Tehama and Monterra are sister communities joined by the Tehama Golf Club and developed in partnership with Clint Eastwood
If you’re looking to become one with nature yet have completely luxurious amenities, you can’t go wrong in Carmel, Calif. Just north of Carmel are some new opportunities in luxury living: Tehama and Monterra. Both communities boast locations like no other – not just because Clint Eastwood calls them home, although he does; not just because of the proximity to the private championship Tehama Golf Club, a membership only course extended to personal friends of Mr. Eastwood – but because residents have fitness and social privileges. It’s truly the perfect place to call home, or second home, as the case may be.
“Tehama” is a Native American word that means “abundance of nature.” On more than 2,000 acres, there are only 90 home sites with 85 percent of the land preserved as open space. In Tehama, you’ll experience nature’s perfect weather in the rolling hills above the Pacific Ocean and a private water supply.
“It’s the beauty of the land that drew me here years ago,” Clint Eastwood says. To keep this natural beauty, homes become part of the landscape here, they don’t dominate it. Any given day, you might see deer, wild turkey and California quail co-existing outside your window. More than 150 varieties of wildflowers, indigenous Monterey pine and moss-draped California oaks frame the landscape. As time has passed, Tehama is becoming a sustainable community.
On my visit, Roger Mills, owner and developer of Monterra, Tehama’s adjacent sister community, hosted at his private home a gourmet seven-course epicurean experience created by Chef Cal Stamenov of Bernardus Lodge. It ended with after-dinner drinks in his underground wine cellar. His home showcased the lifestyle available through the lots at Monterra. This community offers 168 home sites spread over 1,700 acres.
Sleep, drink, spa
While you’re waiting for your dream home to be constructed, you’ll have to stay somewhere! Bernardus Lodge’s grand entrance greets you with the wine selection of the day from the Bernardus Winery and Vineyards and the Santa Lucia mountains as a backdrop. This boutique luxury resort combines country elegance with European luxury. Amenities include French doors that open to a private deck, an exceptionally large bathtub, and turndown service that includes wine and cheese. The lodge is home to the Spa at Bernardus Lodge, a 5,300-square-foot, full-service facility. This nurturing spa has signature treatments, including a grape seed antioxidant facial, harvest crush exfoliation with warmed grapeseed oil massage, and a couple’s massage called vineyard romance. Whether you choose to visit or live, Tehama and Monterra both offer a one of a kind opportunity. And don’t forget the wine!
Essentials:
Tehama (866) 625-2075, www.tehama-realty.com
Monterra, 24258 Via Malpaso, Monterey, Calif., (866) 648-9080, www.monterra-monterey.com
Bernardus Lodge, 5 West Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, Calif. (888) 648-9463, www.bernardus.com
