Staying in a Yurt

A few weeks ago, we decided to spent a few nights in Big Sur. Before we went, I spent a hour or so researching places to stay. The top 2 rated places were Ventana and Post Ranch Inn. Both looked very nice and averaged over $800 per night. I did not spend much time looking at those two places. :-)

The third rated place was called Treebones and had Yurts. I read that the Yurts were tent-cabins that did not have bathrooms or showers. You had to go to the lodge to use communal restrooms. I was also concerned that the Yurts would be drafty and cold. Later that night, we went to a Shakespeare Santa Cruz play. By coincidence, a couple that we knew had tickets right in front of us. We talked for awhile and then they turned back towards the stage. I turned towards Barbara and told her about my research. I mentioned that the top two places were pretty expensive and the third place had Yurts! Our friends turned around and the woman said, "Those Yurts are great! We have stayed there 3 years in-a-row."

So we went back and looked at the resort. The Yurts actually looked pretty nice and they are pretty new. None of the other places looked that appealing, so we took a chance and booked two nights at the Treebones Resort.

It was interesting seeing the reactions of friends as we told them that we were staying in a Yurt. Some people's eyes would get wide and they would get all excited, "Cool, you are staying in a Yurt!" Others would act surprised, "You want to stay in a Yurt? No bathroom, no shower, why would you want to stay there?" Some thought of the Mongolian Yurts that could be packed up and moved by nomadic tribes. They wondered if we would get a Yak with our Yurt. One evening a bicyclist rode past the resort on Highway 1 and yelled out, "Yurts, Cool!"

While researching, I read up on the history of the resort. The owners bought the property about 20 years ago, with the idea of either starting a business or retiring there. At one point, they went Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for ideas for a business. It became a class project to design a resort on the property. The class suggested Yurts. They fit well in the landscape and are low impact environmentally. In Oregon, they have been putting up Yurts in State Parks and they have been very popular. The owners adopted much of the proposal and the resort opened a few years ago.

We ended up really liking the Yurts. The Queen sized bed was very comfortable. The Yurts have gas fireplaces which heat the unit well. There was a clear skylight and one of the panels was translucent, so the Yurt seems light and airy. The walls were made of some modern material that kept the Yurt well insulated.

It was nice to stay in an unattached unit. Most of the Yurts have a 180 degree view of the Ocean. Each Yurt has a deck and Adirondack chairs. One evening, we got a half bottle of wine and a couple of wine glasses and sat on the deck and read books and watched the sun go down. Ok, Ok, Barbara did not want to drink, so I had the whole half bottle myself. It was very pleasant.

Before we went, I had read that they provided a BBQ dinner. After we checked in, they asked us if we wanted to make reservations that night. We looked at the menu. $22 for a Tri-Tip BBQ dinner? That seemed pretty expensive to us, but we were tired and did not feel like going out to find dinner, so we made a reservation. It was a great meal. The salad was very good, the tri-tip was excellent. They also provided vegtables, dessert and a drink. The background music was kind of weird. I overheard the waitress telling someone that the owner was a fan of 60's music. John Denver and the Eagles weren't too bad. But it seemed weird to be eating this gourmet meal to Deep Purple and Led Zepplin!

The lodge was very nice with a dining/rec room and a gift shop. It also had a heated pool and a hot tub. The other nice thing is that it felt like (and was) a family run business. Everyone was very friendly and very helpful. It was clear that they wanted us to have a good experience. Clearly we enjoyed the resort and would recommend it to others.

Photos of our Yurt can be found by following a link in the sidebar on the right.

Info on Treebones Resort can be found here.