A Magical
RETREAT
to Renew, Recharge, and Reset in the
NEW YEAR The Seven Coves of Spindrift Where Ocean, Earth, Forest and Stone Rejuvenate You BY OLIVIA DECKER
AS THE EVENTFUL AND STRESSFUL YEAR OF 2020 ENDS, WE searched for an ideal place to renew, recharge, and reset in the more optimistic forward year of 2021. In doing so we rediscovered the Seven Coves of Spindrift compound with its extraordinary ocean frontage and petite sea coves, centuries-old cypress forests, dry-stacked stone cottages and amazing Lodge. I first visited owner Gary Vickers over five years ago while he was building the Cottages and developing the gardens and grounds. Subsequently, going back just over two years now, he acquired the adjacent 12,300 sf Lodge to complete this heavenly, 5-home sanctuary set amidst 4.25 acres of cryptically beautiful Cypress forest, well-kept gardens, dramatic sea-cliffs and ocean coves. Mr. Vickers developed the wherewithal to purchase this lovely stretch of the coast after he founded and built a proprietary software business that broadly served the global energy sector. He fell in love with the scenic seaside retreat of Carmel as a child. Caddying for his father and uncle at the Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur golf tournament at Pebble Beach each February. His family also often traveled south down scenic Highway 1, where he came to admire the rocky coastline with its sea etched coves and the giant redwoods as they traveled down to Big Sur. “I loved the rustically wild beauty of it,” he said. “It had a big impression on me.” Vickers began assembling the site in 2008, building the four cottages from scratch. Each featuring monolithic
stone fireplaces with huge hand selected character stones imported from the mossy sandstone fields of Montana. Several of these stones weighing in at over 12,000 pounds. The stone laden Cottages are super sensual and cozy, yet dramatic, as they look down from the elevated cliff sides onto a series of petite Sea-Coves, which express ever changing moods and colors from the still glassy aqua-emeralds of the calm low tides, to the furious charcoal grey tempers of the Sea. Throughout the property the elevation changes range from 50 feet to over 200 feet above the crashing waves. Adding a final phase to his project, Vickers bought the main Lodge just over two years ago. He called buying the Lodge “the last stroke of the paintbrush.” Comparing the project to a historic Adirondacks camp, Vickers commented he’d been missing a vital piece of the puzzle in the form of a main Lodge where guests could congregate and where he could have space for amenities like a fitness center, a spa, a pool, and a commercial scale kitchen and renown wine collection.He and his invited guests continued to stay in the Cottages and assemble in the Lodge when it came time to entertain. The Lodge has a 2-story library with a domed ceiling formerly used by Fossett to house his book collection, some dating back to the 15th Century. Together, all five properties comprise 14 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and more than 18,000 square feet of living space on 4.25 acres and an unprecedented 1,000 linear feet of Pacific Ocean frontage. 95