SB LIFE & STYLE travel
HISTORY ON THE HOMESTEAD ZACA CREEK, ONCE AN INFAMOUS LANDMARK AND WATERING HOLE OF THE BYGONE COWBOY ERA, REIMAGINES THE RESORT GROUNDS TO CEMENT ITS LEGACY IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY by DELANEY WILLET
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Photographs by JORDAN DONOHOE
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using vacation destinations at the perfect intersection of leisure, activity, and history, the primary location that comes to mind may not be the charming Santa Ynez Valley subsect of Buellton. But, it should be. Zaca Creek Tavern and its adjacent Inn synthesize the rich ancestry of the valley with the cutting edge of culinary and hospitality standards. In its earliest years, Zaca Creek Tavern and Inn served as a rancher haunt fit for an old western. The property was originally constructed by Jim Buell, descended from the founding family of the surrounding town of his namesake, Buellton. Buell admits that the land has seen its raucous days, with motorcycles notably
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being driven through the front doors of the banquet hall and many a late night spent at the Tavern’s bar. So many, in fact, that Buell fashioned a tunnel beneath the property that ran from the Tavern to his home on the opposite side of the highway, allowing him to safely return home from the bar in the wee hours. While the modern day iteration of Zaca Creek, which lay dormant for twenty years before reopening amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, is not quite as boisterous, it provides a versatile palette with which guests may paint an unforgettable experience, whether that be a wedding, a reunion, or a romantic weekend away. Each nook of the property is photographable, exceeding its envisioned repurposing as a full-service events venue.