190 Northern Railway, Canyon, CA 94516

Too much tech and not enough trees? Maybe it's time to reconnect with the tactile world. Hidden in the wooded folds between Oakland and Moraga, this home offers something increasingly hard to find in the Bay Area: a place to unplug without going away.

Live here full time or make it your weekend retreat - a redwood cabin perched above a ravine, surrounded by trees and quiet. Reached by a winding footpath through the woods, the house is rustic and wonderfully removed from ordinary life. Board-and-batten rooms open to forest-view decks, while a vintage Wedgewood stove and river-rock fireplace anchor the main living spaces.

Three bedrooms are connected by ship-style ladders, and a separate meditation loft above the washhouse offers a place to write, paint, think, or simply be quiet. Water comes from a private spring, with propane and PG&E electricity supporting daily living.

Canyon isn't for everyone. That's rather the point. It's a chance to live a little closer to the physical world without giving up access to the one you work in. Moraga and Oakland are just minutes away, and San Francisco is within easy reach. Close to civilization when you need it. A world apart when you don't. Not likely to qualify for a conventional loan or a conventional person.