Visited: September 2018
You know how when you live somewhere, you don’t do a lot of cool things in your area because you feel like you will always have time to go later? For five years, that’s what Mendocino County was for us.
We always knew we wanted to drive up to this beautiful coastal county in Northern California, but the drive was just a little too long for a normal weekend (a little more than four hours with no traffic). Finally, we took advantage of the long Labor Day Weekend last year and drove to Fort Bragg.
We camped at an RV park for the weekend, so we don’t have any recommendations for where to stay (unless you like camping!), but we can tell you about some of our favorite places to eat and explore in the area.
Overall, we enjoyed Fort Bragg more than the actual city of Mendocino. It felt more “lived in” and was home to most of the highlights of our trip, including North Coast Brewing Company and Glass Beach (both featured below). Mendocino was adorable, but definitely fancier. We’re not very chic people, but if you are chic, you will love Mendocino.
To Eat
Breakfast & Coffee
Mara’s Coffee House (above left) was located just across from our campground. It was the perfect spot for drive-through coffee and breakfast burritos on the way to our hike.
For a more upscale brunch, try the restaurant at Noyo Harbor Inn. We chose to sit on the patio despite the somewhat dreary morning, where the sea lions in the harbor entertained us while we waited for our food (above right).
GoodLife Cafe & Bakery was a very popular spot in downtown Mendocino, but it was worth the wait. We went for lunch (the paninis were amazing), but the cafe also has an extensive breakfast menu, and something about a bakery screams “morning” to me.
Lunch & Dinner
Piaci Pub & Pizzeria: Fortunately, we have friends who used to live in this area, so we asked them for dining recommendations. This was their number one spot, and it was delicious! Jonathan was enamored of the pizza mural on the outside of the restaurant (above).
North Coast Brewing Company: Probably the place to eat in Fort Bragg. This brewery is known throughout California, and even though I don’t drink beer, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. (Jonathan enjoyed the beer as well.)
The Purple Rose: Sadly, we didn’t eat here because we didn’t realize it was closed on Sundays. (I feel like this always happens to us. When will we learn to look this stuff up ahead of time?!) But, it was the restaurant I was most looking forward to, so I’m including it here to remind myself for next time. Note: This restaurant is cash-only.
Mayan Fusion: When we realized The Purple Rose was closed, we chose to eat here instead, and it was delicious (especially the cocktails)! There was a wait, but there are plenty of shops around the restaurant to pass the time after you put your name in.
Ice Cream
Jonathan is a bit of an ice cream fiend, so you can be sure we’ll recommend ice cream shops in most (if not all) of our travel guides. On this trip, he tried and loved Cowlick’s in Fort Bragg and Frankie’s in Mendocino.
To Do & See
Glass Beach
Definitely one of the more famous parts of the area, Glass Beach is just what it sounds like. Don’t worry; the glass has been smoothed and rounded from years of the tide. (Also, please don’t take the glass! There are signs everywhere telling you not to, yet we saw people everywhere filling their pockets. Please leave the glass for future beachgoers to enjoy.)
Shops
As I’ve mentioned before, we aren’t usually big shoppers, but we do enjoy poking around little specialty stores, and Fort Bragg and Mendocino had these in plenty. Some of our favorites included Carol Hall’s Hot Pepper Jelly Company (above left), The Mendocino Country Store (above right) and the Village Sock Shop.
Bookstores
Yes, bookstores get their own category apart from shopping. 😉 We visited the aptly named The Bookstore in Fort Bragg (above left), which was charming, intimate and stuffed with used books. Gallery Bookshop in Mendocino (above right) was bigger with a newer selection, a large children’s area and a cat(!).
Hiking
There were plenty of hikes to choose from in the Fort Bragg/Mendocino area. We opted for the Waterfall Loop Trail at Russian Gulch State Park (pictured above) and the Pygmy Forest Discovery Trail at Van Damme State Park (which was really more of a stroll, but interesting if you like botany/ecology).
If you are looking for a longer hike, we considered the Ecological Staircase in Jug Handle State Natural Reserve. We didn’t actually hike it, so we don’t have any personal tips for you, but it’s something we’d like to do next time.
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
My nerdy self loved the whale trivia posted on signs along the 1/2-mile walk from the parking lot to the lighthouse. When you got to the bottom of the hill, there was a small museum where you could check your answers.
We loved staying in Fort Bragg, but Mendocino County is much bigger than just the coast. Ukiah is the county seat, and a good place to stop for gas, supplies and a meal if you’re driving into Mendocino from the south on Highway 101. On our way home, we took the scenic route down Highway 1 and then across on Highway 128 through Navarro River Redwoods State Park, but both routes have lovely sections.
This was our first time in Mendocino and we only scratched the surface, so if you have recommendations, please share in the comments below!
