Scenic seascapes, fabulous food, wine, accommodations, and, of course, dog friendliness, make Mendocino one of my favorite places in California. While Carmel by the Sea holds a certain mystique, I find it too touristy for a Bay Area staycation, especially if you’re looking to escape the bustle of city life and wander through a town where, after a few days, you feel like a local.
I try to plan several trips to the Mendocino coast each year during different seasons. While summer is lovely, it’s also crowded because children are out of school. A couple of 4th of Julys ago, we took our dogs Quinn and Skylar (my late, amazing pit bull of 12 years) for a long weekend (mostly to escape the Skylar panic-inducing fireworks) at the famous Little River Inn, a fixture in the area for over 85 years. The grand façade is breathtaking as you pull into the drive, and many rooms feature large decks overlooking the grand Pacific. But taking the dogs to the beach was a challenge, with impossible parking and the water too full of kayakers and kids for Skylar to do the swimming she loved so much, something she did almost daily at Crissy Field from the time I adopted her as a puppy.
In June, before the summer rush, you can hit the annual Urchin Festival in Fort Bragg (if you’re a fan of the creamy, briny critters like me). Spring is a no-brainer, but again, you have to time it just right because of spring break. That leaves my favorite times of year to visit the area, fall and winter.
This year, for the first time, I made two trips sans dogs. You will likely encounter some rain (which I love), and if you come in late November or December, you’ll see the local inns lit up with festive holiday sparkle. Foodwise, if you love mushrooms, this is the time for you to enjoy Mendocino’s local bounty.
Wine on the way
Years ago, a friend told me about Lula Cellars in Philo, which she said was the dog-friendliest winery around. After numerous stops there on the way to Mendocino (it’s about 30 minutes outside of Little River), I can attest that it’s true. A boutique winery located in the revered “Deep End” of the Anderson Valley, Lula is famous for their award-winning handcrafted Pinot Noirs, and they produce just 4,000 cases per year.
This past October, it was a perfect sunshiny day, so we grabbed a picnic table on the covered patio overlooking the vineyard-covered hills. Because it was a weekday, we didn’t expect to see many other folks, but several couples from around the country joined us, all members of Lula’s popular wine club, which offers benefits such as 15 to 25 percent discounts on retail purchases throughout the year, complimentary tastings, and invitations to “members only” events.
New Zealand native winemaker Matt Parish has spent over 15 years in a career spanning 25 vintages, from small luxury wineries to large publicly listed wine companies, but he’s hit his stride at Lula. The wines we tried had a depth and balance that I don’t remember in previous visits. We took bottles of some of our favorites for our holiday table, including the Guntly Red, which our tasting room expert referred to as the Hippy Redneck blend, “embracing a little kookiness.” It was smooth with an intense finish and exceptionally drinkable. The tasting room is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended; walk-ins are welcome, subject to availability.
MacCallum house has it all
We spent our first two nights at the historic MacCallum House, built in 1882 by William Kelley as a wedding gift for his daughter, Daisy. Surrounded by verdant gardens and expansive lawns, the property remains a popular wedding venue, but its charm goes far beyond large events. The lauded MacCallum Restaurant, located on the main property, serves classic seasonal Northern California cuisine starring local ingredients created by executive chef Alan Kantor (the restaurant is closed for dinner until Feb. 11).
The cozy interior, adorned with dark wood and featuring wood-burning fireplaces that crackled and warmed the room, has a rustic elegance befitting the menu, which included a well-rounded selection of seafood, poultry, and vegetarian options. Standouts included a roasted acorn squash with quinoa, kale, wild mushrooms, cashews, roasted garlic sauce, pomegranate balsamic reduction, and fried sage; and one of the best versions of fried chicken I’ve ever had — half a crispy, crusted, juicy Mary’s free-range bird with chive mashed potatoes, Trumpet Royale sherry gravy, and braised greens. And I guess I’m not alone — the server told us that it’s so popular with locals, the chef can’t take it off the menu.
Our cottage was a short walk from the main house down a winding garden path. It featured a private patio with a hot tub, while the interior offered a fireplace, skylights, a fireplace, and a clawfoot soaking tub. The location is close to downtown shopping and dining as well. The New York Times said, “There is no better place to spend an entire evening than the MacCallum House,” and I couldn’t agree more.
Fort Bragg’s only luxury hotel
If you’re looking for a secluded stay farther away from the main drag, check into Fort Bragg’s only luxury hotel, the Noyo Harbor Inn. The only thing more impressive than our expansive room was the impressive soaking tub on the top level, replete with a view of Noyo Harbor. As a food and travel writer, I’ve stayed in a lot of exceptional rooms with exceptional tubs, but this one tops the list.
The HarborView Bistro and Bar, open Monday through Wednesday, offers indoor and outdoor dining, with pet-friendly outdoor areas and heat lamps for chilly nights. We made our reservation outside overlooking the picturesque Noyo River at sunset, where we watched sea lions cruise in and out along with the boats.
HarborView is renowned for its curated whiskey list, so we chose a whiskey pairing for one of our dinners. Pan-seared petrale sole (my favorite local fish) was stuffed with fresh Dungeness crab, shiitake mushrooms, onions, and leeks, topped with champagne sauce, and a sushi rice cake. It was paired with Dalwhinnie 15-year Scotch whisky. I was in the mood for a cocktail with vodka and lavender, so mixologist Robin ran over and picked some sprigs of fresh lavender growing in front of Cabin 13. She made me a refreshing lavender mule with house-made lavender bitters and lavender simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer, garnished with bruised lavender sprigs and a dried lime wheel. I enjoyed the classic eight-ounce Maine lobster tail and a perfectly medium-rare filet mignon served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and a red wine demiglace.
Don’t miss Part 2 to discover where we stayed and what we did on our trip back down the coast.