Hi, I’m Donna Martinez and along with my husband, Jorge Martinez, we are owners of Sea Ranch vacation rental Abalone Bay Vacation Home. We have offered our home as a vacation rental since 2013.
In 2018 I became a Sonoma County Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA). The CTA program’s goal is to turn every visitor encounter into a positive experience. As an Ambassador to Sonoma County, my goal is to help you learn more about our wonderful location and to fall in love with it as much as my family and I do.
We have always had a love affair with the “Mendonoma Coast”, otherwise known as the coastline from Sonoma County to Mendocino County. It is here we would come to dive for abalone or fish for cod and salmon to later enjoy feasting on our catch with family and friends.
In fact, it was in the waters just outside our home that we found the 10” abalone that became the inspiration for the naming of our home: “Abalone Bay”
World travelers arrive home…
One constant fact about us is we love to travel far and wide. We’ve done so mostly for work as USA ex-pats but we also enjoy exploring new places on holiday. After eight wonderful years of living in Chile, we returned to the USA. And after a joyful stay at Abalone Bay, we have returned to our current home in Sonoma County. Other places we have been to include Spain, our family’s homeland; Colombia, the birthplace of my son; Peru to visit Machu Picchu; Budapest, Hungary; Paris and the Bahamas.
However, no matter where we roam, one constant about us is we always return home to Sea Ranch. Settling back in the Adirondack chairs, wine glasses in hand. We love relaxing and recalling the good times, debating who among us caught the biggest fish over the years, or discussing the nuances of our abalone and paella recipes that make it uniquely our own.
Even our 4-legged family members love Abalone Bay!
We have two dogs, a Maltese, Samson (Sammy) and a Vizsla, Ana Kissed by Rose Can d’Ijuma. Sammy is the king of the house.
Ana is our beauty queen having won Junior Champion of Chile. When Ana is not in dog shows she’s hunting with Jorge, or giving full face licks of love to our son, Andy. So, of course, our home is pet-friendly.
A Bit More about Donna and Jorge
Prior to becoming a host to guests staying at Abalone Bay, I was a special education teacher. I received my doctorate in education from The George Washington University, during which I served as Director of The HEATH Resource Center. While living in Chile I served as a consultant for various disability support foundations in Santiago, Chile, and the National Director of Servicio Nacional de la Discapacidad (SENADIS).
Jorge is currently employed by Bechtel. He is serving as Project Director, Santa Clara Metro Extension to Santa Clara Valley at Bechtel Corporation
About Us- We give back to our community
Thinking Globally
We have always believed in the importance of family, friends, and giving back to our community. No matter where we have lived over the years we have always been active in the community we call home.
Acting Locally
We are so pleased to be a member of the Sea Ranch/Mendonoma Community and to be able to share our home with guests who come to love it as much as we do. Our past success has been in no small part to you, our guests at Abalone Bay. For that reason, we donate a portion of our proceeds of your guest rental directly back to the people of Mendonoma.
As of July 2015, the following foundations have each received annual contributions:
Coastal Seniors
Providing a variety of services and supports, Coastal Seniors, is an essential component for seniors along the Mendonoma coast.
Projects include:
- Food Services- Meals on Wheels for seniors, Commodity Distribution, Food Bank, Calfresh (food stamps)Registration, and senior lunches
- Transportation Services- Bus services to community events and to senior lunches
- Decreasing isolation and increasing socialization- Besides lunches, social events and activities such as bingo and casino night are planned for our community seniors
We invite you to donate to Coastal Seniors by clicking here.
CommUNITY Collaborative, Family Resource Centers & Lead Agency for Across Ages and Cultures Prevention Coalition- Their mission is to build a healthy, peaceful, drug-free community by strengthening families, promoting collaboration, and implementing individual and environmental prevention strategies.
They provide many services for young families and their children in the Mendonoma area.
We invite you to donate to Action Network by clicking here.
Redwood Coast Humane Society
Redwood Coast Humane Society advocates for the welfare, rights, respect, and protection of all animals through care, intervention and education. In 2000, several residents of Gualala and The Sea Ranch filed as a non-profit organization (501-C3) separate from the Mendocino Coast Humane Society and became the Redwood Coast Humane Society. Today the RCHS includes the coastal area from Elk at the north end to Timber Cove in the south.
We invite you to donate to Redwood Coast Humane Society by clicking here.
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