Many people, this writer included, will tell you that Mendocino–about 155 miles north of San Francisco–lies in the middle of California’s most beautiful stretch of coastline. (Many others rank it second only to the Big Sur and Point Lobos area south of Carmel.)
It is gorgeously rugged, with jagged rocks and forested cliffs that have attracted artists for decades.
In 1542, sailors became the first Europeans to set eyes on this coastline. They named California’s westernmost point “Cape Mendocino” after their expedition’s patron, Antonio de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain. Because of the ruggedness
of the coast, more than two centuries passed between those initial sightings and establishment of the region’s first settlements by Europeans.
Even today, the Mendocino coast remains a relatively uncrowded section of the nation’s most populous state, because the long drive needed to reach the area from major airports keeps the masses away. Thanks to a nearby general aviation airfield, however, business jet travelers have a far easier time getting here than anyone else.
The town of Mendocino (well south of the cape that bears the same name) has been compared to a quaint coastal village in Maine. The similarity is no coincidence. In the mid-19th century, in the wake of the Gold Rush, large numbers of lumbermen arrived in Mendocino to help fill San Francisco’s growing need for redwood and other timber. The majority of them came from New England. A touch of homesickness apparently led them to create a familiar-looking settlement.
Fickle Seas
The explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who gave the Pacific its name, must have come upon the great ocean on an especially calm day. Either that or he was joking. There are times when the Pacific is anything but peaceful. Of course, conditions might be much different in southern Chile, where he first sighted it. Just off the northern California coast, the world’s largest body of water can also be one of its most fickle–fairly placid one day and kicking up huge swells and breakers the next.
Keep this in mind, but don’t let occasionally rough waters stop you from enjoying deep-sea fishing or whale watching on one of the boats out of Noyo Harbor, just seven miles north of Mendocino, at the mouth of the Noyo River. Fishing is pretty much year round. You can whale watch, however, only during periods when the great beasts migrate.
Other water recreation in the area includes river and sea kayaking. Near Little River Airport is the mouth of Little River (which is, in fact, a small creek). Van Damme State Park beach is there, and from it kayakers can paddle out to sea caves, reachable through the comparatively gentle waters of the cove. Farther out to sea, the water gets rougher, so you can choose your own skill level. The surf at the beach is rarely heavy. A short distance north is the mouth of Big River, where kayakers can opt to go out into Mendocino Bay or up into Big River.
You can swim in the ocean and its coves and bays, as well as in the Albion, Navarro and Big rivers. Lagoons form as the rivers push up sandbars where they reach the sea, and for some visitors, especially those with children, they offer the area’s best swimming. Snorkeling (including abalone diving), wind and wave surfing, hiking the headlands and simply lolling around on the beach are all options.
Mountain bikers will find ample trails and bikes for rent. You can hike or bike east from Van Damme State Park beach on a trail that leads through Redwood National Park’s beautiful Fern Canyon all the way past the area around the airport. A golf course at Little River Inn, close to the airport, has nine holes with two extra greens, so you can play it as an 18-hole par 71 course. A driving range and putting green are also at the inn, as are tennis courts.
Murder Mystery
Walking around Mendocino, you might notice Blair House Inn, which figured prominently (as Jessica Fletcher’s home) in the Angela Lansbury television series, Murder, She Wrote. Another of the town’s better known buildings is the Masonic Hall. The sculpture atop it, carved from a single redwood root, has a significance known only to members of that order.
Driving to Mendocino on Highway 128 in past decades, you’d pass forests and open grassy hills where cattle and sheep grazed. Today, the grassland has been largely replaced with vineyards as northern California wine country has expanded in all directions and wine tasting has become a favorite pastime for area visitors.
To join in the fun, you can simply rent a car, drive south from Mendocino to the Navarro River, head east on Highway 128 and go tasting. To be on the safe side and still sample ample amounts of the product, however, you’d be wise to take one of the SUV limos for hire in Mendocino, which specialize in wine-tasting tours.
If you do rent a car, though, you’ll find plenty to drive to besides vineyards. East of the airport on Little River Road lies the unique pygmy forest, where trees, stunted by soil conditions, are quite short although often very old. It’s like a forest of bonsai. Drive a few miles south on the Coast Highway and then inland on the Navarro River Road, and you’ll enter groves of just the opposite: enormously tall redwoods. Go
up or down the coast on Highway One and the winding road will take you past miles of picturesque tree-studded cliffs, jagged rocks and roiling surf. It’s a treat.
