Articles, North from San Francisco, Northern California

California’s Sonoma-Mendocino Coast

by Lee Foster

North from Point Reyes lies the spectacular Sonoma-Mendocino Coast, starting with Bodega Head, the most appealing promontory, and Fort Ross, the major historical entity. The artsy small town of Mendocino, with its cozy places to stay and dine, attracts many visitors.

The Russians were the dominant force here, 1812-1841. Stop at Fort Ross to see their well-developed fur trading outpost along this coast. With the help of skillful Aleut Indians in small kayaks, they harvested the sea otters here, almost to the point of extinction. Today Fort Ross has been rebuilt to its appearance during the Russian era.

Lumbering has been the steadiest income provider along the northern stretches of this coast since 1850. In Fort Bragg, stop at the Georgia Pacific Museum to become acquainted with the lumbering story.

Bodega Bay is a major center for commercial fishing, an occupation that OSHA ranks as the most dangerous in the country, with three times the accidental death rate of coal miners.

GETTING TO THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

A private car is the most practical method of travel along the coast, allowing flexibility of planning. A scheduled van, operated by the Mendocino Transit Authority, called MTA Coastal Van (800/696-4682) provides some, limited service.

HISTORY OF THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

The Russian colonial incursion in California, now called Fort Ross State Historic Park (707/847-3286), is on Highway 1, 11 miles north of Jenner. Be sure to allow time to see the restored Russian fort, a gem of historic reconstruction and interpretation.

Below the fort is Fort Ross Cove, the original sandy beach where the fur-trading Russians landed, built a trading outpost, and constructed ships. Lumber traders later in the 19th century loaded their boats here with redwood for the San Francisco market, using long chutes. This sandy beach, complete with a meandering stream, is a seldom-appreciated aspect of the impressive Fort Ross restoration on the uplands above the beach. As you explore this historic beach, it’s intriguing to think of the Russians landing their supplies or the nimble Aleut Indians in the Russians’ employ casting off in small kayaks in search of sea otters.

The Russians actually built four ships on this sandy beach between 1816-1824, using redwood and Douglas fir from the forests in the hills. The Russians’ failure at growing a surplus of wheat and vegetables here, plus the decline in the otter population, caused the pull back from here to Sitka, Alaska, in 1841. Eventually, the Russians retreated to their homeland.

SUGGESTED ITINERARY FOR THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

This itinerary proceeds south to north along the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts:

*Pause to enjoy the crashing surf at the Bodega Headlands or the Mendocino Headlands, two of the appealing, rugged promontories along the California coast.

*Enjoy the fresh fish catch at one of the coastal restaurants, such as The Tides (707/875-2777) in Bodega Bay or Cafe Beaujolais (707/937-5614) in Mendocino.

*Visit the historic Russian Fort at Fort Ross along the Sonoma Coast and learn about the Russian sea-otter hunting era 1812-1841.

*Peruse the artsy small town of Mendocino, one of the popular stops along this coast for its art galleries, restaurants, and B&Bs.

*Linger over some of the Mendocino County coast state parks (707/937-5804) that have particularly lovely beach wildflower showings in spring and summer. Consider Manchester Beach, south of Mendocino, and Russian Gulch, north of Mendocino.

*Explore the working coastal town of Fort Bragg, home of lumber and fishing operations. Visit its Noyo harbor to see the fishing boats and fish restaurants. Take a day trip on the “Skunk Train” (707/964-6371) from Fort Bragg to Willits and back.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

The Sonoma and Mendocino coasts are extensions of the trip along the Marin County coast from San Francisco. Sonoma and Mendocino present a more remote and rugged appearance than the cattle-grazing pastures of Marin.

The Sonoma Coast begins just south of Bodega, a 19th century town that once boasted seven sawmills, but which survives now on fishing and tourism. Bodega Bay presents a fairly protected harbor for fishing boats. This is a dangerous business, however, and the celebrative Fisherman’s Festival each April honors fishermen lost at sea, tragedies which persist. Bodega boasts the largest fishing fleet between San Francisco and Eureka.

