Driving a hundred and fifty miles of twisty-turny two lane highway north from San Francisco to Mendocino, we passed water pools littered with seals, crossed the idyllic Russian River, and thrilled to giant redwood forests. Cows and sheep grazed the rugged California coastline and enjoyed enviable views the Pacific Ocean's spectacular raw beauty. We stopped and watched a coyote run the length of a barbed wire fence. Clouds turned to rain, but didn't squelch our passion for the journey.
Watching seals
Seals lounging on the shore
We fought wind and a downpour to check into the Mendocino Hotel that dates to 1878 when the town was home to more than twenty times its current population of less than 900. The hotel is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
A feeling of days gone by
Looking out the hotel's dining room window
Picturesque, even on a cloudy day
Birthed from the logging trades, quaint Mendocino now draws the artistically inclined souls of writers, artists, and sculptors. As I took pictures of the hotel's beautifully carved oak antique bar with its amazing stained glass dome I overheard a conversation about writing. I interrupted and found I was talking to the president of the Mendocino Chapter of the California Writers Club. You meet the nicest people when you eavesdrop.
The dome makes this amazing bar
I was charmed by the Highlight Gallery and ogled the jewelry, wishing someone would hand me $1000, and say "have fun." Upstairs I found beautiful furniture and revised my wish, increasing the amount to $10,000.
One of Elizabeth Berrien's wire sculptures flew along the ceiling
I'm a lover of Kaleidoscopes and was intrigued when I stumbled into Reflections. Breathtaking inadequately describes the brilliant color show this shop's Kaleidoscopes performed. There was a wide price range, but unfortunately I found myself cursed with caviar taste on a hot dog budget. Reflections also offered a lovely and unique selection of handcrafted jewelry, a couple of pieces I still regret not purchasing.
Reflections' Porch
Colorful displays with lots of eye-catching merchandise. It's worth a trip to Skip's website: Reflections-Kaleidoscopes.com. Photos above and below courtesy of Skip MacLaren, Reflections Kaleidoscopes
The downside of the miserable weather was that we decided to forgo whale watching. Female gray whales travel 12,000 miles from Alaska to the saltier and warmer waters of Mexico to give birth to their calves. Their return trips start in February. Whale sighting draws curious tourists from all over the country and the world. Since we live within driving distance, we decided to save the adventure for a sunny day next year.
The upside of the drizzle was more passive pleasures. We reflected on the Mendocino Hotel's resident Victorian female ghost who haunts tables 6 and 8 in the restaurant, appears in mirrors, and has been spotted in guest rooms where she turns lights on and off. The apparition is said to be playful with the housekeepers and opens doors for waitstaff carrying heavy trays.
Care to have a ghost join you for dinner?
Can't you just see a ghost walking around this old water tower?
Or meandering through these beautiful gardens?
The front desk offered movies filmed in the area. So we curled up in front of our fireplace, invited the ghost to join us (she declined), uncorked a bottle of local wine, and watched East of Eden and Overboard. Mendocino was also the backdrop for Murder, She Wrote, set in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine.
Rainy days invited a roaring fire, a good movie and a bottle of wine
Next trip we'll cross our fingers for fair weather and test our luck spotting Moby Dick.
Julie Albrecht Royce, Travel Adventures Editor, is the author of Traveling Michigan's Sunset Coast and Traveling Michigan's Thumb, both published by Thunder Bay Press. She writes a monthly column for wanderingeducators.com.
All photos courtesy and copyright Julie Royce, except where noted.