Straus Home Ranch on Tomales Bay

Popular amenities

Kitchen

Free WiFi

Explore the area

Marshall, CA

Tomales Bay State Park2 min drive
Tomales Bay49 min drive
Tomales Point Trailhead50 min drive
Oakland, CA (OAK-Oakland Intl.)103 min drive

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Den

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Downstairs Bathroom

Toilet · Shower only

Upstairs Bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Balcony

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

** IMPORTANT NOTE: Our listing is for vacation rentals *only*. If you're interested in hosting a wedding, retreat or event of any type, please contact us directly. **

Our family's beautifully renovated 1864 farmhouse, surrounded by towering eucalyptus and cypress trees, on 166 certified organic acres, on the shores of Tomales Bay. Our house is a 30-second walk to the beach, perfect for launching your kayak and watching spectacular sunsets.

Sleeping: Our home accommodates 10 (total, adults and kids): 4 bedrooms upstairs, each with queen bed; plus a queen pull-out sofa in the downstairs den. Comfortable beds and luxurious bedding. Two shared full bathrooms (1 upstairs, and 1 downstairs).

** PLEASE NOTE: Our listing is for vacation rentals *only*. If you're interested in hosting a private event of any type, please find us online and contact us directly. Thanks you. :) **

Kitchen: Fully-equipped gourmet kitchen, coffee, tea, spices, and more.

Entertainment: Wi-Fi, flat screen TV and DVDs, lots of board games and lawn games.

Outdoors: BBQ, patio, upper and lower porches for chillin’, lots of room to hang out (inside and outside), including hammock in the garden. Beach on Tomales Bay literally a 30-second walk from the house. Enjoy a bonfire and an incredible night sky (with no light pollution), which Michael will setup for you.

All in incomparably-beautiful surroundings. Seriously, this place is magical.

For hosting events at our ranch, please inquire, as there may be additional fees.

Eating: West Marin is a foodie Mecca, including Nick’s Cove, Hog Island Oyster Company, Marshall Store, Rocker Oysterfellas, Osteria Stellina, Cowgirl Creamery, Heidrun Meadery and so much more. Pick up some pastries at Route 1 Bakery (Tomales) or Bovine Bakery (Point Reyes Station). Or, cook at home with our terrific kitchen. Shuck and BBQ oysters on our patio. Or … ask us about having an incredible local private chef prepare a glorious meal.

West Marin is a slice of paradise – kayaking on the Bay, hiking in the Point Reyes National Seashore, home to artisan cheeses, fresh local oysters and a serene country escape (but still only an hour’s drive to SF or Wine Country).

Want to know more about Marin County's rich environmental, sustainable agriculture and organic food history? Just ask siblings Vivien and Michael Straus - we can share stories about the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) - co-founded by our mother Ellen; stories about launching Straus Family Creamery (owned separately by our brother) and the local artisan cheese scene (Vivien created the CheeseTrail map and app). Want to talk about psychic phenomena? That's Michael's department :)

Come out to Marshall - the only town where the population minus the elevation equals the speed limit.

Pets: Sorry, NO pets allowed.

Property manager

Vivien & Michael Straus (siblings)

Amenities

Free WiFi

Pet-friendly

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

No additional daytime guests (gatherings, parties, events, etc.) without prior approval; additional fees may apply.

Quiet hours: 10pm - 9am

Please refer to our Rental Agreement for other rules, terms and conditions.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Marshall

Located in Marshall, this farm stay is in a rural area and on the beach. Point Reyes Hiking Trails and Bodega Harbour Golf Links are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Point Reyes National Seashore and Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

What's nearby

Tomales Bay State Park - 2 min drive
Dillon Beach - 22 min drive
Heart's Desire Beach - 39 min drive
Tomales Bay - 49 min drive
Tomales Point Trailhead - 50 min drive

Getting around

Santa Rosa, CA (STS-Sonoma County) - 47 min drive

Restaurants

Tony's Seafood Restaurant - 7 min drive
The Marshall Store - 6 min drive
Hog Island Oyster Company - 5 min drive
Tomales Bay Oyster Company - 5 min drive
Tomales Deli & Cafe - 7 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Straus Home Ranch on Tomales Bay pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Straus Home Ranch on Tomales Bay?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Straus Home Ranch on Tomales Bay?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Straus Home Ranch on Tomales Bay located?

Nestled on the beach, this Marshall farm stay is within 1 mi (2 km) of Pelican North Beach and Tomales Bay State Park. Tomales City Park and Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park are also within 6 miles (10 km).

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Kelly K.

25 Nov 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very Special & Spectacular Property

We stayed here with family from out of town and found the Straus family’s historic home to be both beautiful and comfortable. Vivien and Michael both made a point to warmly welcome us and make us feel right at home. While at the ranch we enjoyed the beach, pretty garden, bonfires with s'mores, and colorful sunsets from the living room. We had a wide variety of age groups with us and everyone had a wonderful time. Breathtakingly gorgeous Dillon Beach is nearby and we also enjoyed Route One Bakery, Nick’s Cove, and Due West restaurants. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to stay at this ranch with my family and made such nice memories. Thank you, Straus family!

Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jackie G.

9 Feb 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

We had a wonderful time during our stay. The property is beyond beautiful and absolutely exceeded our expectations. We would all be lucky to come back! Thank you Straus Home Ranch!!

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Barbara W., Lafayette

21 Sept 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Delightful family vacation

We highly recommend the Strauss Home Ranch. We grandparents arranged the rental for us and our daughter's family, which included an infant and a high-energy toddler. The house itself is a charming and lovely farmhouse; sparkling clean, comfortable and well-kept, with a great modern kitchen and views of the water. The location in the Pt Reyes area was perfect for us and we were content for a few days not to get into the car at all, though Pt Reyes Station and the National Seashore were within easy reach for shopping and hiking. The 2-year old loved the resident chicken, the cows, the yard, the calm little beach on Tomales Bay just a stroll across Highway 1, all the wildlife (fox, deer, turkeys) and picking blackberries near the house. A very short walk up Highway 1 one day took us to Nick's Coves where we had an outstanding oyster/seafood lunch in the little cabin at the end of the pier. Heavenly! Michael, the co-owner, gave us a personal tour of the ranch and was readily available if we needed him (but we didn't, as everything was so well thought out). The Straus Home Ranch seems to encompass all the best of West Marin, which is high praise!

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Claire K.

27 Aug 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful trip

We loved the property!

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Sarah M.

7 Aug 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful experience

We highly recommend this beautiful property and home. Michael was a delight to visit with and was more then helpful with any needs we had during our stay. The bonfire, visiting the cows, walking the property and hearing about its history was magical. We cannot wait to visit again!

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

About the host

Hosted by Vivien & Michael Straus (siblings)

We are three siblings - Vivien & Michael co-manage the day-to-day, and Miriam and her family live back East). Should you be interested, and if the timing works out to give you a walking tour of the farm, we've got plenty of stories - including when Viv and Michael helped launch Straus Family Creamery; and when mom co-founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, or Miriam driving a tractor into the manure pond (oops, Miriam, are you reading this??).

What makes this property unique

You won't find another property anything like this ... and everyone who has visited the farm (over many decades) has immediately fallen in love with both the house and location.

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