Mendocino Village

A trip to Northern California would not be complete without a stop in the quaint, charming Village of Mendocino. This historic town, which sits on rugged bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, features dozens of shops, art galleries and bed-and-breakfast inns, and is host to a number of special events every year. These include the Mendocino Whale Festival in March and the Mendocino Music Festival in July.

The beauty of the town is what first impresses visitors. The New England-style architecture is the influence of homesick pioneers who “came ’round the horn” in the mid-19th century to be a part of the town’s lumber boom resulting from the Gold Rush. San Francisco was a booming city in need of building materials, and harvesting the coastal redwoods abundant around Mendocino provided a source of prosperity for people in the small town. Then after the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, timber from the Mendocino area was shipped south to help rebuild the city. The area’s history is evident in its buildings, and the town of Mendocino has been designated a National Historic Preservation District.

Visitors will be delighted in and around this picturesque town. The area offers deep-sea fishing, whale-watching, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, biking and horseback riding. Trails lead from the headlands down to beaches where visitors can search for seashells or explore the numerous tide pools. However, beachcombers and hikers should always keep an eye on the ocean. Large “sneaker waves” are common, and can sweep unsuspecting hikers off the rocks and out to sea.

The Mendocino Hotel on Main Street is an attractive inn that was built in 1878. It still serves the same function today that it did more than 100 years ago, and its rooms are furnished with antiques, fireplaces and historic memorabilia. The Kelley House Museum on Albion Street is another historic building popular with visitors. Built in 1861, the Kelley House has period artifacts and photographs, as well as a lovely pond and gardens.