We enjoyed a week-long trip to Northern California at the end of March. We had gotten a "Travelzoo" coupon which entitled us to two nights lodging at the historic Mendocino Hotel in Mendocino. Then, for Christmas, our wonderful children and grandchildren gave us a two night stay at the Benbow Inn in Garberville in Northern California. It made perfect sense to combine the trips, so off we went!
We (ok, I) decided to go up the coast so we crossed over to Highway 1 right after the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful trip but an endless series of "s" curves - so much so that I ended up wearing my wrist bands! Including our picnic stop in Bodega Bay, the trip took about 6 hours! I won't be making that mistake again!
The weather was gray and overcast in Mendocino, but NO rain! We got checked into the hotel and then moved into our Garden Suite room - it was quite nice! In addition to our two night stay, our coupon provided us with a wine flight for two. So after we settled in we went back to the lounge and enjoyed our wine flight, which consisted of a "taste" of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel wines, from a winery in Lodi. All of the wines were served at once, so we had 8 wine glasses on our table - caused quite a stir!
It was nice to sit and enjoy our wine after the long drive and we ended up ordering salads for dinner in the lounge as well. Then, since it was Monday night, we went back to our room to watch the opening night of Dancing with the Stars!
Tuesday was supposed to be rainy, but it was just a bit gray and windy. After breakfast we got a nice walk along the bluffs and some good pictures looking back at Mendocino, which reminds both of us of an East Coast fishing village. We did some wandering around town, and picked up some breakfast items to have the next morning before leaving for Garberville. That evening we had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant of the hotel and redeemed our $50 dinner coupon! Overall a great travelzoo experience!!
On Wednesday morning we had breakfast in our room, packed up, checked out and headed north. We had a list of stops to make before we got to Highway 101 and the Benbow Inn. Our first stop was at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, located in Fort Bragg. These are the only botanical gardens in mainland US that extend to the ocean. The gardens were wonderful - lots of bulbs blooming, as well as azaleas, camellias and rhododendron's. We enjoyed a couple of hours there, and left with several plants - a rolling nursery!
Next stop was at the Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. We first went to this beach, which is the site of a previous dump from the 1940's when Bryan and Peter visited in 2010. The beach is covered with sea glass! Sixty years of being tumbled by sand and sea have left a plethora of glass and pottery pieces - a treasure trove! We spent a short time there as it was windy and cool, but Lee found a piece of blue sea glass and I found a piece of red! Success!!
And what trip is complete without a trip to a winery? The Pacific Star Winery is north of Fort Bragg and is located right on the ocean bluffs. They have a lovely picnic area and great wine. Lunch and shared a glass of wine there before heading on to Garberville.
Fortunately the road over to Highway 101 wasn't nearly as windy, and no wrist bands were required. It was a beautiful drive with lots of bulbs blooming and trees beginning to bud along the way.
And then, there was the Benbow Inn! It's a beautiful old Inn, built in the 1920's. To stay in the main hotel is to step back in time - we love it! We had a great room there, complete with a decanter of sherry! We had dinner in their wonderful dining room on Wednesday night and then retired to our room with some good books and a glass of wine - heaven!
On Thursday we had a leisurely morning and then took a day trip on the Avenue of the Giants - a trip through amazing old-growth redwoods. They were totally amazing and we took a million pictures that don't come close to conveying their tremendous size - tall, proud trees!
After enjoying the redwoods we continued on to Ferndale. We've driven past Ferndale countless times but never took the time to stop. This little village is billed as the most complete Victorian town in California, and the main street and residences make you feel like you are in another time and place. We visited lots of shops, took lots of pictures, picnicked at their park, and decided that the next time we get that far north, we'll stay at the Victorian Inn!
Then it was time to head back to the Benbow - we didn't want to miss happy hour!! Happy hour is a great deal - all of the wines, salads and appetizers are half price! We enjoyed a nice glass of red wine, salads and appetizers and called it dinner! Life is good!!
We had breakfast in the restaurant, and then our Northern California escape was coming to an end. We made a stop in Healdsburg on the way home, at the Nalle Winery, where Lee picked up a few bottles for our collection.
We were home by 4:00 (missed the commute traffic in SF!), got the car unloaded, unpacked and got laundry started.
What a wonderful week! We had a grand and glorious time! Thank you so much, kids and grand kids! And thank you "Travelzoo", too!!
The Mendocino Hotel - built in 1878
Our "Garden Suite" room
A very welcoming room!
Our wine flight!
A very relaxing, decadent experience - and we got some strange looks from other patrons in the lounge!
The bluffs, looking out to sea
This little "private residence" is for sale!
A creative use of driftwood!
Mosaic chair!
The Mendocino Botanical Gardens
Unusual ground cover from New Zealand!
Succulent garden
The heathers and heaths were exuberant!
We were surprised to see this beautiful New Zealand Rimu tree!
Cactus!
Snow drift
Rhododendrons!
The vegetable garden, complete with scarecrow!
Lots of daffodils! We saw fields of them all along the way
Huge toadstool!
At the end of the gardens, the ocean bluffs and crashing waves!
One of the garden walkways
The Pacific Star Winery is down this road, right at the ocean's edge
The view from the Pacific Star's picnic grounds.
And finally - The Benbow Inn!!
The view from our room! The last time we were there we ate dinner on the patio - lovely!
The oak tree, covered in moss, with mistletoe!
The Avenue of the Giants - into the redwoods!
This tree had been hollowed out by a fire and provided shelter for hunters and hikers during inclement weather. The chimney inside allowed the smoke from fires to escape
The Chimney tree with no top
Inside the Chimney tree
That is a BIG tree! Here comes Lee, driving through.
Little redwood cottages
A redwood with side branches, providing balance
We stopped at the Founders Grove and enjoyed a walk among the giant redwoods.
Tall, tall trees!
A path through the redwoods
There were many fallen giants in the grove - most of them were home to ferns and other plants
Any idea what kind of tree this is? We parked near it in Ferndale - quite a tangle!
Here's a car for Dave and Nathan!
From the front
And the back of it - it was an advertisement for beer - note the spigot on the back!
Main street in Victorian Ferndale
The Victorian Inn
Some of the Victorian store fronts
We were amazed to see a Camperdown Elm on Main Street - the only other ones we have ever seen at at Filoli!
One of the many Victorian homes
And it's for sale!!
This Victorian was hiding behind a hedge!
And this one has a "widow's walk", although it's nowhere near the sea!
One of the many beautiful churches in Ferndale
Enjoying the sunshine while reading the Ferndale Gazette!
What a wonderful trip! We were so lucky with the weather, too. Our accommodations were great and we saw some beautiful scenery along the way. Life is good!!
