We spent 2 glorious days and nights at the Wellspring Ranch for our 28th anniversary. The food was excellent, (we opted for the dinner plan), the accommodations exceptional, (Madeline’s Loft), but the best part was being away from it all. No cell phones or internet, just relaxing with nature. Jennifer and Richard were available if we needed something, but mostly we felt like we were comfortable at home (though it would have to be our dream home). We will definitely be back again.
This place truly is a magical. To begin you arrive and are met by lovely hosts Jennifer and Richard. The tour of the property and its ammenities is amazing. To be disconnected from the outside world (no internet or wifi) is refreshing for a few days. The grounds are beautifully manicured. The staff is friendly, welcoming and extremely talented in the kitchen. Being a foodie, I was taken back by the delicious menus planned and served.We will be back to enjoy this beautiful place, the hosts and the food!! It is truly a must!!
In general, I don't like B&Bs. As a snooty city dweller, I associate them with mediocre food, chaotic decor, questionable cleanliness, and overbearing hosts. I booked a stay at Wellspring Ranch because I enjoy the town of Cayucos. I hoped for the best. But I figured there was a good chance I'd be trapped in the woods with some dirty hippies, eating muesli and playing cribbage. America, let me tell you — I couldn't have been more wrong. Wellspring is fantastic. The owners, Jen & Rich, are former city dwellers with excellent taste, who have built a beautiful facility on their large, secluded parcel in the woods. They have a staff who cooks fresh, Mexican-inflected meals. The rooms, public spaces, and grounds are immaculate and well-maintained. Jen & Rich live on the property — they are energetic, warm, & welcoming hosts, but consistent with the Wellspring promise of being a "couple's retreat," they give everyone their space and privacy. My wife & I had a great time at Wellspring. We look forward to returning.…
In the 1937 Film, Lost Horizon, Frank Capra created the idyllic Shangri-La; a magical valley hidden in the Himalayas where "no one got old or ill". Unlike the hero, Ronald Coleman, who left and spent years seeking to return, for all of those in California SHANGRI-LA is now easier to find. Come to the Mountains of Cayucos, California on the glorious enchanted Central Coast to WELLSPRING RANCH and meet your hosts, Jennifer and Richard Arfa. As with all great things in my life, Wellspring Ranch was a "happy accident". In Sept. 2014 I was in San Luis Obispo investigating CA wineries (doing my "due diligence") and after an event-filled Thursday evening town Farmers Market in SLO I decided I was staying in the Central Coast for the weekend. I did an Internet search and found the recently opened Wellspring Ranch, a private residence with a guesthouse, and multiple "high-end yurts" on a 160-acre ranch accessible off a dirt road. While driving up the windy mountain roads, once again I fell in love with all things California: rolling golden hills, horses frolicing in the sun, deep blue skies; "God's Country". Enter Wellspring Ranch, I'm met by my fellow New Yorker and Attorney, Richard Arfa, who within ten minutes established like myself he loved "Mickey Mantle, NY Pizza and California Living." Enter Jennifer Arfa, the "Pearl Mesta of Cayucos" whose organic garden in front of the main house sourced local herbs, flowers, plants and the largest vegetables I have seen to date. Down to the Koi Pond, where the lounge chairs and Buddha is the zen relaxation spot (which in the mornings became the "Koi Pond Cafe, where I drink my coffee/tea). Sunrise over the mountains, air so clear (you can see its purity), light so bright it illuminates the garden whose fragrance is "the South of France" in California. For the ambitious types Jen and Rich take you thru yoga, hiking and the athletic side. After Rich reconfigured me in a yoga workout, I declined the hike, walked down to the Koi Pond, with a glass of wine and a book. The book was never opened, the wine stayed opened (great Central Coast blend), and I reclined on an easy chair seeking "oneness" with the fish, birds, plants and flowers. Took up a paintbrush under Jen's watchful eye and resurrected my painting career (after 15 years) creating a "masterpiece that my mother, rest in peace, would have loved. The hiking was my version "NY Jewish Hiking," go for as long as I was inspired and then "work on my tan" (unlike Jen and Rich who take their hikes seriously). The evening brought out my extensive traveling road show of music, Jorge the chef's delicious locally sourced cuisine, and enough Beatles, Beach Boys and Elvis to last the night. The best way for me to describe the WELLSPRING RANCH is from Van Morrison, come for a visit and "Let Your Soul and Spirit Fly Into the Mystic" (and don't miss the great wines, at the ranch, to send you on your journey).…
Stunning. Most lovely hosts. Incredible property. Insane food. Adorable pups. Nothing else to need in Central Coast...except the wine, of course, and they have that too. Just go, unplug and enjoy. Jennifer and Rich have a hidden treasure and it is a pleasure and privilege to be in their home.
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