Straus Home Ranch — Attraction in Sebastopol

Our Straus Review

The Straus Siblings: Michael and Vivian are two of the friendliest and warmest souls we have met. As soon as we arrived on Straus for the initial tour, we knew it was the place for us. They made us feel like a part of the family and were extremely helpful and accommodating. On the day of the wedding Michael drove our limited mobility guests up to the Ceremony site and waiting during the portraits after the ceremony to take my mom back down. One of my favorite parts of the wedding was having Michael around and my Uncle had brought down his specialty salmon from Chelan, WA he had caught and smoked for us to share. We made sure Michael was given some as a thank you for all of his generosity.

The Area: if you live in the Bay Area you know how special and beautiful Western Marin is. Straus Ranch encapsulates the natural beauty of the regional plants. The Ceremony site is in the organic pasture with a Cypress and Eucalyptus grove that overlooks Tomales Bay. We highly recommend taking the less efficient root of going through Fairfax, making a stop in Point Reyes Station, and then continuing on the 1 till you hit Straus. There are a ton of outdoor activities in the area: kayaking, hiking, horseback riding. Tomales Bay is known for its oysters – go to Nick’s Cove, Marshall Store (our favorite), or Hog Island Oyster if it isn’t too packed! You’ll tell by how much parking there is on the 1.

The Home Ranch: The house is absolutely stunning. As soon as you walk up to it you see a gorgeous open porch, and green window shutters that tie to the vibrant grass color. Each room upstairs is extremely cozy. You feel transported to a rustic heaven and everything is where it belongs. The décor reflects the historical functionality of the ranch and family history. There is a top deck that was fun to hang out on while the sun is shining. The Dining room has a stunning wooden farm table that seats 8-10. The kitchen has every amenity you can think of. The morning of the wedding and the morning after we made breakfast in the kitchen and set everything up on the dining room table casually. It was perfect and has a great layout. The Living Room + TV Room both have ample seating and the Steinway Piano is a bonus. Especially if you have persons who play in your group! I enjoyed the outdoor table and benches the most in the front lawn. It was a gathering space for the bridal parties in the morning and we were able to eat out side and drink our coffee after eating our food.

The Lawn: We had our wedding set up on the west lawn for dinner with long farm tables and a few rounds with canapes. The ground is flat enough and more functional than we originally thought. That allowed us to have our dance floor next to the wooden floor in the front of the lawn near the house. Since our wedding was in September (summertime in the Bay Area) we wanted our dancing outside! It was the right amount of room and we were able to set up tables and chairs around for our older guests to sit and watch.

Barn and Shed: While we did not use the Shed for any of our wedding, it was used as storage which was great! The Barn was under construction, but it was a joy to go in and see. The next time we go back to Straus we will definitely be utilizing the newly renovated barn!

Accommodations: There are two VBROs across the street that sleep a substantial amount of people (10-12) and give you access to a dock on the Bay. We had our first look photos there. About a 5-minute drive away is Nick’s Cove – these are a little pricey but extremely convenient.

Pricing: you cannot beat the pricing for a venue in the Bay Area. Not only is it affordable compared to other venues, you get so much more than what you pay for. Straus is a very special place with rich history. You can feel it as soon...

I already wrote this review on VRBO but thought I would share it here as well. If you are looking for a peaceful, serene, affordable and intimate setting, this is it. Especially for a wedding! I have never been more pleased with an experience and location. We celebrated our wedding at the Straus Home Ranch with about 40 guests and I could not have been happier. The location was perfect for our small and intimate celebration. Since the outdoors were so beautiful and peaceful, most of our guests spent the entire time around our bonfire pit in the garden in front of the house. However, the house and shed were also available if people wanted to be indoors. The house itself is so beautifully decorated and remodeled, it has an amazing cozy vibe to it. It has all the amenities and items you would need to spend the night, even shampoo/conditioner/body soap in dispensers in the showers! With plenty of clean sheets and blankets and towels. The kitchen is stocked with utilities like a full sized fridge, coffeemaker, etc. The shed gave a great rustic feeling and was perfect for placing all of our tables with snacks and decorations and gifts. The garden was beautifully lit and great for our bonfire and for our bar and catering setup.

Vivien and Michael were the most helpful, thoughtful and accommodating hosts. I received immediate responses from them any time I asked my billion questions. I constantly sent them emails asking questions. They worked so hard to make this day perfect for me and I am so appreciative of their help. The view of the Bay adds to the calming ranch scene. This location is perfect for people that want a quiet place to be away from all the city noises and really create an intimate and personal environment. The property had everything we needed, from fold up tables, to wooden benches, to outdoor string lighting, and all the amenities necessary. My family loved the place so much they talked about getting family together again in the future to go back and just spend a couple of days there to relax and get away. My guests could not stop talking about how beautiful and different the place was and how it was the best wedding celebration they had attended. Waking up the next day to the smell of the trees and outdoors was so serene and breathtaking. The views are something you need to see for yourself to understand. If you are looking for a small venue for a very unique, affordable and enjoyable wedding, I recommend this highly. I searched for a long time to find what I wanted and nothing compared. I could seriously go on and on about all the other positive aspects of this place, but it's best that you contact the hosts themselves and ask anything you want, they'll get back to you...

Words cannot express the dreamy weekend we had! I cannot begin to thank Vivien and Michael enough their overly generous hospitality.

I booked Straus Home Ranch for my sister's bachelorette party. We were looking for a low-key weekend getaway with plenty of activities and rose. 11 of us arrived on Thursday evening. The home was in pristine condition when we arrived, the front yard was stunning with beautiful yard lights and it was clear the kitchen was fully stocked with spices, tools, and anything else you may need. We booked Stacy, who lives nearby and is available to cater for the whole weekend. She greeted us with the most beautiful charcuterie board and a lovely summer chicken dinner to follow.

Friday morning Vivien and Michael were kind enough to open up the big barn for our scheduled yoga class (Michael recommend Trish, a local yoga instructor, she was absolutely wonderful!). Following our class, Michael took us on a tour of the land and gave us insight into the history. So cool! We had the opportunity to meet the cows as well :). If you see cow "1149" his name is Carlos, tell him hi for us! We took advantage of the available yard games - there were tons, the spacious patio, and took a minute walk over to the beach for the rest of our afternoon. Dinner was at Nick's Cover, where we walked to, enjoyed yummy cocktails on the pier and a delicious dinner inside.

Saturday we took the cheese tour (Viviene gave plenty of suggestions of the best spots to stop!). Our last stop on the tour was Marin French Cheese, highly recommended! Grab some cheese, honey, bread, and a bottle of rose that you can enjoy by the pond on their property! To finish the night we grabbed oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co. The ranch had all of the tools required for schucking including a bbq for those that didn't want to eat the oysters fresh!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend- from every activity being so close to the bsolutely stunning home. We are already planning a trip back! Thank you Vivien and Michael for going...