I dream of being back on the Mendocino Coast… Sunshine, fresh ocean air, and no schedule. This particular weekend getaway sang to my heart, and while it was short, it was sweet in every sense. It was filled to the brim with love, beautiful spring weather (in February!), delicious food, fresh air, adventure, flowers, and a chance to recenter and reconnect.
Our weekend started Saturday morning. We opted to leave Saturday and stay only one night, because traveling with the dogs can be a challenge, and it put less pressure on us to have everything wrapped up and ready on Friday after a long day of work. Jared suggested it, and I am glad he did! The week leading up to our trip had been crazy with work and travel and meetings, so an extra night at home was appreciated. I also had travel scheduled the days following our weekend trip, so more time at home to prepare and pack helped relieve some anxiety about my to-do list. (Who wants to start vacation out stressed?!) Plus, coffee at home in your jammies, and an hour or two to putz around, just feels good.
As relaxing and nice as it was to wake up at home, getting out of the house early-ish Saturday was a bit rocky. I’m an early bird, and because I had to travel up the coast for work on Monday and Tuesday, I grabbed Charlotte and my stuff, and headed over a little earlier than Jared. Timing worked out perfect, as I made a few stops along the way, and we met up at the Caspar Beach for a little picnic.
This little beach is special to my heart, as it is the same beach my uncle and mom played at as kids. While my Nana worked at the old Caspar Inn, from the mature ages of 7 and 5, uncle and mom would run wild in the surrounding woods and down at this little beach searching for shells and critters.
We settled in at one of the big pieces of driftwood, let the dogs play, and started in on our picnic. Selfishly I packed all my favorite snacks – crackers, brie, cheddar, sardines, bread (from a sweet little french bakery I found on my drive), and dried figs. While Jared would have preferred sandwiches, I wanted something I could pack a few days in advance (always looking for efficiency!) and snacks that were light, tasty, and simple (simple=less opportunity for a sand-in-food disaster). A little bit of sand still somehow made it into the snacks, but it was easy to forget when you looked up at the view. The weather couldn’t have been any more beautiful, and I simply enjoyed watching the waves and the sunshine on my face.
Once we were done with lunch, we checked into the hotel and were nothing short of amazed. A sweet friend of mine surprised us and booked us a room at The Little River Inn. I had struggled to find a quaint, dog-friendly place close to the water, and am forever grateful to Brendan for introducing us to this magical little place! Our room had a fireplace, a sauna shower, and a clear view of the ocean. They were so incredibly welcoming to both us and our pets. Walking into the room, a doggy bowl for food and water was laid out, with plenty of dog treats for Cisco and Charlotte.
PS – Brendan is an amazing photographer (met him through work!) who truly captures the beauty of the coast and all of its hidden gems. Check out his website for some drool-worthy photos. If my photos don’t convince you, I promise his will have you booking your trip ASAP – BrendanMcGuigan.com.
After checking in, we headed to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. I have been dreaming of going to this botanical garden for over a year, and am looking forward to going back in the upcoming seasons! I loved walking the garden with no plan, just browsing, and taking different paths as they came up. The gardens take you all the way to the ocean, so you definitely want a jacket for the ocean breeze, but those views are jaw-dropping. There are little benches throughout the garden to just sit and enjoy. I think I could have spent all day walking around and enjoying the peaceful vibe that radiates through the 47-acre garden. Besides the ocean views, my other favorite part of the garden was the little Vegetable Garden and Orchard. The garden shed and details here were adorable, and had me longing to get home and plant my own garden. I had hoped to find more mushrooms on our walk, but it seemed to be a bit dry, so we didn’t see as many. I plan on coming back next year during the rainy season to capture some more ‘shrooms, and in the fall when the dahlia garden is in full bloom!
I couldn’t help myself, and bought some flowers from the Botanical Garden Nursery. I was so hopped up on flowers, we also went to a close-by nursery and browsed some more (they’re an addiction!).
Once I had flowered myself out, we went further into Fort Bragg to the North Coast Brewing Taproom. Ya’ll know I am a Budlight gal, but North Coast’s Scrimshaw is my other current favorite! We enjoyed some beer, and a big order of fried brussel sprouts. So tasty! We sat at the bar, and loved the bartenders, staff, and other visitors. We laughed at what characters they were the rest of the day. I am so glad we stopped by, it will always be on our list for upcoming trips.
After we’d had a beer and a snack, we strolled down to some neighboring shops. Jared got a treat at the local butcher shop, and I found some Rumiano Cheese (I totally geek out, and love looking/finding our cheese in all my travels)! Next up, I got a treat at the Mendocino Chocolate Company. I tried to limit myself, but, hello – vacation! And went a little wild on the chocolate treats. No regrets.
