California - North Coast

Mendocino

Mendocino is an absolute jewel: a New-England-style town built upon headlands that jut out to the ocean. It is not surprising that the town looks as if it were transported from the East Coast because its heritage goes back to adventurous fishermen who settled here from New England, and, upon arrival, built houses like those they had left behind. (In fact, the “New England” setting, seen in the popular television series Murder She Wrote, was filmed here.) Tucked into the many colorful wood-frame buildings you find a wealth of art galleries, gift shops, inns, and restaurants. (Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, 707-961-6300, www.mendocinocoast.com.) Do not let your explorations stop at the quaint town, but venture out onto the barren, windswept headlands—a visit to Mendocino would not be complete without a walk along the bluffs. In late fall or spring there is an added bonus: spouts of water off the shoreline are an indication that gray whales are present. Mendocino makes a most convenient base for exploring the coast. However, if breathtaking views are more important to you than quaint shops and restaurants, then stay overnight instead 16 miles south of Mendocino in Elk, a tiny old lumber town hugging the bluffs along one of the most spectacularly beautiful stretches of the sensational Mendocino coastline. Elk has several places to stay that are described in detail in the inn section of this guide—each has its own personality, each has a magnificent ocean view. Note: If you choose to overnight in Elk instead of the town of Mendocino, when Hwy 128 merges with Hwy 1, go south to Elk instead of north to Mendocino. Staying in this area, you could most successfully be entertained by doing absolutely nothing other than soaking in the natural, rugged beauty of the coast. However, there are some sightseeing possibilities: Whale watching is a must if you are here between Christmas and April when the gray whales migrate along the coast. We thoroughly enjoyed the two-hour whale-watching trip that we took from Noyo Harbor with Telstar Charters, owned and operated by Randy and Charan Thornton (Charan handles the reservations and Randy pilots the boat). Randy also takes people deep-sea fishing for crab, salmon, cod, and albacore year-round. (707-964-8770, www.gooceanfishing.com)

Located along this Karen Brown Itinerary:

North from San Francisco to Almost Oregon

Nearby Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts:
Listed Alphabetically, Not By Distance.

• Agate Cove Inn
• Albion River Inn
• Brewery Gulch Inn
• Glendeven
• Griffin House
• Joshua Grindle Inn
• Sea Rock Inn
• Stanford Inn by the Sea & Spa
• Whitegate Inn