Holmes is a cozy two-story family home in the middle of the Sea Ranch. It has blue ocean views across the meadow from all its bedrooms and is only a mile from Shell Beach.
It was a warm Saturday morning when my husband and I decided to walk from Holmes to Shell Beach. We set out down Bluff Reach and turned right onto the connecting road, Cormorant Reach.
When you see the telltale waves painted on the roads around Sea Ranch, that means there is beach access when you follow that trail!
As we began down the main trail, we made a quick detour to the left and down the path through the Cypress trees. It is so pretty in here, and it is fun to go out to the point and watch the waves and see the cormorants when they are nesting on the cliffs.
Remember to stay back from the bluff edges; they can quickly crumble and become dangerous.
After watching the waves, we returned to the fork in the trail and continued to the bluff edge to take in the fantastic panoramic views.
There is a large rocky area that you can access carefully. This particular area is fun to explore with kids; my daughter used to love walking out onto the rocks and walking all around.
Sometimes, you will see sea salt dried up after the water has evaporated (I've included photos I took last time we saw this so you can see as well!)
Moving along, we followed the trail along the bluff and across the small bridge leading to Shell Beach.
The path to the beach has deteriorated since our hard winter and king tides. There is a deep gouge out of the sand, and it is uneven; you may need to use your hands to steady yourself.
You can still get down there; just use caution and watch where you step!
This beach has lots of sand and is one of our family favorites. There are plenty of places to play, rocks to climb, shells to find, and logs to sit on when you're ready to relax!
Heading back to Holmes, we took our time to enjoy the views yet again. There are a couple of driftwood log benches along the way with some jaw-dropping views that we took the time to enjoy.
The walk to the beach is about a mile long, but it is easy and has plenty of places to stop and rest.
If you are not a guest of Coasting Home and would like to see inside the Holmes house, here is a virtual tour: