Two and a half hours north of San Francisco is a coastal gem called Mendocino. It’s home to several cliff side resorts and inn, which makes this destination a great place to sit back, relax and take in the fresh ocean breeze. The weather in Mendocino can be pretty unpredictable (it hailed nearly ten times we were there!), but if caught on a sunny weekend, this quaint town is a sight to behold. The city of Mendocino stretches seven by seven miles, with five square miles encompassing water. The beaches are a feast for deep sea divers and the redwoods is paradise for nature lovers. It’s also a great place to get away from the stresses of city life, which was my main objective. And, of course, I had to bring two of my best girlfriends: Jess and Siobhan.
My girlfriends and I started our journey up north on Friday evening after work. We zoomed up the 101 and jumped on State Route 1. Once we got on the 1, the drive started to get a little scary with all the curves and turns. So, if you could, try to make the drive during the daytime. Plus, the views are amazing during daylight. That evening we checked into Heritage House Resort, a luxe cliff side resort located in Little River. Check out my review here.
Saturday morning we went over to Circa ’62, a restaurant located on the property of Inn at Schoolhouse Creek. A friend of mine raved about this spot so I had to check it out. The restaurant is within an adorable blue farmhouse with an outdoor patio, fireplace and sun room. The restaurant is small so be open to the possibility that there may be a wait. We got lucky and was seated at the corner of the sun room, right next to the windows, with a perfect view of the bird feed outside. Right when we were seated, the rain cleared and little forest animals started to surround the bird feed. Squirrels, blue jays, pigeons, and other creatures began to feed away on the seeds. It was so…..enchanting.
We started our breakfast by sharing a bowl of Chia Seed Pudding topped with crispy caramel and banana, a perfectly sweet treat. We each got a hearty breakfast plate. Siobhan got a “Slow Death on a Raft”, hash browns smothered with sausage gravy and two eggs. Jess had the breakfast sandwich, a brioche bun sandwiching an egg and avocado with a side of country potatoes. And I had “The ’62”, a perfect helping of the breakfast classics: french toast, sausage, egg, and potatoes. What seemed like a simple breakfast was insanely delicious. I loved my meal. The french toast was perfect with the sourdough baguette. Aside from the french toast, their in-house made sausage patties are so delicious! A must with your breakfast. As I was enjoying my meal I couldn’t help but to have the side-eye for Siobhan’s meal. It looked so delicious.
TRAVEL TIP: As I’ve mentioned the sausage patties are a must! It’s a dish that they’re known for. Another dish that’s popular, and that we unfortunately didn’t have the chance (or the stomach room!) to try, is their “Breakfast Burger.” It’s a beef burger topped with jack cheese, eggs, bacon, arugula, and a hash brown waffle. This thing is stacked so high, I don’t know how one could take a bite out of it!
Once we finished our meal, we made a run for Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, which is located right on the coast of Mendocino. To get there we had to park in small parking lot and take a one mile walk to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is so adorable. It’s small and has a bright red roof. For a small fee of $5 you can take a tour of the lighthouse. Right along the gravel path before the lighthouse is a small aquarium that is run by volunteers. You can hold and pet starfishes and learn about ocean creatures from enthusiastic volunteers.
The lighthouse is also a great place for whale watching. We got lucky and caught sight of two whales!
TRAVEL TIP: Accommodations are available right by the lighthouse. Just like the lighthouse, these cottages are adorable and the roofs are painted bright red. Added bonus: the Pacific Ocean is less than 500 from your door step.
After spending about an hour at the lighthouse, we drove up north to Fort Bragg to check out Glass Beach. Upon arrival, we were surprised to find that the beach wasn’t lush with colorful glass. The beach is merely sand and pebbles with remnants of sea glass. But I realized, that was part of the fun. Gathering sea glass and finding how many colors you can find is a pastime at Glass Beach. I learned was that he beach was once a city dump site and the glass are remnants of trash (i.e. glass bottles, cans, appliances).
