winerycat

We are thinking of staying a few days at Manka's Inverness Lodge, CA in cabin 1-2-5 near Pt. Reyes. We've never been there before. Has anyone stayed there and how was it?

gualalalisa

Winerycat; I seem to remember that the restaurnt at Manka's has gotten very good reviews with one reviewer saying how nice the management is there.

Hope you like it - Inverness was one of my teenage hangouts "back in the day."

razzledazzle

There are a few things I wish for my b'day and a night or 2 at Manka's is in the top 3! I agree with glisa-it's quite something. Do scope their website. Inverness & Pt.Reyes is a
very,very special place. We go out there about once a month!
R5

winerycat

Thanks both of you for your help. Razzledazzle, have you ever stayed overnight there? I've scoped the website, looks like my kind of place! SF Chronicle says Thomas Keller, owner of French Laundry had his birthday party there and Alice Waters eats there while vacationing nearby. Wow! that's good enough for me. Still there is no mention of the cabin called 125. It's new, I think. We've reserved it. Has anyone ever stayed there or seen it?

applejaxs

The food here is awesome. If you can swing your visit to hit a "locals" night, the prices are more affordable. We walked through the cabin area and peeked and it looks very nice (as reflected in the web info). We always stay at the Dancing Coyote down the road as it is less expensive and right on the water. I would love to stay at the Chicken Ranch House down below for sure! The rooms in the lodge are quite close to the dining area and restrooms, I would opt for a cabin for this reason.

PamSF

Yes, although we stayed in the main lodge. The rooms are done in "lodge"-think Ralph Lauren's idea of lodge. The surrounding area is beautiful. You will get breakfast with your stay which is usually very good. Dinners are primarily prix fixed but offer a wide selection of local foods. You are in the Inverness end of the Point Reyes area and will have easy access to many of the main roads in the seashore. I personally recommend a walk out to Abbott's Lagoon and the beach beyond. This is an easy walk(about 1.6 miles) out through beautiful pasture land to a lagoon and eventually to the ocean. It is a migratory waterfowl sanctuary. If you are there before the winter months you will see so many brown pelicans it will astound you. The town of Point Reyes Station which is also is close proximity(driving) to Manka's offers
some good food such as Cow Girl Creamery to sample. Manka's has gotten pricey over the years..if the prices don't stop you then I say do it.

PamSF

sorry I can't say anything about cabin 125 except Applejxs is right..the rooms in the main lodge can be noisy..so a cabin will probably be better. The decor will be tasteful. One last word of advice..if either of you is allergic to dogs..there is a resident wonderful great dane named Louie who is known to sleep on the couch in the main room of the lodge.

winerycat

We'll check out your good travel tips, applejaxs and PamSF. I agree, since this is a special occasion we thought a cabin would be ideal. Yes, the best and largest cabins are great looking but almost $500/night (more on week-end), so we were interested in the more reasonable 1-2-5 cabin (hope that's not the square footage, ha!) and it's neighbor Perch cabin, both on a hill about 1/2 mile down the road from the lodge. Not mentioned on the website. New? Manka's says 1-2-5 is "cozy", very private (surrounded by trees) with a hot tub on deck near a stream. How bad could that be? I'm sure it'll be nice, but I still wonder, how cozy(?), so if anyone out there's seen it or stayed there, would love to hear about it. Maybe we're the first!

winerycat

P.S. Would also welcome more advice on your favorite places to go in and around the area. Is Bodega Bay worth the drive? Is Duck Club restaurant as good as it sounds? Who has the best Oysters?

razzledazzle

I have yet to stay at Mankas-however have been in to eye it and I would be quite fine with PamSF & applejaxs experiences of the place. I'm sure if you rang them up they would be most happy to give you the square footage and then you could compare it with a room in your home (but you would have to envision the decoration in said room as Ralph Lauren Lodge,LOL!)I feel your cabin 125 sounds PUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRfect(hot tub on stream)and would love to hear your report when you return.
Now about those oysters...Lucas Wharf in Bodega Bay serves huge oysters, Meaty, raw, bbq, and casino styles. They are sometimes WA imports and often Hog Island (local). The Duck Club is very good as well-we have had lovely Thanksgiving meals there. Now,if wandering around the wilds of Pt.Reyes is not quite your thing I would skip Bodega Bay (although we frequent the area and would find Manka's and PR enough for the weekend..)and venture a tad further up CA1 just past Bodega Bay. I can highly advise a stop at Goat Rock beach then continue up CA1 cross the Russian River into Jenner and a meal at the River's End. The view is perched above the confluence of the Russian River and the Pacific you will have a marvelous view of a colony of harbor seals and the ocean! As well as excellent dining! Here I recall the oysters being local Tomales Bay, but do inquire.
Be sure to call for hours and days it's worth it! Oh, now I am going to get carried away...if you went to River's End for lunch, you could take Hwy 116 back thru Occidental and have a massage at Osmosis-then float back to Mankas as sort of a circle trip of delights!
What fun! Do report back !
R5

