December 2017 – Just a Little Review

V6 RANCH – STAYING AT THE WATER TOWER (Part 2 of 3)

I’ve stayed in some remote places, but nothing as small as Parkfield, either population 17 or 34, depending on what you believe. I chose to stay at the Water Tower. The guy on the phone sweet talked me by saying it was the only place available so it was that or nothing – you sold me! He did also mention that it had the most luxurious of all the bathrooms. I will say the bathroom was a pretty generous size and I was very pleasantly surprised at how large it was (two usable stories, one third story that’s still under construction). It had great outdoor space – very sweet front porch with awesome rocking chairs and a generous sized 2^nd floor balcony overlooking the property.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

There is no living room or common area besides the outdoor spaces mentioned above, but each floor does have its own TV and the upstairs bedroom has its own desk area as well.
There is no bath tub in this unit (many of the other units have a shower over tub combo) so if you need to bathe your little one, this unit might be a challenge.
The bathroom space (both the vanity and the shower, restroom area) are very generously sized.
They have the best liquid soap on the planet! Seriously, I don’t know what they do to it, but it’s made on site and they sell it for $3 for a pretty modest size bottle. It’s liquid gold. Take your room one home with you. All natural ingredient and processed locally, what more could you ask for?
This is perfect for a family of 3 or 4 (if the kiddos are small), but anything more than that and it would feel a bit crowded.
If you want an option with a full kitchen, living room and outdoor BBQ, try the converted Post Office next door. It’s the only other stand alone lodging option besides the Water Tower. All other units are part of the main lodge which means shared walls and shared porches. It is a relatively small lodge, however, so even if it’s fully booked, I don’t imagine it would feel too crowded.
Bring some swimsuits and flip flops. The pool and hot tub are far enough away you’re going to need some shoes.
Don’t forget the s’mores! They’ve got the sweetest little fire pit, next to the bocce ball court.
Don’t forget the wine! Hang out in the outdoor gathering space tucked between the Post Office and the Water Tower or just hang out on your over sized porch and watch the country side.
Bring some snacks! I couldn’t even tell you how far away the nearest store is, but it’s way too far to go out for food and the cafe is not open all the time.

BOOK IT HERE

BUY SOME GRASS FED, FREE RANGE BEEF

RELATED VIDEOS:
She Travels
V6 Ranch Part 1
Lazy Adventures Ranch

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V6 RANCH – RANCH LIFE (Part 1 of 3)

What a fun and random place to stay! This town is about halfway between LA an the SF Bay Area. Population ranges from either 17 (if you believe the sign on the way into town) to a whopping 34 (if you believe what’s painted on the side of the tank). Either way, this is the definition of small town. For eating, you’ve got one (1!) option – the V6 Café. Though, I will say that is some goooood eats. They’re a working cattle farm so talk about fresh and local. I even bought some meat with me to cook at home; it’s THAT good. There’s essentially three (3) lodging options – standalone Water Tower, standalone former Post Office and the rooms attached to the lodge. We chose the Water Tower and it was a great option for us. If we went back, I think I’d choose one of the rooms attached to the lodge. The 2^nd floor is more of a mezzanine so your kiddo (esp. if you have a little one) is not so out of sight. Plus, the lodge is a little closer so you can always go hang out in there (though the lodge is available to everyone, regardless of your lodging choice).

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

Absolutely do not arrive when it’s late / dark / café is closed. The entire town will be shut down and even though they knew we were coming, I couldn’t find anyone for about twenty (20) minutes. There *are* wild boars (hence fences & gates everywhere to keep them out) so wandering in the dark is not recommended.
The café hours, though listed, are APPROXIMATIONS. They definitely weren’t open till 9 PM and they didn’t open at 11:30 AM. Roll with it. It’s part of the charm of small towns!
The road in is a small, windy country road with no lights. You’ll be on this road about ½ an hour. Plan accordingly. The town is about halfway between the 101 and the 5.
On the way out, you can drive up the hill about fifteen minutes to see the ridgetop view. If you are driving down south on your way out, this is fifteen minutes in the wrong direction.
Food options are limited. Basically, there’s only the café, though they do sell meat if you wish to grill. The Post Office standalone lodging option has an awesome grill out back. If you are planning on hanging out, bring food with you. There’s a super charming fire pit with metal work detail depicting a cattle drive (see the stills at the end of my video). Bring some hot chocolate, and stuff for smores.
There is a large gathering space between the Water Tower and the Post Office – perfect for picnics, cheese and wine or enjoying your BBQ. Pack accordingly. You will need the plates, utensils, etc.
Even though it’s California, it gets cold in the winter…bring layered clothing so you can walk around the ranch in the early mornings and at sunset.
Bring swimsuits! There is a small hot tub, pool area and ping pong table. The pool is a pretty modest size, perfect for children so you can keep a better eye on them. It gets pretty cold here in the winter (30s/40s) so although the pool is open, I would think hot tubbing is really the only option. Bring your bathrobe to make the trek back to your room!
Their big event is the Bluegrass Festival which draws about 2,000 people on Mother’s Day. That’s a TON of people for a town that usually has 30-something people. All the lodging is reserved for the bands so camping is the only option. We were planning on going to this because they said it’s super family friendly, but something about 2,000 people camping in a relatively small area unnerved me a bit. I think that’s 2,000 people using the great outdoors as their facilities…hmm. They have some photos here that show some RVs so if you’re planning on RVing it, this looks like a great getaway. Maybe they bring in port-a-potties for us camping in a tent folks, but still. Twenty years ago, I would have been all about this, but at this age, it’s another deal.
Their other big event is their Rodeo. I thought this sounded like a fun family event, but in the evening there is a fair amount of drinking and debauchery (in a good way) so maybe not the best event for families. When we come back, I think I’ll stick to one of the Cattle Drive weekends (long live City Slickers!) or the photography workshops. They seem like more my speed.
We came on the last weekend of winter before they shut down to the public. It was a quiet weekend so apart from eating at the lodge,the kiddo playing in the Tree House or the Pirate Ship, swimming and bocce ball, there’s not much to do. Long story short, if you come at a time when there’s no formal activities, 1 or 2 nights seems like plenty.

BOOK YOUR STAY HERE

BUY SOME GRASS FED LOCAL BEEF

Month: December 2017

V6 Ranch – Staying at the Water Tower! (Part 2 of 3)

V6 Ranch- Ranch Life (Part 1 of 3)