Mendocino



A favorite weekend getaway for Northern California Bay Area residents, the village of Mendocino is older than both the county and state to which it belongs, having leant its name to the former (320 km) and further still to the combined coastal watersheds that occupy the nearly 200 miles between the mouths of the Eel and Russian Rivers, known far and wide as the Mendocino Coast. The town has long been a haven for artists, and is famous for its art galleries as well as its restaurants and trendy shops. It is smaller and more "refined" than its blue collar neighbor to the North, Fort Bragg.

Understand
The city is sometimes called Mendocino Village to more clearly differentiate it from Mendocino County.

By plane
The closest international airport is San Francisco (SFO), though when accounting for traffic the smaller hubs in Oakland (OAK) and Sacramento (SMF) can often be reached more quickly and offer slightly cheaper fares. The greatest convenience is found in Santa Rosa at the Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS), though it, too, is still a nearly two hour drive away. Little River Airport (KLLR) is a small, county-owned public-use airport located just four miles southeast of the village and charter flights are available from Surf Air, among others, however the costs are prohibitive, averaging over $4,000 round trip for a three-seat craft to any of the smaller airports on the periphery of the Bay Area or Sacramento.

By car
From the Bay Area, the most scenic drive to Mendocino is on coastal Highway 1, winding through western Marin County and Sonoma County. A faster but less impressive alternative is to take highway 101 to the junction with tiny state Highway 128 just north of Cloverdale, then 128 to 1, about 2 miles south of the town proper. This route takes you through the Anderson Valley, which is one of Mendocino County's main wine-growing regions. Mendocino is about 165 miles north of San Francisco.

From the north, it's easiest to take Highway 1 south from highway 101 at near Garberville, through Fort Bragg. An alternate is taking state highway 20 west from Willits to Fort Bragg, then south to Mendocino.

By bus

 * MTA Route 60: The Coaster: Coastal bus service by the Mendocino Transit Authority, . Runs twice daily up and down the coast from Fort Bragg to Albion through Mendocino and Little River, costing $3-$4 per ride.

Get around
The town is easily walkable, but you will want a car for visiting nearby beaches and sights. The Headlands, the bluffs on the west end of town, are only a half-mile from the eastern part of town, which is only several blocks from north to south. Mountain bikes are another fun option.

The historic downtown area, where most of the interesting shops and restaurants are, can be a bit challenging to negotiate for people with mobility limitations. Some places have steep curbs or a couple of steps, and the sidewalks can be steeper than expected. However, alternate routes will almost always get you to your destination.

See
A favorite pastime from mid-December to early May is whale watching. Pods of grey whales are visible off the coast, migrating to and from their winter calving grounds off the coast of Baja California.

Sleep
There are several inns in the Mendocino Village. In addition to the many Bed and Breakfasts in town, there are a number of rental properties in the area. These tend to be booked on holiday and summer weekends, but many bargains are available off season.