Flipjack Ranch

FlipJack Ranch is a ‘farm stay’ style bed and breakfast. Rustic rooms on the ranch are perfect for special occasions or romantic getaways. The rooms overlook redwoods or gardens and guests are welcome to use the hot tub under the stars year round or the lagoon pool in summer. Guests are assured a peaceful sleep with creature comforts of premium mattresses and fluffy down comforters. Cappuccino or lattes are delivered to your room to help you awaken before joining the hosts and guests for a traditional farm breakfast. Robin often serves her prize winning jams and jellies at the table. She also forages the beach and forest for tasty seasonal items to add to the menu. Early risers may want to participate in morning chores such as feeding the piglets or gathering eggs and herbs. Walks in the redwoods or tours around the meadows are a great way to start the day. One of the guest rooms features a queen log bed and a twin bed with wagon wheels. A wood stove takes the chill away in winter. A deck off of this second floor room is perfect for stargazing and admiring the tall redwoods. Antique and vintage toys from our families grace the shelves of this room. Our ranch room with king bed is a more contemporary stay. It has a private entrance and is a quiet retreat. After a day of winetasting or local beaches, this room invites you to collapse in a luxurious bed. The tile mural in the bathroom features the ‘bears in the forest’ theme. Weather permitting, enjoy coffee outside your door at a bistro table and wake up with the birds. Guests on the ranch should bring good walking shoes or hiking boots for the trails on the property. We encourage visitors to see our livestock, but stay a safe four foot distance from the black and white electric fences. Pack your bathing suits and casual clothes and your camera. While on the ranch, you may miss television and be aware that cell reception is spotty here in Bonny Doon. We have lots of books for you to borrow – everything from sustainable farming to science fiction and lots of art books. Please make special requests (dietary or special occasion) in advance and we will make every effort to make your stay perfect.

Heritage Foods

The ranch is committed to sustainably raised livestock and organic fruits and vegetables. Here at FlipJack, we pasture our livestock on five acres of rotational pasture. Our Mangalista pigs are happy eating pasture grasses and roots in addition to their Organic grains. Their corral is moved every couple days to give them optimal forage and prevent parasites and disease caused by poor sanitation. The ranch raises laying hens on rotational pasture too. FlipJack Ranch will be applying for the Animal Welfare Approved Seal which insures consumers that livestock are raised on pasture and treated and slaughtered humanely. In addition to ranch produced meats, we offer other food items of interest to the chef or gourmand. Ranch co-owner, Robin Colleen, spent 10 years in Chicago where she co-owned three restaurants. Here on the ranch, she preserves, pickles, and ferments a variety of produce depending on the season. The California State Fair has awarded her ribbons for her homemade Dill Pickles, Ginger Peach Jam, and Meyer Lemon Marmalade. A selection of pickles and jams, conserves and relishes, fermented vegetables and cabbages is available at the ranch seasonally. Food Safety is a priority for all ranch produced items and Robin holds a certificate in Food Safety. We also comply with the California Homemade Food Act

Things to Do Here

Wine tasting at Bonny Doon or Beauregard Vineyards. This area is most known for fine Pinot Noir. Walk to Beauregard from the ranch, visit Bonny Doon Tasting Room in Davenport The Beach at Bonny Doon. At the foot of Bonny Doon Road, just three miles downhill from the ranch is a spectacular beach on the Pacific Ocean surrounded by limestone cliffs. Other beaches in the area are good for surfing and boogie boards. Davenport our nearest town is just 4 miles away. The charming hamlet, just steps from the beach overlook has a great upscale restaurant, The Davenport Roadhouse, a bakery, and a Mexican restaurant. Some feature free music. http://www.santacruzca.org/regions/davenport.php Farm Markets Weekdays and Weekends in Santa Cruz, http://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/ Santa Cruz Flea Market Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can find anything from vintage ranch décor to antiques, collectibles and junk (one man’s trash is another’s treasure.) http://www.scgoodwill.org/flea.html Artists in Bonny Doon - Some by appointment, others open daily. Not to be missed: The Hums who make exquisite porcelain, http://www.bonnydoondesign.com and Mattie Leeds whose studio, gallery and grounds are encircled with gigantic ceramic sculptures and pottery. http://www.mattieleeds.com Onsite learning at the ranch - By advance appointment, Robin will teach you how to preserve food, spin flax or wool into yarn, forage for local food, or paint watercolor landscapes. Farm tours can be arranged in advance to focus on your interests..