We did a short weekend trip to Mendocino over President's Day weekend this year. It's been on my radar for years to go to – and we finally got the time this February. What follows is a short trip report about where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. Hopefully you find this useful.

Trip Map

Lodging

We stayed at Sweetwater Inn and Spa right in the town of Mendocino, CA. It was a homey, dog-friendly B&B – nice, but the rooms were pretty old school. I felt like I was in the Anne of Green Gables. I think some of the other places that are outside of town will have better rooms. That being said, it was really nice to be able to just go out the front door and walk to dinner, go for a morning run, and walk the dog by the Mendocino cliffs. Also, this place had a really nice redwood hot tub that we soaked in every afternoon.

Food

The food was really good on our trip. We were routinely impressed by the quality of our meals. The biggest problem was that we didn't make reservations ahead of time. I didn't think they would be necessary – but they were. It was especially busy over the joint Valentine's and President's Day weekend that we were there.

We did get a chance to go to the three classic spots in town and one spot in Fort Bragg. All recommended.

• Cafe Beujolais. French bistro. We went for lunch. I would recommend that. Great food with significantly smaller crowds.
• Luna Trattoria. Italian spot. No reservations taken. Fortunately our B&B was right next door – so we just put our names down and went back to our room until it was time.
• Trillium Cafe. California cuisine. We ate al fresco there our first night there. Even though it was cold, the heat lamp made it warm. The food was really really good. We were also really really hungry.
• Noyo River Grill. This was the spot in Fort Bragg by the harbor. Local spot with live music. Great vibe, great simple food – fish and chips, chowder, etc.

On the drive up to Mendocino, we drove the 128 through the Anderson Valley. This is a not-so-touristed wine appelation in California. We loved it No tasting fees, beautiful vinyards, and really good Sauv Blancs and Pinots. We only hit two places, both recommended:

• Navarro Vinyards. Biggest of the bunch of wineries on the 128. Really nice grounds, tasting room, and wines. Dog friendly.
• Lula Cellars. Small family operation but super friendly. The owner was pouring and we tasted their whole selection.

Activities

There are so many things to do in Mendocino. Mostly outdoors, which is exactly what we were looking for. Here's a list in somewhat priority order based on how much we liked it.

1. Canoeing the Big River

We rented an outrigger canoe from Catch a Canoe and paddled up the Big River. This was the highlight of the trip. We saw a bunch of seals swimming around in the river. One even came right up to use to check us out. We also saw all sorts of birds – from huger herons to woodpeckers to sandpipers. We did not have an otter sighting, but apparently they are common in the Big River as well. I highly recommend doing this in the morning. The water is still then. In the afternoon a wind comes up from the ocean and make the water choppy.

2. Tidepooling at MacKerricher State Park

We tidepooled near Laguna Point at the south end of MacKerricher State Park. We checked the tide tables and made sure to go around low tide, so we could access the tidepools. I would recommend doing the same. The tidepooling was second only to Oregon. We found lots of starfish, abalone shells, crabs, anemones, seals – the whole shebang. The kid loved it. It was dog-friendly as well.

3. Hiking the Sand Dunes of Ten Mile Beach

We drove to the northern end of MacKerricher State Park and pulled off the road at a small parking lot and took a trail out to a huge field of sand dunes. It was remote and wild – just like I like it. We only had an 45 minutes there because the kiddo was tired. When we go back, I want to hike out to the ocean.

4. Existing at the Mendocino Headlands

I would walk the dog or go on a run almost every morning around cliffs that surround the town of Mendocino. The light + ocean + air are incredible in the morning. Sunset is legit as well. We even had breakfast out there on the cliff tops one morning. This is the big benefit of staying in the town of Mendocino – you can access these headlands from your front door.

5. Walking the town of Mendocino

The town itself is pretty cool. I think the whole thing is a historically preserved site – frozen in the late 1800's. The town is now a little touristy, but still has a good counter-culture vibe. There's a nice Art center, cafes, and a cool science store called “Out of this World”. It also has some amazing spots to eat. See above.

6. Fern Canyon in Van Damme State Park

This is a classic hike in a California coastal rainforest. It's a pretty flat trail in Van Damme SP beside the Little River. It's super lush in there with redwoods, ferns, fungi, and the smell of decay all around. I can close my eyes and smell it still.

7. Glass Beach

We didn't actually make it to here. This is the last “classic” Mendocino sight. It's apparently an old dump where all the glass has been eroded by the ocean into glassy pebbles. Word from the locals is that its “overhyped”. We believed them.

8. Whale Watching

Going in February, we were a bit early for the grey whale migration. If you go in March, I think that's the peak season for the migration. There are boat outfitter that will take you out from Fort Bragg to see the whales close up.

Conclusion

That's all I got. It took us 12 years in California to make it up to Mendocino. We definitely waited too long. It's that perfect distance from the Bay Area (3.5 hours) that most people won't go. That makes it all the better because it's not over-run with crowds like Sonoma and Napa. Well worth a long weekend trip. We saw it as it's most crowded and it wasn't that bad. Go on an off weekend, and I think you'll have the place to yourself largely.