Guide to Mendocino, CA Pt. 1
Mendocino is a short three hours north of San Francisco, making it an ideal location for a quick getaway, while also offering so much beauty that you could easily justify a full length vacation! Having visited a few times already and planning another trip in the next couple of months, I have collected a list of a few favorite activities - there is honestly so much more, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.
Little River Inn
Little River Inn-Photo By @sarahmontoya
On this trip we stayed at Little River Inn in one of their off-property cottages. We had two bedrooms, one large bathroom with both a shower and a soaking tub, a mini fridge and microwave, a fireplace and two decks with a hot tub and the most glorious view!
As much as I love Mendocino, our little cottage was the highlight of this trip. With three kids ages 5 and under we loved having a small yard, not sharing walls with our neighbors, and having plenty of space to relax together. The kids loved the gas fireplace and it was so nice to be able to simply push a button and have it light up- and their faces with it! The view really was the most fantastic part of the trip - we had a sweeping view of the ocean from our deck as we watched the sun rise and set each day, and the night sky was glorious! We let the kids stay up late each night to learn the constellations as we looked up at the type of sky you can only see outside of city limits, and without needing a telescope.
Little River Inn- Photo By @sarahmontoya
With that said I am very confident I would have loved many of the rooms in the main building. The Little River Inn website offers a helpful guide to choosing your room with a list of pros and cons for each room. The various amenities available are unique and fun depending on the room. Having all the information made it easy to decide on the right space for my family and we absolutely made the right choice.
For the film history buffs, you’ll enjoy the fact that James Dean stayed here while filming East of Eden.
Activities:
Skunk Train
Skunk Train-Photo by @sarahmontoya
The Pudding Creek Express departs out of Fort Bragg and is a lovely way to enjoy the scenic views of the area while also experiencing “old timey” railroad travel. The Skunk Train first started running in 1885 and travels 7 miles through old growth redwoods, along the Pudding Creek Estuary, and stops at Glen Blair Junction so you can stretch your legs before heading back. The estuary offers unique opportunities for bird watching. If you enjoy hiking you have the option of taking the early train out to the junction and returning 2 hours later on the next train back - I wish we had done this because the redwoods in the junction were stunning!
Skunk Train-Photo by @sarahmontoya
The observation train was our absolute favorite part of the trip - the open air train car offered the perfect experience for soaking in the sights and watching the engine curve down the tracks. (Our kids are still talking about the train weeks after the trip.) We definitely want to return for the railbikes when the kids are old enough to spend the day pedaling down the railroad tracks as it’s such a unique way to explore the redwoods.
Fort Bragg Glass Beach
Glass Beach-Photo by @sarahmontoya
Just north of the Skunk Train is Glass Beach. Glass Beach is exactly what it sounds like: an entire beach of beautiful sea glass. The uniquely colorful beach is great for tide pooling and wading. It’s an easy stop to add to any Northern California road trip or you can spend the afternoon hanging out exploring the tiny treasures. Please note that it is illegal to take the smoothed glass from the beach. The smoothed glass pieces are pieces of trash that have been flattened out by the waves over the past 50 years (the area was treated as a dump in the early 1900s).
Glass Beach-Photo by @sarahmontoya
Light Station- Photo by @Sarahmontoya
This adorable little light house station is a great location for whale watching and an easy hike - the lighthouse is just a short half a mile walk down an access road from the parking lot with fun facts about whales along the road. The area is surrounded by cliffs - I would recommend keeping your kids close as there are multiple signs warning about the risks of erosion. In addition to seeing some whales off the coast I love this little space because of the little enclave where you can often find seals swimming down below. The indoor spaces were closed due to Covid precautions when we visited but I look forward to returning to check out the fully restored lighthouse visitor center and museum.
Russian Gulch State Park
Russian Gulch State Park-Photo by @sarahmontoya
This state park offers a bit of everything: whether you want an easy stroll on the beach with pictures of the arch of the Frederick Panhorst Bridge, or longer hikes to the beautiful waterfall or through Fern Canyon - there are options for all hiking levels and ages. It’s just $8 to enjoy the park for the day or you can use your California State Park Pass. It's the type of park you can visit repeatedly and always find more to love.
Little River Inn Restaurant
We kept it simple this time by eating our main meals at the Inn or picnicking while we were out and about. Breakfast and dinner at the Inn were fantastic! The simplicity of having breakfast delivered to our cottage in the mornings made getting ready with three small children so much easier and our dinner in the restaurant was delicious!
Meal room serviced from Little River Inn-Photo by @sarahmontoya
During our visit the restaurant had a garden tent set up for outdoor eating to accommodate Covid precautions. The ambiance was elegant and a little magical. The staff did an amazing job responding to our rambunctious little ones. The main menu does not list kid items; however, the server provided appropriate kid friendly options to feed our littles and keep them happy. The adults ordered an array of appetizers and two fabulous main dishes - I personally was very pleased with the gluten free options. The kids got a little stir crazy so we skipped dessert, but I managed to enjoy a quick espresso and again it was lovely. We observed a number of families and the staff seemed to welcome them all with ease; however, if you can swing some childcare I would absolutely recommend enjoying this place kid free, it's so romantic and the food deserves to be savored.
Things to Pack:
Layers for Northern CA weather - the days are warm but the nights are chilly even in the summer
Waterproof hiking shoes or sandals for wading and hiking
Towels for drying off after hitting the beach
Blankets for picnics
Binoculars for whale and bird watching
Swimsuits - especially if your booking a room with a hot tub
Hats and sunscreen