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Howard Creek Ranch Inn
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels & Travel Bed & Breakfast Hotels, Bed & Breakfast [Edit]
40501 N. Highway 1Westport, CA 95488
(707) 964-6725
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
17 reviews for Howard Creek Ranch Inn
Review Highlights
"But this is not your normal B&B."
(in 8 reviews)
"all served in the main house (which was built sometime near..."
(in 6 reviews)
"...are several great restaurants in Fort Bragg to choose from."
(in 3 reviews)
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17 reviews in English
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Review from Nikita D.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2008
A diamond in the rough.
Howard Creek Ranch was truly an escape from the ordinary. And the ordinary bed and breakfast too. My boyfriend and I ended up staying an extra night because we loved it so much. I would consider driving up there just for breakfast!
If you are looking for a more formal Holiday Inn sort of place or somewhere to shop, don't go here. BUT! If you like houses with character, antiques, old fashioned living, or if you're looking for cozy rooms, mouth-watering food, endless beaches, hiking trails, and friendly people, I urge you to go to Howard Creek Ranch.
We stayed in the Solar Room the first two night and the Carriage Room the last night. Even though it would have been easy to be totally private, we befriended many of the other guests and got to see their rooms; I preferred the Solar Room because you could see the ocean out of the corner of the room and the wood work was amazing (the bed is built into the floor).
Note: All the rooms have fireplaces, places to hang up/put away clothing, chairs, towels, shampoo, body wash, soap, etc. They've even got wellies and other gear if you feel like exploring the countryside. Basically you'll find everything you need- except toothpaste, and if you usually use conditioner or a hair dryer, bring those things. Also, it would be wise to bring extra food for lunch, dinner, and snacking. Everything is clean and dusted. Cell phones probably won't work. I got a decent internet connection in our room, but I know other rooms didn't have one. The innkeepers, Sally and Sonny, and Sherryl (who helps out) are sweet people, brilliant and creative minded; they make you feel instantly comfortable. If you are a photographer or a nature lover, you will love this place. -
Review from Dave G.
Belmont, MA
4/12/2011
We couldn't get past the smell. Not sure if it was musty, or moldy, never smelled anything quite like it before.
I think we would have liked it otherwise, but at $125/night (+tax), we expected cleanliness. (It looked clean, but I don't know how anyone could miss the smell. We left the deck door open all night to keep the smell at bay)
"Views of the ocean" was through the highway bridge that separates the ranch from the ocean; not quite what I pictured when I read the web site, and not what the pictures on the web site are of.
Contrary to the web site, there are no sweeping ocean views here, unless you walk over to the public lands. (The web sites notes "Howard Creek Ranch is alive with the rural splendor of sweeping ocean and mountain views") If you want the sweeping ocean views, bring an RV and park on the other side of the bridge.
If the price was $65/night, we would have understood. But at double that, this wasn't a good value.
Every other comment we have would be petty--we never got past the smell, and the lack of an actual ocean view, and it flavored our entire stay. -
Review from Judy R.
Sonora, CA
7/31/2011 3 photos
WOW!!
For my birthday we had an awesome vacation at the Howard Creek Ranch Inn. We stayed in the Sea View cabin & had privacy, views, & an outdoor kitchen similar to places we've stayed in Zihuatanejo, MX.
Sonny & Sally are a delightful couple who go out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. The breakfasts were delicious, the flowers gorgeous, all of the staff were friendly & it was an easy walk to the beach. We took many photos. We will be back again!! -
Review from ananda z.
Augusta, GA
3/20/2006 4 photos
What a wild, rustic, relaxing place! We stayed in the beach house, with views of the ocean, the pitch-black darkness of the country at night, and the lullaby of crashing waves as we went to sleep. Not that we slept too much... with a covered hot-tub, a fireplace, and plenty of wine, there were a few other activities as well. : ) There are wonderful hiking trails on the property, as well as the Lost Coast trail in the vicinity, great beachcombing walks along the ocean. The breakfasts were delicious: Quiche, biscuits, muffins, fresh fruit, baked granola-filled apples, fresh mint tea, etc. The gardens were bursting with tulips, there was a baby sheep born last week nuzzling up to its mother, a grove of redwoods along the property's hiking trail, wonderful snapshots of perfection.
