Today I want to share my itinerary for a long weekend in Mendocino with you. This part of Northern California is the perfect place to get away from it all. From charming coastal towns to stunning beaches and secret spots in the redwoods, there’s a lot to do and see. I’m here now and I can’t wait to show you the highlights of a trip to Mendocino County. I’ve included an interactive map, too.
Long Weekend in Mendocino
Mendocino County is known for its dramatic coastline, redwood forests, Anderson Valley vineyards, and peaceful Northern California vibes. It’s one of my favorite places to escape to on the coast.
Today I’m heading north to do just that. I’m driving from San Francisco to Mendocino for a long weekend getaway with my other half and The Pup. Given how much we all love the ocean, we can’t wait for our trip to start.
Where to Stay in Mendocino
I’ve been invited to Mendocino by Nicholson House. Situated right in the heart of the village of Mendocino, this place has beautiful gardens, ocean views, and restaurants galore.
The rooms feature comfortable beds, high-end amenities, and beautiful decor. Outside there’s an enchanting garden with Adirondack chairs looking out towards the village’s iconic water towers and the coast. It’s tranquil, pretty, and dog-friendly (The Pup loves the bowls and bones they leave in our room).
As soon as we arrive, we fall in love with the colorful gardens, charming buildings, and ideal location in walking distance of the highlights of the village. If this place gets you as excited as it does us, you can book a stay here.
Friday
Before we arrive in town, we start our itinerary with a 3-hour drive from San Francisco to Mendocino via Highway 101. We’ve taken the coastal route along Highway 1 on previous trips, but this time we want to visit some of the famous wineries that lie inland.
Wine Tasting in Anderson Valley
We reach Anderson Valley on our way to the coast. I’ve done tastings at a few wineries here on previous road trips to Mendocino, and I look out for familiar names like Goldeneye as we drive north past the vineyards around Philo.
On this trip our destination is Lula Cellars. This boutique winery is located in the revered “Deep End” of the Anderson Valley, and I’ve always loved its rustic outdoor tasting area and stunning vineyard views.
We sip our way through a range of wines, including Lula’s famous Pinot Noirs. They’re every bit as good as I remember them from my last visit. We buy a few bottles to take with us, then continue on our way.
Mendocino Village
Soon the grapevines give way to giants and we find ourselves driving through Navarro River Redwoods State Park. This forest runs along Mendocino County’s Navarro River. 660 acres of second-growth redwoods line both sides of Highway 128. An 11-mile tree tunnel to the Pacific Ocean, it makes for a scenic drive.
When we reach the coast, we head north on Highway 1 and check into our hotel. The garden is so tempting we can’t help buying a half bottle of wine from the restaurant and enjoying it in the Adirondack chairs.
Dinner
Afterwards we walk to dinner at Cafe Beaujolais, the hotel’s sister restaurant. It’s right next door, and it’s buzzing when we enter. Our server is friendly, the wine list extensive, and the starters of caprese salad and fava bean toast good. Unfortunately, my main course of black cod is overcooked and the fish is mushy. At $43, it’s a disappointment.
Saturday
The next morning our long weekend in Mendocino continues as we use our breakfast vouchers to get coffees and pastries from The Waiting Room, another of the hotel’s sister restaurants. The rustic room is full of character, and there are tables outside in the sunshine. We take our food back to the garden by our room and enjoy breakfast by a small pond under a rustic water tower.
Mendocino Village
After breakfast, we continue our morning with a walk around the village of Mendocino. One of the most picturesque coastal towns in California, its tidy grid of streets is lined with wooden houses and dotted with cafes, restaurants, and boutiques.
The village is known for everything from its historic architecture to its art galleries and tasting rooms. The colorful 19th-century houses are fun to see up close, not least because a lot of them have plaques with details of their heritage status and the dates they were built.
When we come to the center of town, we stroll down Lansing Street. There are all kinds of cafes, stores, restaurants, and galleries here. We pop into a tiny tea shop before heading down a side street to pick up sandwiches from Mendocino Market.
Canoe Trip
The sandwiches are the perfect picnic food for the next stop on our Mendocino itinerary: a canoe trip. A few minutes’ drive from our hotel is a company called Catch a Canoe that rents outrigger canoes for people (and dogs) who want to paddle along Big River.
Catch a Canoe’s office is nestled in a small cove on Big River Estuary, which is just inland from Mendocino Bay. We’ve pre-booked a canoe rental for 3 hours, and soon we’re paddling inland and spotting everything from seals to otters. It’s a great way to get some exercise and see Mendocino from the water.
The only downside is that the staff told us repeatedly to only paddle out for 30-45 minutes since strong currents and winds meant it would take a long time to paddle back. We followed the advice, only to find ourselves back at the office 1.5 hours early. If they hadn’t been so conservative in their estimation of our paddling skills, we could have seen far more of the river and gotten our money’s worth from the rental.
Beach
After returning the canoe we drive back to the village, park at the hotel, and walk down to Big River Beach. We take a walk along the shore, soaking up the sunshine and admiring the views of the rock formations on the coast.
