written by Kerry Newberry
photography by Inn the Ground
When the setting sun hits Inn the Ground, wine country’s newest retreat, you’ll often see a family of deer frolic through the surrounding native grasses and wildflowers. It’s one of many serene scenes that unfold at this nine-room oasis located just outside of Carlton. Set in the hillside above a working regenerative farm, nature permeates all the spaces here.
In the upper-level community rooms, you’ll find floor-to-ceiling windows that bring brightness even on rainy days. Walls are hung with contemporary artwork, often evoking the natural world, along with bookcases stocked with titles that focus on regenerative agriculture and social transformation (think Masanobu Fukuoka, Rebecca Solnit and Masaru Emoto).
Designed to foster a deep connection to nature, two-thirds of the building is recessed into the land. As you walk downstairs to the rooms, you’ll gaze across the living roof, lush with seasonal grasses and flowers like sweet alyssum, daisies and clover. Come spring, wispy wild flowers grow waist-high. Nearby trails weave through woodlands with vistas that overlook pastures where a mix of heritage breed cows graze.
The inn is the latest in a collective of enterprises from The Ground, which includes Source Farms, Tabula Rasa Farms and McMinnville’s Humble Spirit. An ingenious vision, the founders have been working toward a vertically integrated hospitality company for almost a decade. The presiding mantra is simple but also profound: deepen the connection between farms, food and people through hospitality.
ROOMS
Each of the spacious nine rooms features a king bed and small sofa along with a mini-fridge and complimentary tea and coffee. The spa-style shower and sprawling vanity are calming gray and honey oak hues. There’s Samsung HDTVs with an Apple TV connection, but you’ll want to unplug and relax on the private patio or around the fire pits, both spots with valley views.
WELLNESS
What sets this retreat apart from other wine country lodging is the quest to provide revitalizing wellness experiences. You’ll find 8 miles of wooded hiking trails that meander the farm campus along with a fitness center that includes a gym, tennis and pickleball court and yoga classes. (Look for upcoming retreats on sound baths, forest bathing and guided meditation.)
DINING
Mornings start in the grand room where there’s a modern fireplace and spectacular views of seasonal wildflowers and fir trees that frame the estate. The daily breakfast flight includes green juice from just-harvested garden greens, yogurt parfait with seeded honey and fruit preserves and signature eggs served with a slice of sweetheart ham and sourdough bread. For dinner, head to Humble Spirit, the culinary heart of The Ground collective.
FARM LIFE
Get a sense of place on the farm tour, a forty-five-minute ramble in a Rivian. You’ll learn about regenerative agriculture through visits to various pastures and plots, including the impressive four-acre market garden that supplies Humble Spirit and other wine country restaurants. The most memorable moments just might be meeting the farm crew from heritage-breed pigs and cows to the guard llamas, Lloyd and Harry, who preside over a flock of chickens.
15250 NW PANTHER CREEK ROAD
CARLTON
www.theground.love/stay/inn-the-ground
