Miwok Escape, by Vinifera Homes

"The home was absolutely beautiful. We were very happy with the proximity to the beach and the redwoods. It was peaceful and quiet." — Ashley
Wake to the Pacific filling the windows. Walk over the dunes to Salmon Creek Beach, come back sandy and salt-tired, and sink into the hot tub as the sun drops into the water. Miwok Escape is built for slowing down — a fire in the evening, deer in the yard at dusk, nowhere in particular to be. Pick your dates and let the place do the rest.

Some houses you visit. This one you settle into. Miwok Escape sits high in the dunes with the Pacific filling the windows, and within an hour of arriving most guests have stopped checking their phones. The light shifts all day across the water, the fog rolls in and burns off, and the loudest thing you'll hear is the surf. This is a house built around slowing down.

The ocean is the first thing you see and the last thing you look at before bed. A 180-degree view corridor runs through the open living space, the dining room, and the primary bedroom, so you're never more than a glance from the water. The house sits back far enough in the dunes that you hear surf instead of Highway 1.

Salmon Creek Beach is about a ten-minute walk across the dunes from the front door — a gentle downhill trail through the cypress, no car required. At the bottom: miles of open sand, driftwood, tide pools, and shorebirds. Please note that Salmon Creek Beach does not permit dogs; dog-friendly alternatives are listed below.

The open-concept living area is anchored by a woodstove, which is the right answer to a foggy Bodega Bay afternoon. Firewood is stocked outside and by the hearth. The primary bedroom has a reading nook positioned for the kind of afternoon where nothing gets accomplished.

A Bosch 800 Series gas range and oven handles everything from a Dungeness crab boil to a slow Sunday breakfast, with full cookware, a dishwasher, toaster oven, air fryer, and filtered water at the bar sink. Coffee drinkers are unusually well served: a Nespresso for pods, a Keurig for K-Cups, and an OXO Brew 9-Cup for those who grind their own. The dining table seats eight, with room for four more at the counter.

Miwok Escape sleeps up to eight. Three bedrooms across two levels hold the beds — a California King upstairs and a Queen in each of the two downstairs rooms — which comfortably accommodate six. Two more guests can use the blow-up beds or the twin futon, all kept in the bedroom closets and quick to set up.

Two decks give you a choice of moods. The upper deck has a gas grill and outdoor furniture for cookouts; downstairs, chaise lounges catch the afternoon sun beside a secluded dining table. The hot tub looks out over the dunes rather than the water, which is its own kind of quiet — sheltered from the coastal wind, and wide open to the stars. Deer come through the yard regularly, and a covey of quail has adopted the front garden.

Fast internet and Wi-Fi run throughout, with cable TVs, streaming, and a wireless speaker — the ocean-facing space makes a genuinely good office if you have to work. A Level 2 J1772 240V 50-amp EV charger sits out front, and the driveway holds four cars.

"Our party of four adults had a great time here! We spent the new year holiday cooking and playing board games while we watched the rain from the cozy family room next to the woodstove." — Brian

Miwok Escape is built for up to eight people who want to be together without being on top of each other. Three bedrooms across two levels give couples traveling together, families, and groups of friends real separation at the end of the day, while the open living space pulls everyone back in for meals and evenings by the fire.

Bodega Bay is a working fishing town that never got polished into a resort, and that's the appeal. The harbor still sends boats out for crab and salmon, and the coastline on either side is protected state park rather than development.

Bodega Head is a short drive up the road, with bluff trails and some of the best gray whale watching on the coast from January through May. Doran Beach sits on the calm bay side, better for kids and kayaks. Inland, the villages of Bodega, Valley Ford, and Tomales are a pretty drive through ranchland, each with a bakery worth stopping for, and Sonoma wine country is about an hour further on.

Nearby Beach:

Salmon Creek is the one you'll walk to, but this stretch of the Sonoma Coast gives you a different beach for every kind of day, each within a short drive:

•Doran Beach — calm bay-side water behind a long sand spit, and the easiest choice for kids, kayaks, and paddleboards. Dogs are welcome on leash.
•Bodega Head — the headland guarding the harbor mouth, with bluff trails and some of the best gray whale watching on the coast from January through May. Dogs permitted in some areas only; follow the posted signage.
•Goat Rock Beach — half an hour north, where the Russian River meets the ocean and a harbor seal colony hauls out at the river mouth. Dogs allowed on leash on the south side.
•Dillon Beach — wide and sheltered, to the south, and the only one nearby where dogs can run off leash.

Miwok Escape is pet friendly, so you can bring your dog. One thing to know: Salmon Creek Beach itself does not permit dogs — a state park rule rather than ours — and Doran is the closest alternative.

THE HOUSE:
•3 bedrooms • 2 full bathrooms
•Primary bedroom: California King (+ queen air bed available)
•Bedroom 2 (downstairs): Queen (+ twin air bed available)
•Bedroom 3 (downstairs): Queen (+ twin air bed and twin futon available)
•Maximum occupancy: 8 guests

AMENITIES:
•Private hot tub
•Woodstove
•Bosch 800 Series gas range and oven
•Three coffee makers: Nespresso, Keurig, OXO Brew 9-Cup
•Gas grill and outdoor furniture on the upper deck
Chaise lounges and secluded dining table on the lower deck
•High-speed internet and Wi-Fi - with speeds of up to 500 Mbps
•Cable TVs with streaming services
•Wireless speaker
•Level 2 J1772 240V 50-amp EV charger

LOCATION AND LOGISTICS:
•Ten-minute walk across the dunes to Salmon Creek Beach
•Panoramic ocean views from the living space and primary bedroom
•Parking: driveway, up to 4 vehicles — no garage access
•Pet friendly (see dog-friendly beach notes above)
•Child friendly

Miwok Escape is a house for people who plan to do very little and do it well: mornings with coffee and the view, afternoons on the sand, evenings in the hot tub under an open sky. Three bedrooms, two decks, a hot tub in the dunes, and Salmon Creek Beach ten minutes away on foot. If that sounds like your kind of week, we'd love to have you.

"Just the perfect getaway in Bodega. Quick walk to the beach, beautiful views from the main living space, and great for gathering family and friends. I can't wait to go back!" — Jacqueline

Optional Trip Planning
Want help planning your wine country getaway? We recommend working with Melanie, a local concierge who offers personalized trip planning, winery reservations, spa bookings, private chefs, and more.

Melanie is a third-party provider, but we’ve worked with her for years and highly recommend her to our guests. If interested, we’ll share her contact details after you book.

Melanie is a third-party provider, but we’ve worked with her for years and highly recommend her to our guests. If interested, we’ll share her contact details after you book.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:
Heating and AC
•There is no air conditioning
•Heat is controlled by a single thermostat for the whole house

Firewood
•We provide the firewood, and there's plenty stocked outside and in the fire pit area

Quiet hours
•10:00 PM to 9:00 AM

DAMAGE PROTECTION:

When you stay at Miwok Escape, you're covered for any accidents that might happen up to $3,000. The $42 charge listed as an "administrative fee" on your quote covers your purchase of $3,000 of "all risk" damage protection coverage on your rental property. This protection is purchased in lieu of a security deposit. Coverage details are spelled out in the rental agreement.