winerycat

Wow, this just gets better & better. We love birds and scenic walks, so Abbott's Lagoon and beach are perfect, oysters at Lucas Wharf, Cowgirl cheese, lunch at River's End, massage and Manka's & Louie at the end of the day. Does it get any better than that???? I'll report back, if we can bring ourselves to come home!

razzledazzle

HHHHMMM.......you are very familiar,
winerycat.....adore the 'handle'...
PPPPPPUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRR.....
R5

babette

You are so lucky! Manka's is one of my favorite places. We stayed in the main lodge and experienced no noise problem. We had a very tall fluffy bed (I think there was a feather bed involved) with a down comforter and branches for a headboard. There was a wood burning fireplace in our room and a cozy sitting area. The bathroom was big with a big fabulous old-style tub (with a note: "Minimum occupancy: two") and our big deck had a cool outdoor shower. But I STILL think the best part is Louie! Have a great time.

PamSF

Ok~since Point Reyes is one of my most favorite spots in the world, here are some other tips. Another great walk is the Tomales Bluff. You drive out Pierce Point Road past Abbott's lagoon almost to the very end. You will see what looks like an old dairy farm on your right with cars in the lot. This is it. This will be a long(total 10 miles) but any spot along the way is perfect walk over an easily rolling trail. You have the Pacific on your left and Tomales Bay on your right . This is also a Tule Elk range so you can see them grazing. I also like Limantour Beach. This is a drive in the opposite direction(Manka's can tell you) This is a great beach to walk along and a relatively short walk from the parking lot. I'd try for some bbq oysters while there. For BBQ's I always recommend Tony's in Marshall although some folks think it's not as nice as the Marshall store. SO check them both out and see what you like. Apparently Hog Island, also in Marshall,now has picnic tables and I think you can eat the oysters on site raw if you like. These are great oysters! For reasonalble good casual food, you might try either the Pine Cone diner or the Station House Cafe in downtown Point Reyes Station. Make sure you have a chance to taste some BrickMaiden Bread(get some to go with your cheese from Cowgirl Creamery) and taste some of the delights from the Bovine Bakery, also in downtown Point Reyes Station. Readomg: if you are interested, I'd suggest two books. I think both can be purchased at the visitor's center but it might be fun to read them a bit before you come. The Natural History of the Point Reyes Penninsula by Jules Evans and Point Reyes ecret Places and Magic Moments by Phil Arnot(these will be, generally, more vigorous hikes than the others I have suggested). Bring warm clothes and something for the rain. It can be pretty cold but if you dress warmly enough, the walks can be absolutely beautiful. I've even hunkered down under an umbrella out at Abbott's Lagoon~I am not a hardcore outdoors gal and it was fine. There is a good used bookstore in town also should you need to find something good to read by the fireside. Enjoy..it's a slice of heaven.

PamSF

that smiley face or whatever it is was not intended...the book is Point Reyesecret Places and Magic Moments.

winerycat

Thanks guys. I'm savoring every drop of your excellent personal recommendations & observations. We'll be at Manka's for a few days next month, so the weather could be fine, allowing us to do alot (or not so much, depending upon just how relaxed we get!!)
I'm new here and you've been generous with your help. If anyone has anything else they want to add, don't hold back

PamSF

Winerycat~I spent a late October birthday once watching pelicans for three hours at Abbott's Lagoon.

PamSF

R5~try the Cellar Cats Red from Sausal..the little kitten is now a cat!
I hope you will be in Yountville the Friday after Thanksgiving! I'd like to meet you.

PamSF

Louie is divine!Try the Strauss dairy products while at Manka's. Not only are they delicious but these folks have done so much to keep west Marin the glorious place it is!

razzledazzle

So many places in Pt.Reyes...we love to walk Limantour...left from the parking areas...fewer folks, friendly dogs, relaxed..and if you stroll awhile you will discover starfish in tide pools... at the very end of the coastal walk will be Arch Rock and a venue to the Palomarin waterfall-take care as to low tides and go UP the ladder there if at all in doubt. You can then dbl back on the coast trail when the tide high..
what do you think PamSF?
R5