Beltane Ranch
Sonoma: Great Places to Stay
The main house at Beltane Ranch was built in 1892 for Mary Ellen Pleasant, a former slave from Louisiana who rose in the ranks of San Francisco society during the bawdy Barbary Coast days as a shrewd operator of brothels, boarding houses and other business ventures. The wide, shady verandas that wrap around both floors of the building reflect Pleasant's Southern roots, and with separate outside entrances to all of the bedrooms, the house is particularly well suited to its current function as a bed and breakfast inn.
Five guest rooms with bathrooms en suite are available in the main house, plus a separate two-room cottage with a private garden. The unpretentious country-style décor features queen beds in all rooms, and some real antiques among the furnishings in the guest rooms and common areas. The house is set on a rise east of Highway 12 just south of Kenwood, surrounded by picturesque pastures, vineyards and olive groves, with a private tennis court and a number of hiking trails that lead into the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains.
Double rates range from $140 to $190 in the main house, or $220 in the cottage, including full breakfast delivered to your room or served in the inn's cozy dining room.
Beltane Ranch
11775 Sonoma Highway
P.O. Box 395
Glen Ellen, Calif.
707-996-6501
www.beltaneranch.com
| 
)
