We took a family vacation (ages 18 - 88) to Gualala and had a very restful relaxing time at the RiverHouse. Our family flew in from all over the US, met at Oakland airport, rented cars and drove up the coast. It was a 3.5 hr drive along Highway 1, very picturesque and beautiful. It is filled with pinpoint turns so if you are prone to car sickness, suggest you are the driver or passenger in the front seat. My niece became quite car sick and had to stop about every 10 minutes. You'll also want to make sure you arrive at the house before dark as there are no street lights on Highway 1. The town is about 2,000 people and the RiverHouse is located on a side street overlooking where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. The views are magnificent from the house and the sounds of the ocean can be heard everywhere. It is a short walking distance to town with a few stores. We stopped at Costco in Santa Rosa on the way and purchased groceries for the week. The kitchen is fully stocked with a nice sized dining room table which fit our family of 10 perfectly. We cooked all of our meals and ate at the table or on the porch. We played board games, read books, built puzzles, told stories and porch sat. We also walked the cliffs over the ocean, went to the beach, visited a lighthouse in the next town further north and a quaint chapel in Sea Ranch the next town further south, about 7 minute drive from the house. There is no beach access that we could find from the town however it is a short 5 minute drive over the bridge to Sea Ranch to the Gualala Point Regional Park. It costs $7 for the day and once you park it is about 1/2 - 3/4 mile walk to get to the beach and only partially paved for wheelchair access. This is a lovely location to relax and enjoy your friends and family and surroundings.