The Sage Hen in Cotati

Treat yourself to a quiet stay in a Tahoe-like setting for less than the price of a
hotel room. Just an hour from San Francisco, this is the home of traditional
jazz musician Lu Watters (1912-1989).
The immaculate brick home is fully furnished with old world Tuscan elegance,
sumptuous leather furniture, Italian artwork, and tile floors throughout. Enjoy
the 44-inch plasma TV with Bose sound system or listen to Lu Watters
recordings from the days of his nightclub, Hambone Kelly's.
Utilities, large capacity washer/dryer, natural fiber linens, local phone service
included.
Easy access to highway 101, the Sonoma/Napa wine country hot spots in the
Alexander, Dry Creek and Napa Valleys, Sonoma State University, coastal
beaches, Valley of the Moon, Russian River resort area and the giant
redwood forests.
Lu built his home in what he called "the wilds of Cotati" when he retired from
performing in his famous Yerba Buena Jazz Band. Located in a park-like
setting with trees Lu himself planted decades ago. An amateur geologist, it is
not by chance he chose to build his house on bedrock, unlike the fancy
architects of San Francisco who built mansions on landfill along the Marina.
The Sage Hen takes its name from "The Sage Hen Strut," a popular song Lu
wrote on September 11, 1944, on his way to Hawaii on the SS Antigua, three
days prior to composing Hambone Kelly. Lu had had his fill of celebrity by the
time he settled in Cotati, preferring to open his home to the wild bird
population rather than his two-legged fans. The coastal gulls were on a first-
name basis with him, as he took regular trips to feed them hot dogs while he
combed their beaches for stones and driftwood. His grounds are still a
sanctuary for wild turkeys, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, and raucous bands
of blue jays, which Lu distinguished as "the west jays and the east jays."
While not exactly wild, Cotati is still small enough to overlook, making it a
peaceful retreat for anyone who wants to explore the beautiful surrounding
countryside.

Plasma TV, washer/dryer, fireplace, private garden, outdoor dining area,
covered carport.

Enjoy the most popular tourist activities of wine tasting, antique and flea
market shopping in nearby Sebastopol and Healdsburg, hot-air ballooning in
Windsor; visit the quaint town of Bodega where Hitchcock filmed "The Birds,"
go beachcoming along the coast, take a canoe trip down the Russian River,
visit Armstrong Grove to see the giant redwoods, explore Sonoma County
Farm Trails featuring organic produce and specialty farm products, take a tour
through the Napa/Sonoma Valley on the Wine Train, take the Skunk Train, an
old logging route from the coast to the redwoods (Ft. Bragg to Willits), shop for
unique clothing and gifts in Healdsburg and Sonoma, find all the large stores
under one roof in Santa Rosa's two malls. The historic site of General
Vallejo's Old Adobe Fort is 15 minutes away, and Jack London's Wolf House
in the Valley of the Moon is 20 minutes away. Fine dining is available
thoroughout the area: Equus and John Ash (Santa Rosa), Applewood Inn
(Guerneville), Ca' Bianca (Santa Rosa), Hana Japanese Restaurant (Rohnert
Park). For movie lovers, there is a 16-screen movie theater 5 minutes away.

$225/night (2 night min.)
$1,200/per week
$3,800/month

Same rates year round or any day of the week.