Mendocino is one of our favorite places to escape to for a long weekend! It's a charming coastal…read moretown and the perfect place to get away from all the hustle and bustle of life. If you are looking for relaxation, to unwind, and to melt away away all of your stress, this is a great place for you. The downtown area is very walkable to shops, restaurants, etc. It's fun to have a meal, check out the shops, and I love that all of the downtown area is in walking distance to the coast. Some of the restaurants have stunning coastal views. The restaurants have fresh food and their seafood is amazing! There are lots of outdoor activities and hiking trails. We love hiking here! It's great for going kayaking or canoeing as well. You can explore the hidden coves and soak in the breathtaking coastal views. You can also have a picnic on the coast and enjoy the beautiful sunsets on the Mendocino coast. We always stop at the Botanical Gardens when visiting the area because we love walking through their beautiful gardens. We also love that this place and so many others in Mendocino are dog-friendly!

Mendocino is such a charming little town that I make a point to visit every year. It's the perfect…read moreNorthern California getaway, with its quaint boutique shops supporting local small businesses, as well as beautiful scenic views and great hikes. Whether you're exploring the coastline or walking through the town, there's always something lovely to see. One of the highlights of my trips is definitely trying the foraged foods -- Mendocino is known for its fresh foraged mushrooms, and they're a must-try if you're a fan of unique, local flavors. Overall, it's a peaceful, picturesque destination that I highly recommend!

I love Fort Bragg. I've been coming here for years. I try to get to town 2-3 times a year. It's my…read morego to spot for relaxation, chillaxing, walking, exploring, hiking, photography and to hang out with my dogs. Over the last two years I've made friends with some of the locals, too. I see them at the dog park, another fun place near a beautiful aquatic center. There is something for everyone here: food, ice cream, chocolate, activities, shopping, exploring the harbor, beaches, restaurants, a movie theater, souvenirs, train or rail bikes; some of the rail bikes have dog kennels so your pup can go with you. Lots of local events at various times of the year. I look forward to going again in the fall or winter.

In my experience, people checking city reviews are potential tourists or residents, so I have a…read morereview for each. As a tourist destination, it's a sleepy little getaway ideal for families. Couples and groups of friends not expecting a roaring nightlife will like it as well. Of the natural popular points of interest, I wasn't too excited about the botanical gardens (Plants!), Fort Bragg Coastal Trail (Water!), Pomo Bluffs Park (Cliffs!), Jackson State Park (Trees!), Noyo Beach (Driftwood!), Belinda Point Trail (Mud!), Otis Johnson Park (Stairs!), Noyo Headlands Park (Rocks!), MacKerricher State Park (Sand!), Seaside Beach (Rocks AND Sand!), but Pudding Creek Beach, which is directly under a tall picturesque bridge is cool. Russian Gulch State Park (nine miles south) features the Sinking Hole and another beach under a bridge that is even taller and picturesquer. The biggest draw, of course, was Glass Beach (see separate review), which brought us four hours from San Jose. However, I suspect that people unwilling to hike down some small but precarious cliffs to less-travelled coves will likely be unimpressed by the treasure hunting. Fort Bragg has a main strip/downtown area with some cool things to see, buy, and eat. FOOD: Fair amount of independent options. We enjoyed Cowlick's (separate review), which has lines of people waiting for nationally recognized homemade ice cream. Egghead's and Laurel's Deli (with a huge locomotive) are popular for breakfast, though we ate with the locals at David's Deli (separate review) down the road where 1 and 20 meet. The Bakery has "special" baked goods that will get you baked. DRINK: We grabbed a drink at Welcome Inn (separate review), next to Golden West Saloon, both of which are unpretentious bars with pool and shuffleboard. Stop by Golden West for the Fort Bragg postcard photo op. Elsewhere, Pacific Star Winery and North Coast Brewing are well-reviewed. MUSEUMS: the Sea Glass Museum (separate review) has the largest display of sea glass in the world. Triangle Tattoo Museum, Mendocino Coast Model Railroad Museum, and the Guest House Museum (displaying a historically-dated cross-section of redwood outside) are downtown as well. Elsewhere, Noyo Center for Marine Science has an orca skeleton and interactive topographic sandbox. ACTIVITIES: Skunk Train looks fun, offering rides by rail bike or train, but it was too overpriced for me (I think the prices for Skunk stink). The kids might enjoy Wiggly Giggly Playground outside the Ft. Bragg Library. Elsewhere, you can ride a horse at Ricochet Ridge, kayak past seals and sea otters (like Liquid Fusion is one vendor) or catch an early movie at the independent Coast Cinema. SHOPPING: Lots of shops. We enjoyed Lost Surf Shop (separate review), where Shasta will give you a high five if you rub her belly. Just make sure her husband doesn't see. (Just kidding, Shasta is a dog). As a resident, it doesn't appear to be overcrowded or disruptive despite being a tourist destination. The city's history is linked to military, fishing, lumber and the displaced Pomo tribe. Mild weather and uniquely cool summers. Not incredibly diverse (75% white) and most people vote blue. Property theft rates are double state average, violent crime is 33% higher. Thanks, Obama. (I kid). The seclusion can be good or bad. The 101 at Willits is 35 miles of elevated, winding roads that can take you to Santa Rosa (2.2 hr) or San Francisco (3.3 hr). The I-5 at Williams (2.7 hr) can get you to Sacramento (3.7 hr). Seems like a nice place to live, especially along the rocky coast, which reminds me of the black-and-white emo version of Big Sur.