The inn is a 20-30 minute drive away from Fort Bragg and the wonderful shopping area and delicious restaruants, the glass beach, and breweries. For some people this might be far... but I loved escaping civlization for a few days, only going back to it when we had to.
But this is not your normal B&B... you don't have to be quiet and worry about following any rules, there is a complete and utter lack of pretentiousness, instead you are free to just be... to pull on wellies and rain slickers and ford the winding creeks, to snuggle in a private hot tub under the stars, or to explore the ranch's property. The inn itself is a work in progress... still progressing... so don't expect perfection of the modern sort. Instead, expect a soul-strengthening perfection of the wild, untameable nature of things and people. : )Listed in: Northern Coast
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Review from Daniel B.
Albany, NY
4/10/2007
A very special place, but certainly not for everybody.
I hate fussy bed and breakfasts. I have been to a few. Teddy bears. Hat boxes. Floral prints. Peh. It's so emasculating.
But HCR is different. In a way, it is a product of its landscape, rugged and beautiful. And continually changing.
Sonny is always building something. It seems every year we come back, there is another new room, or building. At the same time, some projects have been ongoing for all those years and have yet to be completed.
Their flock of animals has changed. The bull is long gone. The ram is gone. The sheep are a new flock. But the llama is still there.
Some things are beautifully polished. Others are not polished at all. Some things are strong and square, while others are more than a little rickety.
But more than anything else, this place has a soul. And for most people who make the trek and return a second time, coming back always feels like coming home.
N.B. If you decide to go, the nearest decent restaurant for dinner is about 40 minutes south. But there are grills and refrigerators, so you can bring food and charcoal from town.
Other than that, you are on your own. Part of the fun is the exploration.Listed in: Outside of Mendocino
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Review from Rachel R.
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2009 1 photo
I chose the place based on reviews and had never been to a B&B before. Maybe its not my thing. I liked that it avoided the doily strewn path to old lady madness and seemed rather rural.
It is obvious that the proprietors have been working on it for years and years, and the hand crafted woodwork in the barn/carriage house is truly truly amazing. The old farmhouse is lovely, the garden is astounding.
There was such care put into constructing and furnishing the space, the details were breathtaking- a single example is the solar room. The huge windows alternated with tiny inset panels of stained glass. The enormous (and cozy) bed was built into the room, and the floor patterned through alternating different wood grains and stains. Its difficult to describe the beauty of this room.
J and I were really inspired by the creativity it took to construct this place, but overwhelmed by what can only be described as a highly functional form of hoarding/clutter.In the enormous carriage house, are at least a dozen different sitting areas. Couches, chairs, tables, lamps. There is a profusion of beautiful old furniture, but also a profusion of random crap.
Personally, I'd clear out at least half of the moth eaten books and wooden ducks and frog statues and ugly 70s sofas and full dining table setups and glass cases filled with dishes and teacups and eggcups. But that's just me.
The greater vision of this place includes moments of rare beauty. I'd keep the mouldering moose head and rusting replica covered wagon and gold hobby horse, but lose the porcelain dolls and slightly balding fuzzy fake rabbits. But its all one thing, and someone else would probably keep the floral velvet couches and lose the old phonograph or the rusted ice skates.
Its a truly unique place, but I gotta tell you there are some unsavory corners. The construction is ongoing and the clutter is arranged in some places, barely hidden in others.
The beach was close by, but so was the freeway, and there was an odd murky separation between Ranch Grounds and a truly grotesque park like area leading to the beach where refuse littered the ground and people seemed to be camped out near the murky water.
The place had all these beautiful built in details like little shelves and window seats...but so much random crap piled on and around them detracted from the final effect.
In any case, we enjoyed our room, which was lovely and detailed. The bed was cozy and we could hear the ocean.
I felt very uncomfortable with the whole communal breakfast situation. I don't know if its customary to have all these random strangers eat together.
