For those of you wondering about us, 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. More recently in 2020 I became an Accredited Hospitality Professional. The classes covered key areas of Sonoma County and its hospitality economy. I gained a greater understanding of the power of tourism; customer service and visitor safety; wineries and AVAs; natural environment and sustainability; and art, history and culture. My goal in turn is to assure every visitor encounter is a positive experience. I look forward to helping you, our visitors, to learn more about our wonderful location. More importantly, it is our hope you love 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.”
About us: As world travelers
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. Naturally, that includes debating who among us caught the biggest fish over the years. And of course, it includes recalling the nuances of our abalone and paella recipes that make it uniquely our own.
About us: And our dogs who also 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.,
Jorge is currently employed by Bechtel. He is serving as Project Director, Santa Clara Metro Extension to Santa Clara Valley at Bechtel Corporation
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. That connection shows that we are all linked no matter where on the globe we or our guests may be at any moment.
In these times of climate change with its global warming, it becomes even more important that Abalone Bay recommits itself to the original covenant of The Sea Ranch. Further, we also declare a climate emergency. Based on the science before us, we promise actionable steps to stop the climate emergency we now face. For that reason, we have joined Tourism Declares. This initiative supports tourism businesses, organizations, and individuals that declare a climate emergency and take purposeful action to reduce their carbon emissions.
Part of that purposeful action is being a Small Business Partner of the 50 Million of our Forests. As a tree-planting partner of the National Forest Foundation (NFF), we at Sea Ranch Abalone Bay also recognize the critical need to raise awareness and garner support for the NFF’s 50 Million for Our Forests campaign. We hope that we inspire you and invite you to join us in this important cause!
Acting Locally
We are so pleased to be a member of the Sea Ranch/Mendonoma Community. It’s our honor to be able to share our home with guests. As a result, we’ve made wonderful friends. 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.
We contribute to the following foundations and encourage you to join us in this endeavor.
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. Thus the Redwood Coast Humane Society came into being. 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.
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Since 1987, the Redwood Empire Food Bank has been feeding our neighbors in need and leading the community to end hunger.
They distribute food through their own programs and partner organizations in Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. As the largest hunger-relief organization in our area, we work on the front lines of emergency food assistance in our region, playing a crucial role in helping individuals, families, seniors, and children.
Your $10 donation to Redwood Empire Food Bank will help provide 20 meals to in-need individuals.
We invite you to donate to Redwood Empire Food Bank by clicking here.
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