After spending some time on Glass Beach, we became hungry. We headed back down south to grab a bite in the town of Mendocino. We dropped by Good Life Cafe and Bakery, which we found to be a local favorite. We grabbed some pastries and coffee, and then took a stroll down the block to check out some shops. The actual town stretches by a one by one mile square area, so a lot can be seen in an hour or so.
TRAVEL TIP: The downtown area is home to several shops. There’s two that I think is worth checking out:
Mendocino Country Store — The perfect shop for gifts and souvenirs. You’ll find unique home goods, art, jewelry, and much more. My favorite find in the store? The mugs with the hilarious puns.
Honey and Ro — This boutique takes after Urban Outfitter and Anthropologie with it’s rustic, urban feel. They have clothing, accessories, home goods, and some beauty products. I fell hard for the ikat printed pillows and dream catchers hanging on the wall.
We then headed north to check out Russian Gulch State Park. Unfortunately, it started to hail so we weren’t able to wonder about the state park. Russian Gulch State Park is home to several small trails leading to unique landmarks like the Devil’s Punchbowl. If you have some time during the day, I highly suggest taking a hike on a trail or two. The trails range from 1 to 7 miles long.
In the evening we went to Albion River Inn for dinner. Albion River Inn is another cliff side hotel located in Little River. It has a dim light restaurant with ocean views. Our opinions about the food is rather mixed. We enjoyed the Chicken Madiera. But the pasta dishes we ordered (the Gnocchi and the Orecchiette) seemed to have the same sauce on it. Not sure if it was a staff mistake or not. But had we known we would have ordered something different.
Before heading back to out hotel, we made sure to stop by a local grocery store to stock up on some wine for a night cap.
TRAVEL TIP: The options for late night drinks are very slim in Mendocino. There’s only one bar that is open until 2AM and that is Dick’s Place, which is located downtown. Most of the bars are located within the inns and resorts located on the coastline. And even those close quite early. My suggestion is to purchase snacks and your preferred alcohol and bring it back to your hotel room.
Before checking out of Mendocino, we wanted to have one last good meal. After reading some reviews, we settled on Trillium Cafe and Inn. We were really happy with our pick. The restaurant is located in two-story house that has a flourishing backyard garden. I had to the Corden Bleu Chicken Sandwich, and the girls got the Fish Tacos and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich. We were all very satisfied with our lunch. If you decide to dine here I recommend grabbing a seat on the patio or a window table that has a view of the garden.
After our meal we said ‘adios’ to beautiful Mendocino and made our way home. To go home, we took Highway 128 through Anderson Valley. This curvy highway will take you through redwoods and pass wineries. Driving through the misty redwoods was amazing. We had to pull over to explore the redwoods for a little bit.
TRAVEL TIP: Highway 128 is also known as the “Wine Road”. The highway goes through Yorkville and Philo which has plenty of wine rooms. If you have some time to spare, I suggest dropping by a tasting room or two. For a list of wineries in both towns, click here.
We eventually continued our journey on Highway 128 and made it to a small town called Boonville. In Boonville there is a brew house called Anderson Valley Brewing Company. They are known nationwide for their award winning ale. For all your beer buffs, Boonville holds an annual “legendary” beer festival which features tap from over 35 breweries. With all the hype around AVBC, we had to check it out. They have a tap room with plenty of seating, outdoor seating, and a gift shop. You can also take a tour of the brewery. We decided to hang in the tap room for bit. After a flight of beer and a game of Jenga, we hit the road again and we were home by the evening.
Overall, we had a great time in Mendocino. The weather changed pretty rapidly throughout the weekend. We experienced moments of shower and hail multiple times. But when the sun came out, the coastline was incredibly gorgeous. The sky was so blue and the crisp ocean breeze was everywhere. Mendocino is not the destination to party or get crazy. It’s a great location to relax and reflect, or fall in love again with your significant other. If you’re nature lover, there’s opportunity for hiking and camping in Russian Gulch State Park.
WEATHER IN MENDOCINO: The best time to travel to Mendocino is Summer, Spring and Fall. Spring can be a hit and miss with the rain, but it’s a great time for whale watching. Summer exhibits the best weather. And Fall is a great time to observe fall foliage.
xoxo Justina
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