We were all squished at a few dining room tables in the main house and obliged to socialize with a bunch of strangers from Illinois and Sacramento. Not that I have a problem with those places or people, just nothing to talk to them about. There was one other couple about our age, everyone else was middle aged or elderly. I just wasn't sure what to make of it.
And breakfast was supposed to be this big deal too, but it was fruit platters and biscuits that were clearly not homemade and some eggy deal and sausages. I don't eat meat, so I was down to eggs, biscuits, strawbs and jam, which was fine but I later came to wonder if there hadn't been some kind of meat item in the eggs. It was ok, but nothing special, really.
Then Sally insisted we all needed to crowd into the kitchen to settle payment. There just wasn't room for us and it was very uncomfortable. We had been the only people in the place when we checked in, and had seen only a few of the guest until this point and I just wondered if we couldn't have paid right away.
I had some lovely kitten coffee porch garden time while J paid, then we grabbed out stuff and hit the road.
J was driving fast and the road was twisty and I was reading a book, I don't usually get carsick, but this time I did. In fact I had only ever gotten carsick once before on a truly extreme road that was winding up a dormant volcano while I was reading a book.
Anyway, I got pretty carsick and stopped reading and drank water and eventually had to pull over so I could puke among the lovely moss carpeted redwoods. I honestly don't even remember the last time I puked. And I don't know what happened. I drank a lot of oj b/c it was fresh and good and within reach, and J said maybe it was too much acid in my belly? I thought maybe the eggs had some kind of meat product involved that I didn't know about, but honestly I didn't have much of the egg dish.
I still feel bad, a day later... so maybe I was coming down with something. I got some amazing pictures there, and was charmed by Sally and her kittens and the garden and the hummingbirds, but I wouldn't go back. It was like that junk sculpture house in the Sunset district, fascinating and beautiful in its own way. It was an odd experience, we were by turns charmed and nauseated, literally. -
Review from Ken M.
Berkeley, CA
4/10/2010
If the Lost Boys (Peter Pan, not vampires) and the Swiss Family Robinson got together to run a B&B, the result might be something like Howard Creek.
Sally runs the business end of things in a fairly structured way (in particular, when she says breakfast is at 9am and bring your wallet, she means both). "Sunny" takes care of the fanciful architecture --- loft beds tucked in mirrored dormers, rope bridges, open-air shower stalls, hot tubs plumbed by Tom Swift (large manual valves, and 3 stages to fill and heat the tub), tile porch kitchens sheltered by trees, and endless stained glass.
We stayed in one of the small separate cottages/cabins, which suited our more secluded preferences; the rooms in the main house would give more opportunities for mingling.
The constant low-level churn of construction is noticeable (one mirror in our cabin was out for replacement) but not problematic.
Food was probably the weakest part of the package. The breakfast french toast was plain white bread with margarine. Dinner is best handled by grabbing sandwiches and ice cream from a general store a few miles down the road, and eating in lawn chairs facing the sunset. Our cabin had a grill, but the rust suggested others had shared our food-to-go plan.
Howard Creek is a truly unique experience. A little planning on the food front, and a readiness for crazy spaces, can make it a great getaway. -
Review from Bubble B.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2008 4 photos
Huge ranch property that leads directly to the beach, about 15 minutes north of fort bragg. More than a bed and breakfast, it's an experience of nature and old-style living. Rooms are warm and comfortable, remodeled in a classic style by the innkeepers, Sally and Sunny. Don't expect internet or cell connectivity (they are working on wi-fi but it is slow) do expect lots of quiet and an experience of nature and a get away from it all. Two hours from the bay area. A short drive to funky and different Ft Bragg and chi chi and magestic Mendocino. Definitley worth the trip, pretty much the northern most b&B in the mendocino area. Google westport ca and you will find the closest, tiny town...Also they have a great trail up hill, Diablo the llama, sheeps and horses.
Doilies are at a miminum! Get a room with a refrig. -
Review from Rabbit B.