Traveler Report Card
Accommodations (A-): Lodging on the Mendocino coast varies from rustic to elegant, with spectacular ocean views in many cases. The architecture mixes a quaint New England ambiance with a woodsy-rustic style. A five-star grand hotel would spoil the place, and no one comes to this kind of environment expecting that. What you do expect is comfort, good service and spectacular views, and that’s what Mendocino delivers.
Food (A): The northern California coast is one of those places where a rural setting can be misleading. Many restaurants from the Golden Gate to the Oregon border offer truly fine dining, and Mendocino is no exception. The seafood, especially, is often first class in preparation and unbeatable for freshness and quality.
It goes great with the local wine.
Activities (B+): The grade you give Mendocino will depend on your interests. Art lovers shouldn’t miss the chance to browse the galleries. And for sea kayaking, deep-sea fishing, whale watching, scuba/snorkel diving and other ocean-related activities–not to mention hiking and mountain biking–the region deserves an A+. Golf is available near the airport, but Mendocino is not to be confused with Pebble Beach. As for the club and party scene, give the area a D. Mendocino is also not to be confused with Majorca.
Quietude (A+): Even in the peak travel season, the Mendocino coast is tranquil and uncrowded. This is a great place to sit and think or have a long and peaceful talk.
Traveler Fast Facts
Lodging: Closest to the airport and offering airport pick-up and drop-off is Little River Inn (www.littleriverinn.com, 888-466-5683, 707-937-5942). Also near the airport is Heritage House Inn (www.heritagehouseinn.com, 800-235-5885, 707-937-5885). The Stanford Inn & Spa in Mendocino (www.stanfordinn.com, 800-331-8884, 707-937-5615), a bed-and-breakfast, rents kayaks, canoes and bikes. Blair House Inn is in the heart of Mendocino, near art galleries, shops and restaurants (www.blairhouse.com, 800-699-9296, 707-937-1800). You can find other lodging via Mendocino County’s Web site: www.gomendo.com.
Activities: Golf, tennis, swimming, skin diving, hiking, a health spa and dining are available near the airport. For deep-sea fishing and whale watching, charter boats leave from Noyo Harbor (www.fortbragg.com/noyoharbor.html). For an SUV limo to Mendocino’s County’s boutique wineries, contact Mendo Wine Tours (www.mendowinetours.com, 707-937-6700). For kayaks, contact North Coast Adventures (www.northcoastadventures.com, 707-677-3124) or Stanford Inn & Spa.
Auto rentals: Coast Flyers (www.coastflyers.com/carrental.php, 707-937-1224) rents recent-model sedans as well as vans at Little River Airport. You can rent Jeeps and other vehicles from Sport Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge (707-964-5915, e-mail:
sportcjd@mcn.org). You’ll find hybrid and electric cars, as well as bikes, at Mendo Wheels in Mendocino (707-937-1132, e-mail:
gstarr@zapworld.com).
All About Little River Airport
Little River Airport (K048), which is only about three miles from Mendocino, would be your typical small country airfield if it weren’t for the fact that it was built as an emergency landing strip for bombers during World War II. Its lighted runway (5,249 by 150 feet) was thickly paved to handle very heavy aircraft.
“An instrument approach will hopefully be in service by midyear,” said airport supervisor Dave Thorpe, who is on duty Thursdays through Mondays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “It will be GPS, but I have no idea yet what the minimums will be. That will have to be determined after the FAA checks it out.
“We have a pilot-controlled runway lighting system for nighttime landings,” he added, “but noise can be an issue with local residents. Pilots are requested to fly as close to the runway as is safe when making their approach.”
Since you can’t buy jet fuel at Little River, you need to arrive with enough
on board to continue to the nearest airport that offers it. (That’s Ukiah Municipal, around 30 miles east-southeast. Its runway is 4,414 by 150 feet.) Air BP provides self-service 100LL-avgas for piston airplanes.
In summer, the prevailing westerly breezes waft (and sometimes whip) off the cold water of the Alaska current and meet hot summer air from northern California’s inland valleys. The result is an abundance of coastal fog. The way the swirling mist changes from translucent to nearly opaque charms poets, artists and pretty much everyone else–except pilots. It’s thickest during summer mornings and evenings, making it a good idea to plan for a midday landing in that season. In October, the winds change and inland valleys are cooler; and from then through winter, fog generally presents less of a problem.
“During storms in winter, it can be foggy, but in between, the weather is nice,” said Thorpe. “In the summertime, it’s definitely good to call ahead to get conditions. Usually when we have fog here, it’s clear over in Ukiah.”
For more about the airport, which is at an elevation of 572 feet, call (707) 937-5129 or send an e-mail to
lrairpt@mcn.org.
'Mendocino Coast' PDF
