Situated amid the hills and vineyards of Sonoma County and only a short drive from Sonoma’s historic downtown square, Westerbeke is a true retreat from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. The ranch is on acres, some lush and wooded, some open and hilly.

The main patio area has a large inviting pool, communal meeting and dining building in the style of an old mission, and a spacious meeting room connected to a small office and store. Below this area is a patio with a small spa, private bathrooms, shower, and changing area, and on farther down is the gravel parking area and a spa building where guests can arrange for massages. As you go up the woodsy landscaped pathways from the main patio area you pass several intimate patio or fire pit areas and you can see the cabins tucked into the trees.

There are five comfortable wood cabins, each having a number of shared bedrooms with baths. A quaint touch to the cabins is that they have porches with porch swings and/or deck chairs and tables. Farther above them are another modern meeting room, bathroom, and a unique round ‘chapel’ building, not to mention an outdoor labyrinth.

On beyond here is a vista of dry grassy hill tops, and access to hiking trails that go off into mossy woods along a beautiful creek. There is even an area for a ropes course in the woods.

The kitchen deserves separate mention, because the communal building is so lovely and welcoming and the food is so excellent! John Littlewood*, the Ranch chef, prepares healthy, inviting meals.

When I stayed there for a yoga retreat the cuisine was primarily vegetarian and it was the talk of the stay—all the participants couldn’t wait for the next meal to see what would be presented to us; some recalled the quality of meals from past visits to Westerbeke. As for the meals we enjoyed, I will give a brief description.

Our first dinner had an Indian theme, with a butternut squash-tofu curry and an eggplant curry being the main dishes. In addition to these were rice, naan (Indian flat bread), a beautiful salad, and condiments. Another dinner was more of a Mexican or Southwestern theme with tofu enchiladas, nachos and fixins—including great fresh salsa, fresh filets of fish, a hearty salad with corn and all sorts of veggies arranged around the outside of the giant serving platter. One lunch was Asian themed with pad Thai style rice noodles, with fried cubes of tofu in a sweet chili sauce. Every lunch and dinner had a dessert, such as a cake or homemade cookies. Breakfasts, like all the meals, were bountiful with many choices and sides—scrambled eggs with southwestern fixins, homefried potatoes, buckwheat pancakes with warm syrup, fresh fruit, scones, coffee cake. Homemade granola, yogurt, and a variety of toppings were always available in the mornings. Fresh coffees and a great selection of teas were in the dining area 24 hours a day. The dining rooms were so cozy—rustic and decorated with folk art, sporting a fireplace at each end—some people spent free time there sipping hot tea and chatting by the fire.

Historically the ranch began as the Van Hoosear family vacation retreat. They traveled and over time the ranch expanded and interesting architectural elements and decorations were added. The extra cabins were built to house visiting relatives and family friends. In the 1960s several of the grown children changed the family vacation spot into today’s conference center. The granddaughter of the original couple was working when we stayed and gave us a brief but fascinating look at the background of the property. In fact, her grandmother, Muriel Van Hoosear, lived to be 105, and there is a book about her life, entitled My First 100 Years, available for perusal in the shop.

As for the particular yoga retreat I attended at Westerbeke, it is held there two weekends a year: once in the fall and once in the spring. It begins with a late afternoon session of stretching and restorative yoga on Friday and a circle/icebreaking exercise after dinner. Early mornings there is traditionally a meditation session in the ‘chapel.’

The group self divides into beginner and intermediate levels and there are two long sessions Saturday and one again on Sunday morning, and finally a short closing circle. The thing that I found very comforting is that whatever level you feel you are in your practice, the lessons are very instructive. By that I mean that you are not left to try to follow along with a teacher through an intricate series of poses, unsure of your form, unable to modify poses to suit your needs. Instead, the two teachers (this retreat was led by Judith Hanson Lasater and Elise Browning Miller) do more of a stop and go instructional style of lesson, with lots of explanation, description, individual help (several other professional instructors were there to assist). I not only did a lot of yoga, but I learned a lot as well—from spiritual words of wisdom to practical tips about correct body alignment.

Westerbeke Ranch Conference Center

First Reviewed Fall 2005

*Celebrating the Seasons at Westerbeke Ranch cookbook by John Littlewood is now available, Call: (707) 996-7546.

Fall 2007 Return Visit

Same yoga retreat, same wonderful teachers. This time there were a few changes at Westerbeke.  The landscaping of the grounds had been improved upon, including a beautiful garden to stroll or sit in below the steps to the main patio. The chapel--unique in that it was once a water storage tank--had been completed and provided a very comfortable meditation center. The rustic labyrinth above Casa Vista is a charming stone lined path to walk in contemplation. The kitchen, while still serving fresh, local foods, and cooking up delightful themed menus, was run by a new chef, equally as good. Again we enjoyed every meal served there. On this visit we were able to tour the main house and a large barn like building used as an art studio by one of the residents, gathering a little more flavor of the ranch and its history. Westerbeke is a fabulous retreat spot far from the hustle and bustle of normal life.  Between attending classes (or meetings), dining on the healthy gourmet fare, relaxing on patios or by the pool, enjoying the grounds or hiking the trails of the surrounding woods, or even taking a trip into nearby Sonoma's historic square, everyone will find a pleasant respite at Westerbeke.