Weed, CA
6/12/2007
a friend called and told me she was going to be in the area. she found this place online and told me it looks cute. i said ah fuck not cute. she told me just be there. so i put on some pants and started my drive down here.
well it is a little cute but it was cool. the breasfast was filling and excellent. not just bread and cereal, but meat and eegs and other hot stuff. fucking loved it. the views and smells of the ocean were excellent too. man writing this makes me want a doob. memories.
but my favorite part were the hiking trails with some psychedelics and my hot friend. hope she calls again! -
Review from Krystal W.
Belmont, CA
8/17/2009 5 photos
As one reviewer put it, this place is not for everyone. The one thing I can say outright is that is definitely has character.
First let me say that we had just come off of a 4 day backpacking trip followed by a 3 hour car ride. We were tired and all we wanted was to get to the shower and crash into a cozy bed. We arrive and we followed directions to call Sally from the front door. She said to wait in the living room and she will be right there. We waited for 20 min...
I think Patrick put it best, It didn't matter who you were or what condition you were in, if we had showed up with a spear sticking out of your stomach, you would get the exact same tour. She walked us around the room we had just been sitting in for the past 20 min, then walked us across the very rickety old hanging bridge, and over to the barn. From there she was distracted from the tour by a small spider that she insisted on putting outside. But of course by the time she found a paper towel the spider had, "seen here coming" and disappeared. At long last we were shown to our room.
We were in the carriage room, which was beautiful. The shower was hot and the bed was comfortable. And I have to say the breakfast the next morning was fantastic! Strawberry banana pancakes, fresh fruit, backed apple with granola and whipped cream, turkey bacon, a salsa-egg frittata with as much orange juice and coffee as you could drink. And it was very nice to relax in the company of your fellow B&B-ers.
Payment is due after breakfast, therefor you once again have to deal with Sally. Again, she just goes at her own pace, taking card payments and flipping through her gigantic book of reservations. The lady ahead of me in line asked for a receipt and it took Sally about 10 min to come up with something resembling a receipt.
To sum up, this place is comfortable and beautifully situated. With good food and gorgeous gardens, but you have to have the patience to put up with the proprietor's pace in life. -
Review from Rosemary B.
Sonora, CA
2/21/2008
I've been here three times and want to go back again and again. I found Howard Creek over 10 years ago by calling the Mendocino Visitors Bureau. They sent me a great info pack and I knew this was the place for me. It is a farmhouse from the 19th century that has had many unusual outbuildings added onto over the years. I have stayed in the Meadow Cabin - it was incredibly cheap back then, about $50 a night. and in the two story Redwood Suite in the Carriage House. Even now the most expensive room is under $200. The Redwood Suite has a private patio that faces the ocean, a woodstove, an outdoor jacuzzi, and a skylight in the upstairs bedroom. It is very large and comfortable.
The breakfasts are fantastic. Served in the dining room or the kitchen family style. They usually have fresh baked muffins or some type of bread, juice, an egg dish, sausage, bacon or ham, and a fruit dish. They garnish with edible flowers and use a lot of vintage and mismatched serving pieces. Sort of a shabby chic, country style setting.
It is rustic here. The meadow cabin is covered with vining plants, roses, nasturtiums, blackberries. It has a private garden and pond, wood stove, semi-outdoor shower - it's only drawback is the lack of a plumbed toilet. There is a clean (no odors) outhouse and the main house and a regular toilet is very close.
There is a swinging bridge over Howard Creek. The beach is a short walk away and at low tide the starfish are amazing. The beach is very quiet - no crowds. There are gardens and sheep at Howard Creek, a big porch to relax on, and a parlor with a piano, books, and a big fire on chilly foggy coastal nights.
You do have to drive for dinner - Fort Bragg is about 15 miles down the coast. Some of the rooms have mini fridges and microwaves. There are also BBQs available to use so you can bring in your own stuff to cook if you don't feel like leaving. There are no phones in the rooms and no TV reception - I didn't miss either.
In Fort Bragg I recommend you see the Botanical Garden - it is beautiful. The Skunk Train is a prime tourist attraction in this area. It can be fun if you get the steam engine. There are several great restaurants in Fort Bragg to choose from.
I love this place and can't wait to go back. writing about it makes me want to plan a trip right now. -
Review from Di Xiao D.
