The Covenant, Rancho Santa Fe, CA

The Covenant is the original Rancho Santa Fe, several thousand acres of eucalyptus, riding trails and estate homes in the hills inland from Solana Beach and Encinitas. The groves date to the Santa Fe Railway, which planted millions of blue gums for railroad ties before learning the wood was too soft to hold a spike. The community laid out among them in the 1920s is now a state historical landmark. Homes are set back on wide parcels, usually an acre or two and often more, behind hedges, gates and long drives. The look goes back to architect Lilian Rice, whose white stucco walls, red tile roofs and deep-set windows still define the village and many houses around it. An Art Jury reviews new building and remodels, so newer estates tend to stay in the same family of styles. There are no sidewalks or streetlights, and the roads wind. Outdoor life in The Covenant leans on its trail network, roughly 45 miles of paths for riders and walkers that only residents may use. Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, where Bing Crosby hosted his first clambake tournament in the 1930s, also limits membership to residents. The place was planned around horses, and riding is still part of the routine for plenty of owners. The village on Paseo Delicias is small and easy to walk once you park. Mille Fleurs has served escargot and duck confit for more than 40 years, with a piano bar in the evening, and Caffe Positano roasts its own coffee and is known for its croissants. Rancho Roasters runs a walk-up window on Via de Santa Fe, and at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, Lilian's serves seafood and weekend brunch on the patio while Bing's Bar mixes cocktails beside a wood fire. Daily errands cover the basics in the village, including the Rancho Santa Fe Library on Avenida de Acacias, and bigger trips run down to Solana Beach or Del Mar. Lomas Santa Fe and Via de la Valle lead west to Interstate 5, and the Coaster stops in Solana Beach. Privacy has a cost in convenience. Almost every trip starts with a winding drive, and a remodel takes time to clear design review. Out on the trails in the early morning, with the eucalyptus dripping fog and a rider coming the other way, The Covenant feels a lot like it must have when Rice drew it.