It was getting later in the afternoon, so we headed back to the Inn. We made late dinner reservations at check in, so we had some time to relax before walking over to the restaurant. A little down time was perfect, and we enjoyed the sunset and a beer on the porch in front of our room.
The restaurant and bar were a short one minute walk from our room. I can see why people like to spend time at the bar, they have Scrimshaw! Oh, and it looks straight out onto the water and is known for whale-watching views!
To quickly sum up dinner: it was amazing! I am a seafood lover, and being right on the coast, I went for seafood-everything. We started with oysters on the half shell (my favorite), and I chose the scallops for my entree. They were cooked to perfection, and the bits of pork belly added an extra level of decadence. Jared ordered the only steak on the menu – a flat iron steak – and was skeptical to say the least (definitely not known for being the best cut of beef). Both of us were pleasantly surprised when it came to the table. They did an excellent job cooking and seasoning it. Jared and I both agreed that was the best flat iron steak we’d ever had (and it rivaled some of the better cuts of beef we’ve eaten!).
I am also a dessert kind of gal, so I couldn’t pass up the highly recommended cobbler, and a cappuccino, to round out the evening. Jared got a nice scotch, and we reveled in our rare extravagance.
It is safe to say we waddled back to the room and quickly fell asleep with full bellies.
Being the early bird, I got up Sunday morning and enjoyed a cup of coffee while working on the blog, on our porch. I spent as much time as I could out on the porch, it was just too beautiful!
Once Jared and the dogs got up, we took the private path from the Inn to Van Damme Park, dogs in tow.
The trail was cute, and convenient, and had ocean views the whole way. Once we got to the park we took a trail up to another campground, enjoying an array of mushrooms along the way. We then started towards the main trail head, and met a number of other friendly visitors on the way. We were disappointed to find the trail wasn’t dog friendly, but all was well. We had set out to get some fresh air and stretch our legs, which we’d happily accomplished, so back to the hotel we went!
From there, we showered, got ready, packed up, and checked out. I had read/heard about the Pygmy Forest, so we decided to drive out to it. It was a short walk-about, but interesting to learn how the soils created this stunted forest. It was fun to see something different, and learn more about the land!
We decided our next stop would be Mendocino, and we’d grab some breakfast/check out the shops. That was until I noticed the Little River Cemetery.
Cemetery?
Yep. Cemetery. On our last trip to Fort Bragg with some friends, they introduced me to this little treasure. If you park in front of, and walk through, the cemetery you will have access to gorgeous ocean views and the Little River Blowhole. I had to show Jared.
I made Jared hike down into the Blowhole with me (a little risky – they only have one rope to help you scale down the steep side). He was a bit dubious about why we needed to actually hike down there, but it was fun, and everyone needs a little adventure! I love this little spot, and am glad I got to share it with Jared.
Once we’d gotten our fill of the Blowhole and views, we headed to Downtown Mendocino. Of course we had to stop and check out the Mendocino Garden Shop… poor Jared was about over plants by the time this weekend ended. Sorry! From there we parked at one end of Mendocino and proceeded to walk the length of downtown. We made our way over a street or two and stumbled upon Goodlife Bakery and Cafe. We both loved this little cafe – the breakfast (I opted for a fresh bagel with cream cheese, cucumbers, smoked salmon, and capers) and coffee was delicious. We both said we want to go back the next time we visit!
Once we’d finished breakfast, we popped into a couple little shops and made our way over to the museum. We walked through the whale exhibit and got a fun little lesson in the local history. After our refresher in whale facts, we walked over to Papa Bear’s Chocolate Haus (ya know, have to compare all the chocolates to see who’s the best!).
I was sad to wrap up our trip, but Jared was taking the doggos back to the valley, and I had to drive up the coast for work.
Without a doubt, I could have stayed another week, but, back to reality! I loved the opportunity to unplug and get away for the weekend. It was a much needed getaway to relax, recenter, and reconnect. Life can be stressful, and I am so grateful I am able to go on these weekend adventures. I love learning and seeing new things, and getting to experience them all with Jared.
We will most certainly be making a trip back (hopefully sooner, rather than later, and for a longer period of time!). There are a few places we will be visiting again, and a long list of places we still want to check out!
Drop a comment below for your favorite spots in Mendocino/Fort Bragg, and where you love to take weekend getaways!
Cheers, loves. I hope you spent your weekend relaxing and re-centering, ready for the new week!
Beer in a Martini World 