Hike
Afterwards we hike along the cliffs. Mendocino Headlands State Park spans 347 acres of trails, secluded beaches, and coastal scenery. The dramatic bluffs around the streets of Mendocino village show off views of sandy coves and awe-inspiring rock arches.
We walk along the paths and around Point Mendocino. A narrow trail leads us out to the edge and along the water, offering views of Portuguese Beach and other sites of interest.
Wine Tasting
After walking the trail, we head into the village for some wine tasting. Meyer Family Cellars has come highly recommended, and we sit outside in the back garden to enjoy a range of wines. Everything from a summery rose to a Pinot Noir goes down a treat, and before we leave we buy some to take home.
Dinner
After the tasting we walk back to the hotel, freshen up for dinner, and drive to The Ledford House. This coastal restaurant in Albion has sweeping views of the ocean from its window-lined dining room. We settle in for a feast, enjoying everything from a rustic tart to Petrale sole.
Skunk Train
Dinner is a quick one, as we’ve booked tickets for the 8:30pm departure of the famous Skunk Train in Fort Bragg. This vintage number whisks passengers inland through redwood forests and along rivers.
We meet the train at the station and hop on board with The Pup. Soon we’re trundling along the rails and under the redwoods, enjoying the sunset scenery as we go. It reminds us of our railbike adventure on our last trip to Mendocino.
Around 20 minutes later the train lets us off at a big outdoor bar in the woods. There are fairy lights, fire pits, and live music all around. We spend the next 90 minutes making s’mores, drinking wine, and exploring the enchanting surroundings. It’s one of the most unique experiences of our trip.
Sunday
The next morning we continue our long weekend in Mendocino with another quick breakfast at The Waiting Room.
Hike
After eating our pastries, we hop in the car for the 2-minute drive to the parking lot at Big River Beach. The starting point for Big River Trail is here, and the wide, flat path above the water takes us inland. We walk through redwoods and enjoy views of seals swimming in the river below as we hike out and back.
Lunch
When we’re done, it’s a short drive to return to the hotel. We head a few doors down to The Brickery, another of Nicholson House’s sister restaurants. Located in a garden right behind The Waiting Room, this order-at-the-window pizzeria is a good place for a casual lunch in Mendocino village.
Hike
After lunch, we head off on another hike. This time we drive up to Caspar before turning inland to get to a trailhead in Jackson Demonstration State Forest. The largest state-owned forest in California, this place is home to 50,000 acres of redwood trees, streams, waterfalls, and meadows.
We hike part of a dog-friendly loop trail, enjoying the scenery and the quiet of the forest as we go. It’s a beautiful place to hike, and it’s fun to experience a non-coastal trail in Mendocino County.
Dinner
Back in Mendocino village, we walk to dinner at a place called Trillium Cafe. Known for being one of the best restaurants in Mendocino, it offers casual fine dining both inside and in its garden. We sit at an outdoor table with an ocean view, enjoying everything from albacore tuna to oysters and halibut. The dessert of apricot tart is nothing short of perfection.
Monday
Our last day in Mendocino starts with another breakfast from The Waiting Room, which we enjoy while sitting on the Adirondack chairs in the hotel garden.
Beach
Afterwards we pack up and drive the short distance to Jug Handle State Natural Reserve. We spend some time here exploring Jug Handle Beach. It’s impossible not to admire the rock formations in the ocean in front of us as we stroll.
Lunch
Leaving the beach, we drive up to Noyo. The harbor here is lined with seafood restaurants, and we settle in at an outdoor table at Noyo Fish Company. As we savor ceviche and shrimp tacos, we take in the views of the boats on Noyo River.
Botanical Garden
After lunch we drive south to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. This dog-friendly place is one of the biggest botanical gardens I’ve been to. We spend the next couple hours exploring the grounds, walking the paths, and taking in the views of the rocks in the ocean.
Wine Tasting
When we’re done, we drive back down Highway 1, through the redwoods on Highway 128, and into Anderson Valley. We stop for a quick tasting at Handley Cellars, which is right next door to Lula. We sample everything from rose to Pinot Noir, learning about the wines from our friendly host as we go. At the end we buy a bottle to take home.
Dinner
We don’t want the trip to end, so we stop for dinner in Sonoma County’s Geyserville on the way back to San Francisco. We love Diavola Pizzeria, and we’re excited to settle in at a table in the back garden. Stuffed squash blossoms and a margherita pizza go down a treat and ease the transition back to reality.
Long Weekend in Mendocino
I hope you’ve enjoyed this itinerary for a long weekend in Mendocino. The county is an amazing place to visit, and it’s worth the drive to enjoy this part of the California coast. If you get a chance to travel here, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. If you want to see more, you can watch my video of the trip on YouTube. I’ve published other Mendocino itineraries, too.
Mendocino Itinerary Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places on this Mendocino itinerary. You can see it here. I hope it helps you plan your trip to the county.
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