A BLONDE VINTAGE

Originally for our annual anniversary trip, we had planned to tack on an extra week to the Europe trip we were going on with Tyler’s Executive Masters program in September. We’d had everything planned, first we would head to the Netherlands to see my family, and then pop over to Germany for Oktoberfest before we met up with the Executive group. But, since travel has almost entirely come to a halt, we decided to plan a relaxed little getaway to Mendocino, California! We have always talked about road tripping there from Oregon, especially since it’s only about a one-day drive, but life and other travel plans seemed to trump that trip.  Today, I’m excited to share with you everything about our getaway to this chilled-out, relaxed county in a world that feels far, far away from reality!

WAIT…YOU DROVE THERE?

YES! The sweet little coastal town of Mendocino is located two hours North of San Francisco, and only about 9 hours from our front door step in mid-Oregon. So we decided to bite the bullet, pack up the car and drive down. In the beginning we were going to drive in one day, but made a last minute decision to split the trip into two days so we could spend some time exploring the Northern Californian Redwoods (see more on that part of the trip here!), which neither of us had done since we were children.

As we drove down the freeway, I was so happy we decided to road trip, as the scenery was by far my favorite part! Northern California is diverse—from national parks to dramatic coastlines—making it the perfect place to have a new adventure. As you drive along Hwy 101 and Hwy 1, you get the best of coastal views and an opportunity to disconnect. Quaint towns, incredible seafood, and beautiful landscapes are just a few reasons why we decided to visit this part of California.

WHAT’S THE BEST TIME TO VISIT?

Mendocino and Mendocino County can really be a year-round destination depending on what you want to do (coastal exploring, inland hiking, visiting wine country like the nearby Anderson Valley, see more on that here!). One thing we both noticed was that the northern coast of California tends to run colder than most areas, but as Oregonians, we still felt like the coast was pretty warm for late August. We did notice that when we woke up we would see a layer of fog in the morning which would totally lift by the early afternoon. I was so happy that we packed lots of layers, and had brought along a good quality windbreaker to cut the wind chill.

WHERE DID YOU STAY?

I cannot even tell you the amount of time we poured into researching exactly where to stay. We really wanted to make sure that whatever hotel we chose took Covid19 cleaning seriously and had a lot of various elements in place to keep guests safe. Ultimately, we decided to stay in the town of Mendocino as it’s well located for exploring the area. You can go up and down the coast to visit nearby destinations and it was home to the Glendeven Inn + Lodge. Located a few minutes south of Mendocino, this little Inn + Lodge is a hidden gem in the area as it sits tucked up on beautiful property off the road and provides extremely easy access to coastal trails right outside your room. This adults-only hotel even has its very own farm, llamas included, and the recently renovated rooms are simply gorgeous! Plus (this was Tyler’s FAVORITE part), they offer a hot breakfast which gets delivered to your room each morning in a picnic basket and in the evening, you’re even welcome to call for a complimentary bottle of wine to enjoy in-room.

SO WHAT DID YOU DO?

I was really surprised at the amount of activities there were in the area, and if you know me, I wanted to do it ALL! Obviously, we wanted to focus on outdoor activities, so here are a few I highly recommend if you’re visiting the area!

Shop Mendocino

The town of Mendocino is full of local artists and boutiques. The historic town has a few main blocks, where you could spend an hour or two exploring. Studios, charming boutiques, and quirky architecture line the streets and there is easily a bit of something for everyone here.

PLAY SUIT ROMPER  // SANDALS // SWEATER // SUNGLASSES // SUNGLASSES (on sale!) //  NECKLACE

GET OUTDOORS

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Overlooking a rocky sweep of the Pacific Ocean, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (located in Fort Bragg) is the place to play, to contemplate, to learn, to relax, to touch, to smell, to feel, to enjoy, to be inspired, and to experience the simple wonder and beauty of life. It’s home to 150 species of birds (ash-throated flycatchers; savannah sparrows) and rhododendrons that thrive in the foggy air. We wish we had had enough time to experience it!

Russian Gulch Park

Certainly, Russian Gulch Park is one of the most scenic parks in the area, this one is great to get a mix of both coastal views and provides access to a small beach. We headed out to the headlands and followed the marked paths to the coast, where we even saw whales migrating and feeding and sea lions!

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

Although the Cabrillo Lighthouse Museum was closed while we were there, we still really enjoyed visiting the property and area. All of the trails were open and we enjoyed the 3/4 mile walk to the Lighthouse buildings. This State Historic Park occupies a spectacular headland extending out into the Pacific and was easily our favorite view!

Van Damme State Park

Every morning we headed out of our room and walked straight down Headlands Road (through the Van Damme State Park) to walk the beach. It was gorgeous, perfect and my favorite part of every morning. It’s also HUGE and you can easily find different hikes to entertain you each day.

Glass Beach

This place is a rarity, and provided a really fun afternoon walk. We browsed the colors of millions of pieces of sea glass left over by a very old dump. Something lovely came from that bad idea of throwing trash into the sea once upon a time. Before going, stop at the Glass Beach Museum along the highway as you enter Fort Bragg. Puts it all in context and boasts great displays of a terrific collection. Worth a stop.

Wine Tasting

By far my favorite part of the trip was visiting all the amazing wineries in the nearby Anderson Valley. We headed out early one day to do a little wine tasting and it was easily our favorite day in the area!

Wild Fish — A tiny, 10-table establishment just down the road. Serves excellent fish dishes! Make reservations if you do want to dine in!

Little River Inn — Offers outdoor seating, although we did take out we really loved the Fresh Steamed Clam Chowder and the King Salmon. It was also located two minutes down the road from Glendeven Inn + Lodge.

Luna Trattoria — Authentic, excellent Italian fare made by authentic, nice, and fun Italians. We ordered this as takeout one evening and the pasta was delicious and fresh made!

Taka’s Grill — Very good sushi (especially the local Uni).

PLAY SUIT ROMPER  // SANDALS // SWEATER // SUNGLASSES // SUNGLASSES (on sale!) //  NECKLACE

I hope you enjoyed this guide for a relaxed little getaway to Mendocino, California! If you’re interested in visiting the area, make sure you check out the following blog posts!

Visiting Anderson Valley Wine Country

Northern California Coast Essentials

Exploring Redwood National Park

Top Tips for Road Trips

XO,

M

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A Relaxed Little Getaway to Mendocino California Exploring the Northern Californian Redwoods Getaway Mendocino Mendocino County Mendocino Travel road trip travel guide Travel to Mendocino Visiting Anderson Valley Wine Country wineries