Sammamish, WA
5/28/2008
We have been to Howard's Creek a couple of times, the first being back in 2001/2002. We absolutely love this place! Forget the fact that there is no local dining w/in a few miles....who cares - that's not why we were out there! We always bring our own cooler w/ pre-made shish-kabobs and other b-b-q-ables, as the Inn has small Weber's on-site for your use. We have stayed in the Beach Cabin, which is a freestanding cabin at the end of the meadow. - Interesting cabin, but a bit creepy and cramped. The next time we stayed in the old barn, on the first floor. The room was uninspiring, but one comes to such a place not to be sequestered in their room, but to enjoy nature's beauty - outside! The locale is so remote... the "lost coast" of California is truly one of our state's gems.
The breakfast is incredible! All the fixins.... pancakes, frittatas, fresh fruit, toast, coffee, tea, fresh-squeezed OJ..... all served in the main house (which was built sometime near the Civil War).
Oh yes...one more thing - they are dog friendly! $10 per dog per night.
I really didn't want to review this place b/c it (in our estimation) is still "our little secret".
Now that we live in So-Cal, it will not be as easy to make the weekend trip like we used to, but soon.......... -
Review from Mark C.
Alameda, CA
10/13/2006 9 photos
My girlfriend and I came across this place while researching spots in which to getaway within the Mendocino area. Of all the places, the Howard Creek Ranch sounded the most interesting.
We stayed in the "Sea View"--a secluded cabin overlooking the "Sea" as well as the entire ranch. It was amazing; I had never seen a place quite like this. Except for the living room and the *extremely* cozy loft sleeping quarters, everything else was external. The kitchen, for instance, is located outside right off the spacious deck, as is the shower area. And I'm your typical "city boy"; one who'd never taken a shower outside before! But I surrendered to the entire experience and enjoyed every minute of it. It was great...
On that note however, if I can digress a tad, the darkness of country night *did* freak me out a bit.
Note: For all you UN-experienced campers, night time in the country is JET BLACK! SERIOUSLY FOLKS!!!
And while I enjoyed the starry sky *immensely*, I had a difficult time relaxing completely. This is not to say that the experience is not a pleasurable one. On the contrary. However, those of you who are like me, a city kid with a highly active imagination, night time in the country will take a little getting used to, that's all. Anyway...
Also, built into the deck is an outside bed and a Jacuzzi on its second level. You guys really have to check it out...
Also, in the true tradition of "bed & breakfast", they offer an extensive *country* breakfast menu. Banana flap jacks, country fried 'taders', bacon sliced THICK, French toast, freshly sqeezed OJ, yadda, yadda, yadda--you name it! Unfortunately, since my girlfriend and I are such sleepers, we were only able to "catch the breakfast train" once during our stay.
The Howard Creek Ranch is an asset to the Westport community. We definitely plan on returning--A+. -
Review from lucy a.
San Pablo, CA
1/15/2009
I have been here 3 times with my husband. He loves it. I like it alot, but I find it a little bit strange! We have always stayed in the same room. It has a view of a mountain and I could sit there all day just looking at the view, it's so pretty. But the place looks a little unkempt to me. Not dirty! Just like it needs some TLC. I love all the collections of various things that you find in the barn. Pictures, books, collectible dishes, just a fascinating melange of old stuff, beautiful stuff, and interesting stuff.
Absolutely NO hassles from the proprietors who just sort of seemed to go on their own way without much chatter or involvement with us. That suited us fine as we like to do our own thing and don't particularly like polite blah blah conversation.
There's a little path down to the sea which is nice. Quiet, peaceful and relaxing. Food was good, bed was comfy, room was clean, and the hot tub was hot.
I'd go back. 4.5 stars. -
Review from Wes N.
