Thank you for your patience as pictures are loading.
Little River Inn - Mendocino, California
Bob and I received a gift certificate to the Little River Inn in Mendocino, California, as an anniversary gift which we put to good use the first weekend in August. Mendocino is a scenic drive from Ukiah via Highways 253 and 128 through Anderson Valley or Highways 101 and 20 through Willits to coastal Highway 1, taking roughly an hour-and-a-half. During the trip, you leave the hotter inland valley, travel over the foothills and into the cool redwood forests until you reach the Pacific coast highway.
We settled in quickly and enjoyed the view from our balcony which overlooked the Pacific ocean and Van Damme State Park's beach to the north. Little River Inn's landscaping is beautiful and we admired the colorful hibiscus and other colorful flora. The weather was unexpectedly warm, allowing us to linger far into the evening in shorts and tank tops. But when the fog finally did roll in Friday night, we retreated to our room and lit a roaring fire in the fireplace.
MacKerricher State Park
Saturday morning we stopped in the on-site restaurant for a quick breakfast and then headed north on Highway 1 to visit MacKerricher State Park. Located just north of Ft. Bragg, MacKerricher is home to a freshwater lake, miles of sand dunes, and some outstanding tidal pools. Unfortunately, we did not coordinate our visit with the low tide!
There is a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk along the top of the cliffs at the south end of MacKerricher, leading down to the tidepools. We strolled along, marvelling at the dozens of what appeared to be a type of ground squirrel scurrying along the edges of the walkway.
The sky was clear and visibility extended for miles. We were able to see a small number of higher-elevation tide pools, but imagine our surprise when we turned around to see that we were within 30-or-so yards from a group of sunning harbor seals! Obviously, they had spotted us first and kept a wary eye out on our movements. We respectfully moved a further distance away as not to disturb them.
The village of Mendocino
After leaving MacKerricher, we headed back south and ventured into the town of Mendocino, well-known for its variety of shops and galleries. I should say, it seemed difficult to find anything but! I spent more time admiring the coastal gardens galore. The primroses were only a sampling of some of the magnificant displays.
Back to the Little River Inn
Saturday evening we spent again on our balcony, simply relaxing and taking in the spectacular views. Dinner was a tasty baked brie, roasted garlic, french bread and fruit. Buon appetito!
Our seagull friend non-chalantly coveted our bread and crackers from a distance as we ate. Luckily it was one of the less-aggressive gulls and we were able to savor our meal instead of having to guard it.
Our last night was calm and clear, only the barest whispers of fog began rolling in as the sun set. For anyone who is familiar with the Northern California coast, this is a relatively rare treat. I tried to capture it, but the picture below doesn't do it justice. The sky was full of brilliant oranges, pinks and lavenders....just gorgeous...and the perfect ending to a great weekend at the coast.
