We recently visited the stunning Mendocino, CA region for the first time, and honestly, words can barely describe this beautiful area. We wined, dined, and explored this Northern California region.
I know how lucky I am to live in Southern California, I get to enjoy year-round postcard weather. But another less talked about benefit is that we are also within driving distance to so many inspired local getaways and staycations. Recently my Hubbs and I, had the opportunity to visit the Mendocino region, actually an area that neither I nor my husband have ever visited before making it even more appealing. This area is a hike from Los Angeles, so we opted to fly into San Francisco and drive the remaining 3 hours north. We both fell in love with the unbelievable views and picturesque vistas split between sprawling vineyards, Redwood forests, and the jagged rocky coast. We split our time across 2 amazing Inn’s and took the time to explore this region.
The following are our five favorite discoveries that we had the pleasure of experiencing during our trip:
1) Little River Inn – We kicked off our stay spending a couple of nights at the iconic Little River Inn, one of the most beloved and picturesque hotels in the Mendocino area. Their resort is spacious, inviting, and centrally located to downtown Mendo and wine tasting in the Anderson Valley and my favorite feature is most of their rooms have stunning idyllic views of the picturesque Mendocino Coast. During our stay, we enjoyed a yummy dinner and hearty breakfast at their onsite restaurant. And no stay at Little River Inn would be complete without drinks at their fabulous Ole’s Whale Watch Bar, this cozy local spot is the perfect place to enjoy the gorgeous nightly sunsets or watch the whales when they are in season. The Little River Inn also has a great event space and while we were in town they hosted a fun event called the Battle of the Bloody Mary’s where we got to try some of the most inspired, creative, delicious and artistic Bloody Mary’s created by some of the most talented bartenders on the Mendocino Coast! Such a great way to meet the locals and enjoy great cocktails, Cheers to that!
2) MacCallum House Restaurant– And after a day of exploring the redwoods, the stunning jagged Mendocino Coast and tasting beautiful wines, we were so excited to head to MacCallum House for a fabulous foodie dinner at their onsite restaurant Grey Whale Bar & Grill. Located in the heart of the very cute downtown Mendocino, this was a super cozy spot for indulging on gorgeous local farm-to-table eats and a lovely assortment of local wines. Once we narrowed down which of the impressive list of local wines and bubbly to order, we started off our evening with fresh local oysters, shrimp toast and duck rillettes (a rustic paté of confit with herbed croutes). This was followed by perfectly cooked Lamb Chops and their famous Fried Chicken. Each bite was divine, and this meal left us full and satiated. We wrapped up with a lovely after dinner drink and then walked the town before heading back to the Inn for the night.
3) Brewery Gulch Inn – On our next stop, the hubby and I had the pleasure of spending two nights at the luxurious, rustic & cozy Brewery Gulch Inn (BGI) in the gorgeous Mendocino area and we loved every moment of our stay there. This beautiful inn is located on the bluffs of Mendocino with picturesque views of the majestic redwoods and the Pacific Ocean. What sets BGI apart is their chic and rustic design, their luxurious accommodations, plentiful amenities and attention to detail! As a guest of the BGI, you get to enjoy a fabulous robust nightly happy hour with an impressive assortment of local wine and beer and a generous bento box of delicious farm-to-table light bites (but honeslty it’s more of a meal in my opinion!) You also get a daily fresh baked pastry, 24/7 beverages and fruit and a delicious cooked to order breakfast. In addition, every room has heated floors in the bathrooms, a fireplace, luxurious Le Labo bathroom amenities and an ocean view. Doug and I loved spending time in the BGI great room because it has cozy and inviting big leather chairs, blankets and a fireplace to snuggle up and read a book or play one of their many games. Each night of our stay, we really enojyed disconnecting and playing iconic board games while sipping our local wine and enjoying our delicious farm-to-table foodie eats. A wonderful added touch at the Inn is their vast library of DVD movies that you can borrow and watch in your room. As an homage to the nearby Anderson Valley and our daily wine tasting adventures, we really enjoyed watching some iconic wine themed movies in the cozy comfort of our room.
4) Fathers + Daughters Cellars – Up next were our wine tasting adventures! We kicked off our wine tour in the nearby Anderson Valley where we had an incredible tasting at Fathers + Daughters Cellars. We tasted their delicious artisanal wines on top of a mountain, overlooking their gorgeous vineyards while snacking on some lovely nibbles from local gem Disco Ranch. Tastings are conducted on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards and orchards and the ride up to our destination, in what I’ll call an enhanced rugged golf cart is all part of the charm. We loved watching the adorable Cotton, aka the family vineyard dog run along side our golf cart with such joyful exuberance and it only added to the enjoyment of our tasting experience! Once at the top, we were led through a picturesque tasting by the charming Guy (one of the Father’s) and his delightful wife Sarah (one of the Daughters) and it was incredible! My favorite pairing was their fabulous Rustic Bubbles paired with fresh hot doughnut holes, what a heavenly combination! I highly recommend that you reach out to this family owned and operated winery when you are in the area to setup a private tasting.
5) Lula Cellars – Last but not least, we headed to Lula Cellars for some fun-filled wine tasting. This vineyard and tasting room are nestled almost on the edge of the Redwoods in the town of Philo. Here we sat on the back porch overlooking the stunning vineyard and rolling hills. We were guided through their yummy tasting menu by our host while we also enjoyed chatting with a fun range of guests and fellow wine tasters. While overlooking their picturesque views and strolling the vineyards, we tasted some delicious Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs and stopped for a photo opp or two. Lula Cellars is a welcoming, relaxing and unpretentious place to taste wine and we definitely enjoyed a memorable visit there.
If you are headed to the Mendocino area, make sure to save this post to help you discover all the amazing things that the region has to offer.
Disclosure: I was invited to Mendocino for this hosted trip. That said, all opinions and recommendations are my own.
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