Oakland, CA
4/7/2009
04/09 - My wife and I just came back from a one night stay at Howard Creek Ranch Inn. We wanted to take a mini-vacation and get away for the weekend. My wife had never ridden a horse (see my review of Ricochet Ridge Ranch), so I searched for a bed-and-breakfast nearby. I found the website for Howard Creek Ranch and was impressed with the photos; so I booked a one-night stay in the "Lucy" room. After our ride, we headed for the B&B. It was a little difficuly finding the turn-off, but after talking with Patty, we found our way to the main house. I have to admit, the first hour there, I was a little disappointed with just how rustic it turned out to be; but my wife reminded me to keep an open mind, and I'm so glad she did. We were automatically upgraded to the "Sun Room" (sky-lights in the room, hence the name). Asking Patty for dinner recommedations, she said the newly-renovated Wesport Hotel served fine meals (a total understatement!!). The dinner and both red and white wines were outstanding, and you just HAVE TO try the cheesecake - it melts in your mouth; but bring cash - they don't take credit cards yet.
After the one of best nights' sleep I've had in quite awhile, we woke up to the smell of brewing coffee. We took a beautiful early morning walk through the grounds and along the beach, we came back to an absolutely fantastic home-made breakfast made by Sally (one of the owners) and her energetic cook. Ask Sally to show you around the Coach House. Her pride shows through as she shows off her husband Sonny's superb carpentry skills as he renovates the building into guest rooms - an ongoing process.
Keep your mind open and and exercise your sense of adventure, and you'll be rewarded with an incredibly relaxing experience. W'll be back -
Review from Mark B.
Sunnyvale, CA
6/5/2009
My wife and I journeyed up to Howard Creek Ranch Inn for our anniversary not knowing what to really expect since we discovered it online. Furthermore, neither of us had ever done the bed and breakfast thing before. Fortunately, the experience was pleasant and very stress free. We stayed in the Sun Room (main house), which has a great view of the forest from the wraparound deck. Also, if you like cats, but can't bring your own (there's a dog only pet policy) you may get lucky like we did. There are two ranch cats--there's a social and an asocial cat--(we befriended the social cat, which we named Poe). He hung out with us on the deck at night while the two of us chatted and enjoyed our wine we had bought on the way up through Mendocino's wine country. There is much more however, than drinking wine and hanging out with the resident cat. We took it easy for the most part, spending the day on the beach, which is walking distance from the Inn. And we also did an easy hike into the forest that has some great views of the coast and, depending on the time of year, a number of wildflowers. The owner, Salley and her staff are tops in hospitality; we had two great breakfasts and felt right at home storing and preparing our own food in the kitchen. From what I can tell, the price is reasonable in comparison to other B&B's, and as I mentioned earlier this was our first experience at a B&B. As a result, I only gave the Inn four out of five stars, simply because we don't have anything to compare it with. However, I'm not sure the setting and atmosphere could be beat; the Lost Coast and the feeling of complete isolation from the rest of the world were exactly what we needed to re-center our mind and soul.
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Review from Chaunie L.
Fremont, CA
6/7/2009
Their website is good, but you cannot begin to imagine a place like this without seeing it. We stayed in the Captain's room in the carriage house. Our room was very large and spacious, the bed comfortable. Most of the wood in our room was redwood. We had four large windows looking out towards the trees and two comfortable wing chairs to sit in to enjoy the view. Outside our room, through french doors, was a huge room with a dining table that could seat 8, a small sink and a fridge - all for our use. Going through the ceiling height door of this room brings you to the common area - which was huge. Collections of dishes and other collectables are everywhere, and it is a lot like staying in a roomy antique shop. There were two or three large dining tables, sofas, love seats, chairs, an area with glass roofing and magazines and books, a hot tub area, and down three stairs the library with sofas and a wood stove. There was a hanging bridge over the creek to get to the farmhouse for breakfast in the morning. Breakfasts were incredible and served family style at two large tables. A short pleasant walk on a mown grass path leads to the beach - where we saw a seal swimming close to shore. There is a great hiking path on the ranch taking you through meadow areas with sheep, up into the woods and to the top of a hill. Western Columbine, Indian Paint brush and many other wildflowers were along the path. We spent a whole day without leaving the ranch until dinner time - then off to the Westport Hotel for dinner and back to play a card game with some of the other guests. Sally, Sunny, and all of the staff were charming. We had a grand time and look forward to returning.
