Stevenswood Resort And Spa

the brilliant idea

by richiecdisc

Northern California is full of gems like Mendocino. A road trip in this part of the golden state is an all-too-missed pleasure, with great natural scenery on both the coast and inland. Toss in lots of great places to eat and drink and a lack of crowds and you have the perfect getaway. The phrase “short but sweet” gets overused but that's just what our all too brief but thoroughly enjoyable time in Northern California had to be called. First, we had the brilliant idea of leaving Sequoia National Park on the 4th of July. It was a Friday and so we reasoned, anyone that was away for the weekend would already be there and if we waited till after the weekend, we would be stuck in traffic with them.

We cruised to and into San Francisco in dream-like fashion. I don't know if any big city was ever so empty. After a quick lunch in Chinatown, we set our sights on Santa Rosa, where we had a reservation for a room and a date with renowned brewpub Russian River. It had been a little over two weeks since we had experienced either and we looked forward to it eagerly. The traffic again was minimal and even though it was only a Motel 6, it was tough to pull ourselves from our room but great beer and food were calling. We were soon sitting at the bar at Russian River and after a few weeks of tent camping, it was nice being served our food . The beer list was so long I was grateful for tasting size portions. Beers like Damnation and Pliny The Elder lived up to all the hype, an old fashioned jukebox cranked out songs even I could remember and we stayed probably far too long, at least for my wife who had the dubious task of driving us back to the motel. (continued below in Fondest Memory)

Walk around the town and enjoy...

by worldtrekker

Walk around the town and enjoy the historic buildings. Only two are open to the public, the FORD HOUSE which is also the Visitor Center, and the KELLEY HOUSE MUSEUM. Both are located on Main Street. Absorbing the atmosphere of this charming little town. I don't know what these buildings were in the pic...

Northern California Explorer

by richiecdisc

California is the place where the mountains meet the sand. Most visitors are quite content to fly into Los Angeles, enjoy its typical Southern California lifestyle for a few days, head up through Big Sur to San Francisco and maybe the wine region just beyond. With limited time, it is surely a good choice. Those with a bit more time and an inclination to nature venture to Yosemite which proves quite convincingly that all the state's gems are not along the coast. But this is a big state and there is a lot to explore beyond these more noted sights. Northern California seems to be the realm of locals and those determined to get to the core of the golden state. If you are looking to do the same or are going to Oregon to the north, try hugging the coast rather than heading up the Interstate. With a rugged coast equal to Big Sur, some quaint towns from the logging era, and a lot fewer people than in its more famous south, you will be glad you did.

"Mendocino is a charmer missed by many"

Mendocino is quintessential Northern California and while this page concentrates on this historical logging town, it also encompasses areas as far north as Redwood National Park along with stops we made on our way from San Francisco to it. Since we did the region in a matter of a few days, it made more sense to make it one cohesive page rather than a series of short detached ones.

The Quiet Isolation of Mendocino

by mydreamquest

"The Calm, Quiet Rest of Mendocino"

Off the Northern California Coasts, a slow 5-6 hour scenic drive from San Francisco, Mendocino is a great place to retreat to away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

I regret not having been to Mendocino County in 10 years, but I strongly recommend tourists in SF to spend a weekend here if you are the kind of tourist that does not mind a long, scenic ride, some fun history on the way up, quiet charm, and possibly abalone diving too!

This picture was taken off the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Van Damme National Park, about a 20 mile drive North of Mendocino. You can purchase a Abalone Diving license in most stores and there are Scuba Rental Equipment Stores all around.

Mendocino-A little bit of Maine on the West Coast

by feline01

I didn't learn until I found VT that Mendocino was the town the played Cabot Cove, ME on the show, Murder She Wrote. Didn't surprise me since the town seemed very New Englandish. This was a great place to stop for lunch during our 15-hour excursion from San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) is one of the most beautiful stretches of road that I have ever been on. We had been driving for about 5 hours when we finally pulled into Mendocino. What a relief! I didn't know what to expect and it turned out to be a charming town incorporating a collection of over-priced B&B's/restaurants and reasonable, down-to-earth places. The tourists who visited this town appeared to fit a similar role. We saw loads of Harley dudes and biker babes riding alongside Muffy & Skip in their Jaguars & assorted convertibles. We pull up in our Buick rental car, find a space on Main Street facing the cliffs and ocean, and head to lunch. We didn't linger long here, just had lunch and then strolled Main Street and the park that begins on Main Street and heads down to the beachfront. Lovely place.