Gypsy Mom and my travels through life: Rancho Las Lomas

Rancho las Lomas is located on Santiago Canyon Road in Silverado Canyon, CA. Rancho Las Lomas is mainly a place for weddings. I have lived in Portola Hills for 15 years and I have driven by Rancho Las Lomas many times and finally about 1.5 years ago, I got to go inside and I got to go again today. What a beautiful place! Mari went with me the last time and this time, Marissa went with me. Since we walk about 5 miles, 3 days a week, I decided to walk to Rancho Las Lomas, as it is probably about 1.5-2 miles from my home.

The information here was taken from the website for Rancho Las Lomas. The owners of Rancho Las Lomas are the Lawrence Family. The original area was owned by the Serrano family via a Mexican land grant and before that it belonged to the coastal Indians. According to Jeannie Lawrence, she has heard whispered comments that her family acquired the land by winning a bet on a horse race. She states: "It began during a trip to Europe nearly thirty years ago. We dreamed of finding a ranch near the ocean, yet still in the mountains. After only two weeks, this dream land was ours." She and her late husband, Rick, had the aspiration to build a home as a small village, with quaint little bungalows sprinkled around the rolling hills. They used recycled salvage materials, like old doors, windows, brick and lumber. They wanted to fill the buildings with many unexpected surprises. She used a local artisan to adorn the wood beams with hand-painted figures that copy the tile murals found during a trip they took to Portugal. Today, the hillsides are filled with white twinkling lights and many of the treasures they gathered are placed throughout the landscape. Rick's legacy lives on in the initials of Rancho Las Lomas.

While in Nepal, Jeannie stayed in a protected sanctuary with Bengal tigers. In the sanctuary, the Bengal tigers were safe and majestic. She found that many cubs born need a refuge where they could live with nobility. At Rancho Las Lomas, they live forever out of harm's way. All of the birds and animals are sheltered at Rancho Las Lomas with loving respect. The stone washed garden pathways are lined with Jeannie's favorite roses.