If you have never gone on one of these events, add it to your bucket list…read more You start off on this little beach hidden off of Hwy 1 just as you are heading into Gualala. As you drive up, the smell of bbq is wafting through the summer air. On the evening that we went, we had the choice between Steak or Lobster. We had the lobster...yummy. Afterwards, we loaded into our kayaks and slowly made our way down the Gualala River (I think that's the river), until we ended up at the ocean...all under a huge bright full moon.

One of NorCals best kept secrets is the quaint town of Point Arena, home of Arena Cove! The…read moreabsolute most picturesque, gentle, calm and natural water views you'll ever see! Arena Cove is home to a pizza parlor and coffee shop as well as a fishing pier and if you come at low tide, the most amazing tide pools with fish, sea urchin, sea star fish, crab and countless water plants. Beautiful hiking on the shoreline and the best sunsets! I love visiting when I need a time out from the hustle and bustle of life; a quick trip is always humbling and helps me to refocus on the finer things in life... like nature!!!

I hate it when people Yelp landmarks instead of businesses. Just a personal pet peeve of mine…read more There's an exception to every rule, and I happen to be exceptional, so based on three exceptions to the rule I believe a review of Point Arena Cove is worthy of Yelp. First, this is an obscure little town and it needs Yelp reviews to encourage people to stop and experience all it has to offer. Second, this cove is not visible from Hwy 1 so you might drive right past it. Third, there are hours associated with the pier (open for boat launches from 7am to 4pm), so it's like a business. I'm not an expert on coves, but I've seen quite a few in my day. I think I'm a pretty good judge of cove character. La Jolla Cove, in San Diego was my favorite. Until I visited Point Arena Cove. There is so much going on here. I visited on a Saturday morning and ended up having great conversations with the very warm locals. A few showed me the abalone they had just hauled in (the Fish Police were right there to make sure every one was legal) and another showed me pictures of an albatross that visits the cove (very rare!) surfing with surfers. There are dogs galore (please leash them on the pier) and nice owners to go with them. This is a working cove, but people also go to talk and drink coffee. The cove is the best place to capture the local flavor of Point Arena. You absolutely must visit it.

One of my favorite vacation or long weekend spots. I love the area due to its weather, chill…read moreatmosphere, various places to eat and something for everyone. Beautiful views, photo opportunities, dog friendly, great parking, view points,

That California coast life! There's just nothing else like it. The Mendocino coast is just…read moreravishing. If you've never been to the Mendocino Coast, then you are seriously missing out in life. Of course the beaches are beautiful, but there's so much more to explore here. So many amazing parks that are filled with old growth Redwoods and flourishing waterfalls. The old town historic district that still incorporates much of the Victorian era. Delicious restaurants and adorable mom and pop shops. Campgrounds and hiking trails galore. Visiting the amazing parks here have made for some of my most favorite memories during my visits. Hiking the stunning coastal bluffs through Mackerricher State Park or taking a stroll through the headlands are just a few of my favorite things to do here. And that drive! That scenic drive down highway 1 will practically make your heart melt. I love that you can stop off at just about any point on the road to soak in the beautiful sights and sounds of this coastline. So grateful to be able to live so close to this beautiful coast.

Not a big place, but a good jumping off spot to explore this part of the coast. Two grocery stores,…read moreample places to eat and sleep. Most of the motels have ocean view, and there is a short walking path along the bluff looking out across the river to the ocean. The regional park, a short drive, was a great beach walk. This is off the beaten path for Bay Area crowds, just north of Sea Ranch Plantation, with a reasonable range of places to stay and eat. Most of your exploring from here will be by car, but that was fine with us.

