News

Hello to former guests and friends of Artist's View and Painter's Dream,

Greetings and we hope 2011 finds you well.

It is winter in Jenner by the Sea, and a magical time to visit our seaside village. There are lovely warm days, clear and brisk winter skies mixed with some exciting storms. Winter activities we recommend include beach walking to enjoy the pounding surf, hiking the many trails of Western Sonoma County, wine tasting in the gorgeous Russian River Valley, and cooking wonderful meals to share with friends and family. The winter creek is at it's most dramatic and waterfalls abound. We hope you will consider a visit over the next few months as we move into spring.

We thought you might want to be informed of some winter pricing specials and some updates to the property itself.

Winter Rates;
From now through visits ending by February 28, 2011, you can rent Artist's View/Painter's Dream for $275 per night and Artist's View for $210 per night. For a complete estimate, please contact our rental agent, Russian River Getaways, at 1-800-433-6673, or e-mail at info@rrgetaways.com.

RRG is also offering a "3 nights for the price of two" special from now through March 31, 2011.
Consider a visit for Valentine's or President's Day!

Flexible Options for Singles and Couples
For those of you who have not been at our property since 2009, we now offer either the top flat by itself (Artist's View) while Painter's Dream ( the downstairs suite) remains locked off . If you crave a retreat on your own, or are a couple planning a romantic getaway, you can enjoy a visit for a reduced price. If you select this option, you will be the only guests on the property.

For details, see our page on Russian River Getaways

http://www.rrgetaways.com/artistsv_1.htm

Property Enhancements
In 2010, we added the following to the house:

In the Great Room, you will now find a comfortable leather love seat. Perfect for cozying up to the fire.. We also installed blinds on the large picture windows and French doors, allowing guests who are using the day beds to sleep in. We added three inch memory foam to each day bed to add to your comfort.

We have installed central heating with an energy efficient furnace. There are three individually controlled climate zones in the Great Room, Artist's View bedroom suite, and Painter's Dream bedroom suite. We still have operating wood stoves in each living area, so you can enjoy the ambiance that only a wood fire provides.

On the deck outside the Great Room, we have added a large Weber gas grill, and you can now enjoy barbecue year round.

We have added memory foam to our mattress in Artist's View and a new bed frame, enhancing both comfort and mobility in the upstairs bedroom suite.

The kitchen now has a very good sized microwave.

The parking area has a chain restricting entry for guests only, which ensures privacy during your stay.

Lastly, in October we planted over two hundred tulip and daffodil bulbs. They will be blooming in February and March, so please come and enjoy!

Our very best,
Anne O'Brien and Scot Sier,
Owners
415.812.5454


Anne O'Brien
www.myspace.com/anneobrien
Artist's View and Painter's Dream
Romantic Vacation Rental Home, Jenner, Ca.
www.vrbo.com/183863
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT01WLylCCw
http://www.jennerrental.blogspot.com/

Spring Fling

Spring has spread its glory through Jenner. The hills are alive with wildflowers whose petals glisten from the radiant sunlight, multiple hues of deep rich yellows and violets soften the emerald green landscape from our rain soaked winter.

The tulip bulbs we planted in barrels in front of the house never cease to amaze me. Their vibrant colors pop out to greet you, luring you in for a peek at their swan like feather petals. There must be something in the air in Jenner, for they continue to flower from their planting four years ago, a surprise to us and a continued source of joy.

Our magnolia tree is ripe with pink and white flowers set against a cobalt blue sky. The color is alive with the bounty of nature and is a gift to our eyes. Our guests enjoy sitting on the front steps of our covered porch, where they take in the warm afternoon sun and greet the occasional visitor on their trek to the Jenner Falls up the street. You can hear its constant purr in the background, a cascading bounty of water that feeds the Russian River and Jenner Valley, its vein running a couple of hundred feet from our property.

The lavender is in bloom, and we invite our guests to pick a few petals to add to our Japanese soaking tub to help sooth their bodies after their daily activities. As you walk along the property, you can smell the fresh rosemary in the air, a wonderful spice to add to dishes cooked in our classic French style country kitchen. We have had Napa chefs stay at Artist's View and comment on how much they enjoyed cooking here. We recently added a Weber gas grill for cooking outdoors. With the fine weather in store, there is nothing better the grilling and dining on our outdoor deck. The views are spectacular, and a treat for that outdoor candlelight dinner with friends and family.

We recently purchased a leather sofa that envelops you in its thick plush cushions. Let your body relax in comfort in front of our fireplace, as your lover serenades you on our grand piano. This beautiful instrument has shared its joy in many a house concert here.

As the sun sets, the golden light casts its shadows against our grand valley, a private dance for you, where your thoughts and reflections are interrupted only by the sound of an owl and lonely screech of the red tailed hawk. The pristine, quiet valley and juxtaposed energy from the collision of the Russian River and Pacific Ocean has a meditative quality, a calming and soothing effect that washes away any source of tension in our stressful lives.

