DESCRIPTION:

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Join us for a great adventure on the stunning Mendocino Coast in Northern California. Rocky cliffs, crashing waves, redwoods, passing whales, wildflowers, and a lighthouse! So much art inspiration in this wild and romantic setting.

 

We will stay right on the lighthouse grounds in the keepers cottages, surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean. The cozy cottages, with wood burning fireplaces for foggy nights, have amazing views out every window. Unlimited visits to the lighthouse, the tallest on the west coast are included. We will also have a professionally guided wildflower and seascape hike, visits to charming little bohemian towns, plein air painting excursions to nearby beaches, a mead tasting, and a mini-safari to the B Bryan Preserve where the giraffes give kisses, and of course, art instruction in a variety of mediums and subjects, including figurative and landscapes. Remember to keep an eye out for passing whales, sea otters and other creatures of sea and land.

 

We keep our groups small and intimate to provide a warm, welcoming setting for artists of all levels. There will also be time to relax and explore the lighthouse grounds, cozy up with a good book, or hang out making fun memories with new friends. There will be plenty of delicious home cooked meals and snacks, tea, coffee, etc. And we will put out the "wine jar" and enjoy some of our local Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa wines.

 

PRICE INCLUDES:

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Six nights double occupancy accommodations in the lighthouse keepers cottages, most meals (except two meals out to local restaurants),ground transportation from Santa Rosa CA, most art supplies, art instruction in various media and subjects, lighthouse and museum unlimited visits, professional guided wildflower hike, mini-safari to the B Bryan Preserve, and more! 

 

GETTING HERE:

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We are providing ground transportation from Santa Rosa CA. We will caravan up the coast by car from Santa Rosa.

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West Coast folks can get direct flights to the Charles M Shulz Airport in Santa Rosa (STS) from San Diego, LA, Portland or Seattle. (Denver and Phoenix flights may also be available)

Otherwise, fly into San Francisco (SFO) or Oakland (OAK) where you can rent a car, or take the Sonoma Express Airport Shuttle ($38 one way, very easy and efficient) to Santa Rosa. The Point Arena Lighthouse is about 3.5 hours north of San Francisco. 

 

Local friends or anyone planning to drive to the lighthouse, if you are willing to carpool and/or help transport supplies to the lighthouse, please let us know! 

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Note: the drive from Santa Rosa to the lighthouse takes about 2.5 hours.  It is a stunning drive up the coast, but a very curvy road in places. We may need to stop for photos more than once!

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Fun Extra: if you are in Santa Rosa early enough, we can meet for breakfast and a visit to Village Arts, Christa's favorite art supply store before we leave for the coast.

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About the Point Arena Lighthouse:

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The Point Arena Lighthouse stands on a point of land jutting out into the Pacific.  It is the closest US land mass to Hawaii! It stands today, as it always has, a sentinel to mariners and a warning of treacherous rocks and cliffs along the coast.

 

The Point Arena Lighthouse was originally constructed in 1870. It was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1906, which also destroyed much of San Francisco far to the south and many points in between. The original lighthouse keepers house was also destroyed.  The lighthouse was rebuilt and reopened in 1908. The original cast iron spiral stairs are still in use.  The lighthouse is then tallest on the Pacific Coast at 115 feet (nd 145 stairs)and like all lighthouses, it has it's own unique light signal.  A first order Fresnel light can be seen in the museum,  the original Fresnel light shattering in the 1906 quake.

 

The Lighthouse and grounds were acquired by the non-profit Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers Inc, and thanks to their efforts at historical preservation and education, the lighthouse is open to visit daily. Along with museum  and lighthouse tours, the vacation rentals of the lighthouse keepers cottages help provide much needed financial support to the non-profit. The gift shop has a nice selection of tee shirts, local crafts and jewelry, and other items as well. 

 

The historic Lighthouse Keepers Quarters are a group of mid-century cottages perched on the point, surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and are part of the private 23 acre lighthouse grounds. Next to the lighthouse grounds lie the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit of the California National Monument, and some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world and miles of hiking. 

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The cottages are comfortable and cozy and nicely decorated with a marine theme. The views are amazing out every window. Each cottage has a full kitchen, coffee maker, TV with satellite, wifi and wood burning fireplace.  The bedrooms have either a queen bed or two twin beds and may have a en suite bathroom or a shared bath. We will have two or possible three cottages to spread out in, one cottage's living/dining/kitchen area will be the main gathering and dining area where all the cooking happens, and the other cottage living/dining room will be our studio, when we are not outside painting.  We will have a third cottage depending on our final numbers. 

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Weather at the end of May will be ever changing. From a bit of rain as our rainy season ends, to sunny days in the 50's to 70's, or cool, damp fog, we can have it all on the same day! Evenings will be 40's to 50's. A rain jacket, layers, and sturdy waterproof shoes for walking the cliffs and beaches are a must.  This will be a very casual jeans and sweater kind of week, and cozy sweats or PJs for the evenings will be fine.

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Fun fact: The Point Arena Lighthouse and surrounding area were the filming location for a number of films, most notably the 1992 film Forever Young starring Mel Gibson. We will have to watch it one evening during our retreat!

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We are so excited to share this stunning, unique and historic location with you all.

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Wine Country Bonus:

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Santa Rosa just happens to be in the heart of Sonoma County Wine Country (and next door to Napa County) Why not extend your adventure with a few days in our beautiful wine country? This is Christa's hometown and she can help you with hotel recommendations, places to shop and eat, and things to see and do. If there is enough interest, she will arrange a wine tasting tour of the Dry Creek and Alexander Valley wine regions. 

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Additional info:

We will have a private facebook group for everyone joining our adventure, to provide updates and additional information such as art supply lists and fun tidbits on the region.

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Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook and watch for announcements of new dates and registration.

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