It's a very pretty town to pass through. I have passed through this town hundreds of times in my 60…read moreyears of life. However, this is the first time I have stayed in the area. First off I want to say restaurants are limited. I found one restaurant that had outdoor seating, aside from the one that had 'to go' shrimp burritos... There is a beautiful beach you see as you're passing through town, but there is literally no access to that beach (aside from a trail that runs several miles from Sea Ranch). I was shocked. Had to drive to anchor Bay to have access to a walk on beach. There was one beach at exit 5726. That allows you to pull off with signs, and then you get halfway down the trail and it tells you it's been closed since January 2026 due to erosion. There is one other beach, but there are numerous staircases to navigate. So you don't want to go there if you have elderly family members or pets. I was just really surprised, there are no places to walk, check out, or shop, it's just not your average Mendocino town. All things considered it's very pretty to pass through, but I wouldn't advise making a stop for any kind of beach or restaurant experience. Definitely not for the lodging experience. There's a very heavily crowded campground in anchor Bay, which is the only walk on beach in the area for 30 miles, the gal told me. I suppose if you wanted to snug in there neck to neck with all the other RVs and campers to get that itty-bitty beach then si be it. Not impressed. For ample space and drive up to walk out on beaches, go a little further. Mendocino county is full of amazing places to explore. As soon as you get to Albion, you find beach after beach, that doesn't take navigating multiple stairs or walking through crazy campgrounds to see the ocean. You have access to beaches all the way from Van Damme down to Cleone in Mendocino and everything in between. This little town of gualala is pretty too pass through, but that's about it.

TTHE BEST small town fair! Not to be missed! Complete with parade on Sunday, and the Sheep Dog…read moretrails, plus local vendors and 4H judging. Lots of rides for the kids.

I was in the area, totally by accident, at the time of the Fair. With my favorite short person in…read moretow, getting conned into going was a forgone conclusion. Let me qualify by saying that I don't really care for rides, crowds or paying twice as much for ho-hum food eaten standing. So I was not expecting to enjoy myself. Boy, was I wrong! Some highlights: -Science tent for kids -Very gentle shaded petting zoo tent (I think I enjoyed it more than the kid.) -Very good live music in a wooded glen area with plenty of seating -Sweet local parade -Extra long slide -Pony rides -Extensive agricultural display (the sheep and goats were particularly fun) -Anderson Valley Beer We packed a picnic to enjoy by the river later, but I almost regretted that. The food smelled quite good. I still wasn't crazy for the rides or games. But, hey, it's a fair.

The Road to Petrolia! The Lost Coast!…read more My brother knows all the good spots up here. He has lived up this way for the past 13 years and knows all the roads, scenic views, ins and outs etc of Humboldt County. He took us through Ferndale and then we hit this road for a little drive. This road is pretty rough. Potholes, uneven ground, gravel, 2 lanes turning into 1, bumps etc. If you have a 4wd, you will be fine. We had a Chevy Sonic rental car, and my mom was bitching and complaining about the bumps the whole way up lol. You know what though? It was worth every single bump and bruise done to the car and our asses! This road is absolutely beautiful! It's a windy road that goes for about 40 miles. We didn't take it the whole way, but did go about 20 miles on it. Took us about an hour in, mostly uphill (we stopped to snap a lot of pictures!), and only about 30 minutes coming out, mostly downhill. This drive had everything! Beautiful scenery at every turn. Cows roaming freely in the fields, tons of beautiful ferns, bushes, trees etc. You would go from high up the hills, through thick fog, down into clear skies where you could see for miles and miles. I'm telling you, this road had EVERYTHING! We wound up down by the beach and stopped to take in the sights. Absolutely stunning! Appropriately named "The Lost Coast" due to nothing being developed out this way, no main highways/roads that connect to these small communities along this road. If I won the lotto, I would buy a house up this way. Nobody for miles and miles! If you have some time, I would highly, and I mean HIGHLY recommend this drive. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a more scenic drive that I have encountered in my 39 years on Earth. It was beyond beautiful and I'm glad my brother took us on this path.

Rough road, best taken in something with some suspension travel to cushion out the bumps. I took…read moreit in my mildly lifted Samurai which was perfect. Take your time and be careful through all the blind curves. SPECTACULAR views, some of the best I found in a weekend that includes Highway 36, Crescent City and plenty of redwoods. The view of the coast and beaches was a wonderful treat. I will be printing pictures from this trip.

Across Hwy 1 from pacific ocean. Clean small cabins w communal kitchen and bathroom very close…read more Just a very nice, affordable, down to earth (a bit funky, though clean) place to stay up the coast. Nearby beach access via passage under Hwy 1. Close to Ft Bragg for restaurants, grocery stores, thrifts, movies, etc. Friendly staff. Feels very safe here. This has been a lovely gem to discover: I will return.

We stayed in one of the bunkhouse rooms and it was a delightful stay! We will definitely come back…read moreif we're ever near Mendocino again. Bathrooms, shared kitchen, and room were clean and well kept. Plus the grounds were beautiful and we even had some deer visitors right outside our door.