Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
160
driving the stagecoach between Monterey and Big Sur, Bill met Irene Fredericks. She was a city girl
whose attraction to Bill turned her summer visit to Big Sur into a lifelong stay. The couple opened
Rancho Sierra Mar, a small resort and café near the Post family home, which they ran with the help
of their two children, Billy and Mary.
Billy has spent most of his life in Big Sur. After working there as a child, then serving in the
Marine Corps in World War II, Bill came home to run the ranch. He met and married Luci and
together they continued the family tradition of ranching in Big Sur.
As the world progressed, it grew more difficult to hold onto the old style of living. A friend and
neighbor approached Bill and Luci, suggesting they turn the land into an inn that would preserve
the integrity and history of the Post family's property. After shaking hands on the deal in 1984, they
sealed the Post partnership with a shot of Jack Daniels, which has since become the Inn's unofficial
drink. When a formal agreement was finally signed several years later, the partnership bought Bill
a tractor, which he used to do nearly all the excavation and grading to build the Inn.
The Inn has been a Post family project from the start. Bill decided to honor the early history
of Big Sur by using the ranch cattle brands as the logo. He also named each guest room after Post
family and friends. Luci was responsible for putting together the library. And Bill's sister, Mary Post
Fleenor, ran the Rancho Sierra Mar café.
For many years Bill Post lead nature walks around the property, describing all manner of plant
and animal life, while also relating stories about the Post family. What better way to learn about a
place than with someone who has been exploring it for more than 80 years? He no longer leads the
walks but, if you find him at the bar, you may get a great story or two out of him.
The Post Ranch Inn is located 30 miles south of Carmel on the west side of Highway 1, directly
across from the entrance to the Ventana Inn.
Post Ranch Inn
Highway 1, PO Box 219
Big Sur, California 93920
(800) 527-2200
(831) 667-2200
