Jack London State Historic Park (Glen Ellen, CA)
One of the joys of travelling is finding unexpected treasures. Places you hadn’t planned to see or had never heard of until someone or something pointed you in its direction. This is how we discovered Jack London State Historic Park, the former site of the ‘Beauty Ranch’, the famous author’s personal retreat where he went to write, ride horseback and work on a number of experimental farming techniques.
For years we have been coming to the Sonoma Valley and had never ventured over to see what the Park was all about. That changed this year when the owner of the home we were renting told us we should definitely visit the Park given we were avid hikers and it was a very short distance from where we were staying.
Tucked away in the picturesque town of Glen Ellen, Jack London Park (www.jacklondonpark.com ) is easy to find as you pass by the Jack London Saloon on your drive up London Ranch Road to the park entrance. What immediately strikes you about the Park is its sheer size and diversity. Its 1400 acres contain more than 26 miles of trails which take you past the London farmstead including its barns, the Silos and Pig Palace, past the 80 acres of working vineyard and through a forest trail that leads you up a mountain to incredible views overlooking the park.
The vineyards are managed by neighbouring Kenwood Vineyards who have had an exclusive contract to buy all of the grapes since 1977. Kenwood’s tasting room is a short drive from the park and a great place to try some of the Jack London Vineyard designate wines after your hike.
Hiking in the Park offers a range of distances on its many trails, all of which would be considered easy to moderate in terms of difficulty. The trails are wide and well worn so nothing more than running shoes is required. Depending on the time of year, temperatures will vary. Much of the trails remain protected under the heat reflecting forest canopy so you may want to bring along a few layers of clothing that can be taken off and put back on as you move from open space to under shade. A water bottle is a worthwhile addition, especially during the summer months, or if you want to go on one of the longer loops.
The Park also features the Ruin of a 19th Century winery and today that Ruin is reinvented each summer as a theater for Broadway Under the Stars. Produced by the Transcendence Theater Company (TTC), this non-profit organization partners with the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association ensuring that partial proceeds from each ticket sold go directly to Jack London Historic State Park to assist in its care and maintenance. The performance season typically runs from late June to early September and don’t let the fact that it’s run by a non-profit fool you, the TTC is an award-winning company that brings well known and respected performers each year. Combine that with local Sonoma Wineries and vendors providing pre-show food and wine and the TTC has turned Broadway Under the Stars into a first-class event.
While we weren’t there during the performance season to experience it ourselves we can only imagine how magical this type of evening would be and will be sure to attend the first chance we get.
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