With the sun setting and the close of the day, toast a glass to the river from our deck. Penny Island awaits you, a secluded strip of land in the middle of the river is a short canoe ride from our property, and for the more adventurous, the mouth of the river can be tackled for those with nerves of steel, the perfect start to your dream filled stay.

All Aboard

Winter is a time when the earth lays down its bounty and settles into a cocoon of replenishment and rest. The season brings much needed rain to Sonoma and so far the prospect looks good. The record breaking frost that came early this year hit our garden with a vengeance, knocking out our datura, lavender and jasmine plants. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Jenner’s healthy soil and its hardy root stock, will help them come back in the spring.

During this season, the joyous time of the holidays brings out the best in everyone. And with no exception, the small quaint town of Duncan’s Mills is as hospitable as ever, offering home baked cookies to visitors browsing the shops. Duncan’s Mills is an interesting town. It was named after brothers, Samuel and Alexander who established a lumber mill here in the early 1870s. The 1906 earthquake leveled most of the buildings and was rebuilt after the turn of the century for vacationers who rode the train from Sausalito to picnic and enjoy the Russian River. The depot showcases a regional museum with a restored Northwestern Pacific railway coach, two box cars and Caboose #2, which was the last train to Duncans Mills in 1935. Across the street at the Blue Heron restaurant and bar, you will find a placard dedicated to stagecoach robber and poet, ”Black Bart”, who allegedly visited here.

We stroll through Antiquarian/Florabunda, where twigs and cuttings lie about the most beautiful flower arrangements artistically prepared and freshly designed for your holiday table. We continue through the village, the valley hills donning the last of their tan summer grass for the green imagery of an Irish seascape and stop off at Christopher Queen Art Gallery. Their collection of 19 and 20th century plein-air paintings is one of the most extensive and impressive in Northern California. We highly recommend visiting, for it is as if you are stepping back in time to a private collector's personal salon. The stunning and beautiful 19th century burled, book matched antique walnut piano on display is a very rare piece, its closest match we found out is located at Stanford University.

We visit our friend, Andrea, at Studio Nouveau who offered us homemade Turkish candies and tea. Her store is a haven for artists and those with a discerning eye for quality hand crafted jewelry. We ran into one of our favorite waitresses shopping there who works at the Underwood Café in Graton and she gave us a tip to try their mac and cheese with romaine salad on the side recession special. The topic of food, wine and art took over our conversation. The bounty of Sonoma is truly a gift that we sometimes take for granted. The farm to table freshness of the food here, along with the award winning wines, makes it difficult to return back to the city. We purchased a couple of holiday presents for friends and with the thought of food and drink in our minds, we make our way to Guerneville and Dawn’s Bar and Grille.

The bar is decorated in festive holiday ornaments and the sitting room foyer fire glows on the faces of a couple enjoying their fireside chat and cocktails. We always enjoy our visits here, for the staff is friendly, the drinks stiff and the food a great value. We speak to Donald the bartender and find out that they are planning on bringing their piano back to life by adding music on weekends. A great idea, for the river is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the cozy surroundings with friends and family. We glanced at the menu and surprisingly find specials for each night of the week. Here is yet another reason to visit the coast off season and to enjoy the peaceful nature of the country without the hustle and bustle of the city and the stress of tidying up year end business.

We step out into a brisk night sky filled with the glow of brilliant jeweled stars, they flicker with the wishes for a fine holiday season and a new year of health and happiness. Happy Holidays!

The Cult of Winter

We are excited about adding central heating into our home this week. With winter coming and the freakish threat of snow today, the idea of having to start a fire to keep warm is no where near as comforting as the idea of turning a thermostat instead.

So, begins our journey in Jenner this weekend, with the ethereal sounds of French composer, Olivier Messiaen's "Vocalize" scoring the flight of the hawks and turkey vultures that soar our valley. Messiaen was an ornothologist and the flow of his compositions take you on a musical journey to the skies, climbing and descending, riding the charts of the stars.

Today is a bit overcast and a fall storm looms over Cazadero, our hillside neighbor to the east of Jenner. We make a quick dart for Shell Beach for a morning hike, one of our favorite Sonoma Coast paths that leads to a cove by the ocean. It is brisk this early December morning and a slight drizzle begins to fall as we make our way to the beach cove. We search for whales along the bluff, but the rough rise of the seas sends whitecaps spouting in all directions, making it difficult for viewing the great grey beasts.

We circle the cove, the waves breaking close to shore hammering the rocks that sends a spray of white foam exploding thirty feet into the air. Quite impressive for this time of year. We beat the heavier rain, as we reach our car and set off to Bodega Bay to visit Sammy, our favorite fisherman who has caught and cleaned two Dunganess
crabs for our dinner this evening. They are smaller then usual this year, for this season is low in abundance and we are in year two, of a seven year recovery cycle.

A crab dinner would not be complete without a fine bottle of wine, so we decide to explore a couple of newer wineries near Sebastopol and Guerneville. We drove along River Road, the grapevines bare from this years harvest and the change of the seaons. Their knotted roots lie exposed in a tangle of branches and rustic colored leaves, soon to be shed like tears to the earth, as we settle into winter.

