LONG VALLEY >> What a wonderful weekend for wine, wildflowers and a wagon pulled by two mules around the lush, natural landscape of Eleven Roses Ranch in Lake County’s historic Long Valley.
After a spate of rainy, cloudy and cool days this month, Saturday stood in contrast, with lots of sunshine, no wind or rain and temperatures in the upper 60s.
It’s a beautiful day for a slow-paced ride through one of the county’s best areas for wildflower viewing, Long Valley, where distances between neighbors is sometimes measured in miles, not feet.
It’s also time for the annual spring Wildflower Wagon Tours at Eleven Roses, a history-filled working cattle ranch established in the 1800s and run by ranch owner and tour guide Anne Garner, a descendant of the original settler family that moved here from Napa.
The tour is one of the “hidden” treasures of Lake County, drawing several hundred people from throughout northern California during its April run and often sells-out.
First-timers usually come for the wildflowers but returning visitors come for a lot more: the award-winning Lake County wines, the rustic ambiance of the 500-acre ranch and the ride itself, in a covered open-air wagon pulled by a pair of mules — John and Sally — whose gentle clip-clop is soothingly hypnotic to many riders.
And of course there’s Garner, who rides shotgun on the wagon and delights her guests with an unending stream of colorful stories about the ranch and its history, usually prompted by questions from her audience in the back of the wagon.
“Anne tells a story so well,” said first-timer Sue Dobbins of Kelseyville, who took last Saturday’s tour with about 20 other wildflower enthusiasts.
“I had the most wonderful time,” she added. “It was a really special experience. It was more than I had hoped for.”
Guests are entertained prior to departure with music from guitarist Travis Austin of Kelseyville, Garner’s son, guitarist Don Coffin or fiddler Andi Skelton, depending on scheduling.
The tour takes roughly two hours and follows a well-graded dirt trail that, due to the heavy winter and spring rainfall, crosses several small streams.
There are several stops on the about two-mile winding route that allow guests to get out, stretch their legs, take photos of wildflowers and to explore.
Or as 11-year-old Adaleid Ore of Sacramento did during a stop Saturday along the still rain-swollen Long Valley Creek: look for turtles in a calm pool fed by the creek, that also holds frogs, water snakes and tiny fish.
She was unsuccessful finding pond turtles but was more successful spotting and catching lizards on a nearby tree stump during her first-ever tour on the Wildflower Wagon.
Amanda Corbett of Kelseyville also was a tour first-timer. She said she read about the event in the Record-Bee and decided to give last Saturday’s tour a try, with her two young children in tow.
Corbett, who has lived in the county about four years, said she was more than intrigued by the idea of visiting a ranch.
“I love ranches,” she said.
Regarding Eleven Roses Ranch and the tour, Corbett added, “It’s more than I expected. It’s a really cool part of the county that I didn’t have a clue was out here.”
And when it comes to Garner and her storytelling, Corbett minces no words. “Anne knows everything. She’s full of information.”
Corbett also said her two kids enjoyed the tour. “They love it, especially getting out and walking around.”
Chris Ore of Sacramento visited wth family, including his young daughters, ages eight and 11.
“I enjoy bringing my two daughters out and watching them run around and enjoy the flowers and grass,” he said. “It’s great to come out here and disconnect from the city.”
Mike Lorenzini of Kelseyville has been on the tour many times: he’s a teamster, the person who sits next to Garner on the wagon and controls the mules.
“I love working with the animals,” he said. “They work with me and I work with them. Mules are smarter than horses and more sure-footed,” which make them ideal draft animals. He said he has worked with horses and mules for 23 years.
Garner said she never grows bored with hosting the about three-week event every April, something she has done in Long Valley since 2003.
“Every tour is different because the people who come along bring their own stories and personalities,” she said. “The stories I tell are ones I grew up hearing or experiencing.”
The tour concludes back at the ranch with more wine, a chuckwagon-style lunch and more live music. Saturday it was from Austin, part of the local duo of Austin and Owens.
Lunch is pork tenderloin barbecue, ranch beans, green salad, cornbread, and peach cobbler with whipped cream. If notified in advance, chicken can be substituted for the pork and there is also a vegetarian option. The meal is prepared and served by ranch hand Shellie Vincenti.
The tour costs $60 for adults, $50 for seniors over age 60, and $40 for children between the ages of five and 12. Children under age five are free when accompanied by an adult. The food, wine and entertainment are not part of the tour cost but are complimentary, Garner said.
Saturday’s wines were a Mackinaw Zinfandel and a Sauvignon Blanc from Wildhurst Vineyards of Kelseyville.
Wildflower tours are offered, rain or shine, on weekends for both individuals and groups through April 30. Advance reservations are required by calling (707) 998-4471 or by emailing info@elevenrosesranch.com. The ranch is located at 5456 New Long Valley Road in Long Valley, north of Spring Valley.