West of the town, drive out to Bodega Head for one of the magnificent coastal views in California. This is a fine whale-watching promontory in January, when the whales swim south, and again in March, when the California gray whales proceed north. Bodega Head is also a site at which to admire crashing surf on a sunny summer day.

Bodega Head starts some 10 miles of Sonoma Coast State Beach. Fishing, picnicking, and walking are favorite activities all along this kelp-strewn strand. At low tides, observe the exposed sea life, but don’t disturb it. Swimming is not advised along any of these beaches because of treacherous surf. Coastal dunes in Bodega Dunes state park are the most impressive in Northern California and amount to a sand wilderness. Seeded European beach grass prevents the dunes from migrating freely. The sandy beaches, called Bodega Dunes, extend for miles along the ocean. At Bodega Head, small pocket beaches can be found below the jutting, west-facing bluffs. A trailhead sign alerts you to a three-mile hiking trail linking Bodega Head with the miles of shifting sand dunes. Walk north on this loose-sand trail for as long as you wish, allowing time for your walk back. The trail passes a University of California Biological Research Station, but the tidepool and population studies are not open for public scrutiny.

For a direct route to the dunes, after you’ve perused the splendid rocky promontory at Bodega Head, return to Highway 1, drive north a half mile, and turn west into the Bodega Dunes Campground. Besides camping, a day-use area locates you right in the dunes. A boardwalk allows you to cross the dunes to the glorious, expansive beach. Eight miles of crisscrossing trails in the sand dunes behind the beach afford plenty of hiking opportunities.

The Russian River empties into the ocean midway up the Sonoma Coast at a beach called Goat Rock, one of the more appealing beaches of the region because of its diversity. Goat Rock Beaches, at the mouth of the Russian River, extend out on a peninsula between the river and the ocean. Here you can watch waves crashing against the rock pedestals, called seastacks, slowly eroding the softer rock perimeters. Picnicking on grassy slopes and sunset viewing are superb from this west-facing beach. Driftwood collecting at the mouth of the Russian River also draws travelers here. (The parks people encourage driftwood collecting because the wood debris becomes a potential fire hazard to roofs in the town of Jenner. Inveterate beach combers and firewood gatherers scrounge the area. Periodic burning by the parks people reduces the uncollected volume.)

To get to Goat Rock Beaches, which are not visible from the road, watch for the clearly-marked sign and take State Park Road off Highway 1. You’ll find a string of parking lots with access to the beach. The northern edge puts you closest to the mouth of the Russian River. The most southerly parking lot locates you near the most protected beaches, though all of these beaches are too dangerous for swimming, due to sleeper waves and rip tides.

Resident harbor seals here number about 300 and haul out at the mouth of the Russian River in the spring to give birth to their young. Fishing is popular for salmon and steelhead in winter near the mouth of the river. Rockfish are plentiful in the surf in summer. Smelt netters are also successful here.

Camping occurs on the beach at Wright’s Beach, south of Goat Rock Beaches. If this is too chilly or windy, try the Casini Ranch Family Campground a few miles inland, at Duncan’s Mill, along the Russian River.

On the north side of the Russian River the small town of Jenner offers lodging and restaurants. A drive up the Russian River road reveals several small resort communities. One of those towns, Guerneville, boasts a major redwood park, Armstrong Redwood State Reserve, two miles to its north. Canoeing is popular along the Russian River in spring and early summer. The main provider is Trowbridge Canoe Trips (Healdsburg, 707/433-7247).

Back along the coast, north from Jenner, the next major stop is Fort Ross State Historic Park (707/847-3286). As mentioned, the Russians occupied Fort Ross 1812-1841 as a sea-otter hunting outpost and as a grain and vegetable production unit, part of the larger Russian vision being directed from Sitka, Alaska. Today the restored stockade, houses, barracks, storehouses, and Russian Orthodox chapel present an informed description of Russian life in early California. Fortunately, Fort Ross had sufficient artifacts and adequate state funding to become a first-rate historical interpretive center.

Pushing onward, several attractive parks occupy chunks of the Sonoma County coast.

Stillwater Cove Regional Park has a redwood trail to the beach.