Our first stop is Woodenhead, a small boutique winery that defines the term, "cult" wine. Their tasting menu consisted mainly of reds, a wonderful list of Zinfandel's, Pinot Noir's and a fine and delicious Carignagne. The fruit was well balanced, without the harsh tannins that often accompany wines of this varietal. The style is in the manner of the French, very earthy and full bodied with a lingering and mellow aftertaste that captures the essence of the fruit and soil combination.



Their tasting room overlooks a beautiful valley and their vineyards, where consequently, they sell their fruit to other wineries in the area. The reason we find out, is that the winemaker prefers to use grapes from cooler climates to produce the reds he has crafted and imports them from a number of areas, including Mendocino County, a great Pinot region along the north coast. We were taken by the Carignagne, and with our limited budget for wine these days, couldn't pass up the $22price. A great blend, earthy and organic with lot's of complex fruit and sensuous aftertaste. This wine is a winner.

We drove northeast towards Windsorand came across Eastside Road where we discovered the winery, "Copain". Originally formed in Santa Rosa, the owners developed and completed this wonderful piece of property and tasting room in 2008. Tucked into the Windsor hills, their tasting room was spacious, with a rustic/modern sensibility that lent itself to the special wines they were crafting. We were greeted by our server, Chris who took us down the menu to one of my favorite wines of the day, a Syrah that had the impact of a full bodied Malbec. It had a great finish that would be the perfect compliment to steak and or, lamb. The price was a little steep at $45 a bottle, but for those who are flush, I highly recommend it for a special occasion celebration. This wine rocks, as well as their Pinot's, crafted in the French style like Woodenhead, that seems to be purveying the Russian River valley these days.



With our crab beckoning our arrival home, we thought a nice Rose would be a good candidate to serve for dinner. Luckily, we found out that Copain offered a limited production Rose that turned out to be superb for the price of $15 a bottle. Needless to say, we were pleased with the fruit pallete and the dryness of the blend and it took our imaginations back to the small cafe's along the Seine, where we enjoyed a glass of Rose with our lunch each day while visiting Paris. Who says Rose is only good for hot summer days, we found this wine to be the perfect compliment for a fall afternoon tasting!

That in itself, was worth the price of admission and the start of a wonderful winter season.

Tale of the Zen Whale

"What is that spout of air out on the horizon?" I ask my wife, Anne as we walk along the pristine and beautiful Goat Rock beach bluff. There off in the distance is a migrating whale on it's way to Mexico and warm waters to birth it's calf. December and January are a wonderful time to whale watch from the many spectacular coastal trails that offer hillside views of our enigmatic ocean.

The days are warm and we enjoy layering up in comfortable sweaters and pullovers to manage the ever changing coastal winds. The light is diffused this time of year, offering dynamic and imaginative views of the Sonoma coast. One of our favorite hikes is located at Gerstle Campground. Park at the lot and stroll along the coastal trail littered with ancient remains of the California seabed. Rocks jut into to the sky with permanent scars of a million years of struggle with nature. Their statuesque sillouhettes take on shapes limited to the depth of imagination. Both animal and human characters come to life dotting the hills, frozen in time, casting shadows on the valley floor. If only they could talk, we might hear tales of mastadons scratching their hides against the rock, polishing it to a smooth gloss that remains today.

It is a moderate hike, with the main trail ending at a cove where we stop for lunch and watch the waves, kelp and seals engage in a dance with the ocean swell. For adventurous hikers, you can continue up the coast trail that shadows you in redwoods, their pine needles cushioning your steps. The captivating smell of the redwood and cyprus trees mixed in with the sea air is exhilarating. It is here that we find a solitude and oneness with our earth that connects us to nature and the explorer's spirit.

I like to describe our coast as "Nature's Zen garden", and if you continue to hike the trail I mentioned above, you will find an example of this by means of a waterfall with descending pools of moss covered rocks that gently flow and spill over into a private sea garden of lichen, moss and shell fish. This meditative spot offers both the violent sound of the ocean juxtaposed against the soothing sounds of the waterfall. A contemplative reminder that the world is a balancing act of both chaos and centeredness.

Our craggy coast with it's crooked teeth smiles lumbering down to the battered surf tide pools is like no other place in the world. The many trails that are scattered along the Sonoma coast with their breathtaking views are a journey back in time. Strolling along these paths, you get the sense of the vastness of our earth and the impermanence of our lives. This remarkable landscape excites the imagination and invigorates the soul and in a sense elevates our consciousness on a journey not unlike the migrating whales, seeking calmness and re-birth in a fast paced world.

My wife and I enjoy our hikes and the time we have spent getting to know the Sonoma coast. It offers us a chance to re-connect away from the bustle of the city and share with our guests the many splendid joys the Sonoma coast has to offer. Jenner is a haven for spiritual rejuvination and Artist's View and Painter's Dream is one of many special delights found on our coast. We look forward to your visit and hearing about your experiences and favorite adventures.

Scot Sier