Salt Point State Park (707/847-3221 for complete information, 3222 for surf and tide questions) is a large holding, 5,970 acres, with miles of wave-sculpted shoreline and rich intertidal life. Like several parks along the California coast, this park includes an underwater reserve offshore. Salt Point’s is called the Gerstle Cove Underwater Reserve. However, only a diver in a wet suit can see the fecund sea life because of the extreme cold of the water.

The Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve (707/865-2391), 10 miles north of Fort Ross, consists of 317 acres of wild rhododendrons. These tall shrubs bloom with pink flowers April-June. Call ahead to check the blooming time in a given year if you plan a trip to coincide with this festive natural display.

Gualala Point Regional Park (707/785-2377), at the mouth of the Gualala River, offers another good hiking and nature study opportunity.

Between Salt Point and Gualala, you pass the elaborate Sea Ranch coastal home development. The beauty of the coast is such that any use of it for upscale and exclusive homes now requires substantial political clout. Sea Ranch is one of the last of the major coastal home developments. The project won awards for its skill in blending in with the environment. Private road designations in the developed area tend to exclude travelers, but the California Coastal Commission forced Sea Ranch to allow several beach access routes through the property.

Point Arena Lighthouse, immediately south of Manchester Beach, is worth a tour. Point Arena ranks as one of the more photogenic of the lighthouses along the California coast. Climb the 146 steps to the top of this lighthouse and see the Fresnel lens that focused a small kerosene flame visible some 20 miles out to sea. On weekends, the spirited citizens of the region act as docents at this lighthouse-museum.

Traveling north, Manchester State Beach (707/937-5804) is a classic beach with miles of sand, huge sand dunes topped with European beach grass, a stream cutting through the dunes to the water, and plenty of driftwood. The size (650 acres) of Manchester Beach permits seclusion. Wildflowers show lavishly here, especially Douglas iris.

Manchester Beach is accessible by three roads north of Point Arena. Alder Creek, Kinney, and Stoneboro roads lead to parking lots behind the dunes. The beach stretches the full five miles from Alder Creek to just north of Point Arena. Hiking trails crisscross the area. Fishing is popular for snapper and seatrout. The Alder Creek entrance at the north end crosses a San Andreas fault line that jumped 16 feet in 1906. After passing a marsh with abundant bird life, you reach the beach. Kinney Road leads you through sand dunes to the state parks campground and the beach. Stoneboro Road leads to the major bird habitat at Hunter’s Lagoon. Rare and endangered whistling swans winter to the south along the Garcia River bottom.

All along the hillsides of this coast, such as the steep hills above Jenner, there are many wildflowers, but especially a small yellow flower called goldfields (Baeria chrysostoma). This flower appears to thrive in spite of sheep grazing.

The town of Mendocino is one of the more picturesque places in California. Because many travelers favor it as a destination, an active arts colony has grown up here, selling to the travelers. This is also quintessential bed and breakfast travel, where you stay in a quaint Victorian house in an individually decorated room and hobnob with the owner-proprietor.

Bill and Gwen Jacobson’s Joshua Grindle Inn (44800 Little Lake Road, Mendocino, CA 95460, 707/937-4143, 800/474-6353) is typical of the Mendocino inns. They have 10 rooms operating in the 1879 structure. “Country Victorian with a New England coastal feel” is Jacobson’s description of its architectural style. This small country inn, filled with antiques, has a simple elegance.?

A premier Victorian example is the MacCallum House (45020 Albion Street, 707/937-0289).

Another nearby B&B with deep roots in history is the Little River Inn, just south of Mendocino. This home was built by lumber baron Silas Coombs in 1853. Little River Inn (7751 North Highway One, Drawer B, Little River, CA 95456, 707/937-5942) specializes in seafood and steak at its restaurant. The inn is south of Van Damme Park.

The Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites (45080 Main Street, Mendocino, CA 95460, 707/937-0511), now an inviting “garden” bar and restaurant, typifies another aspect of the recycling pattern converting early structures to tourist use.

Among places to explore in Mendocino is the Mendocino Art Center (45200 Little Lake Road, 707/936-5818). There are many interesting art galleries, such as Gallery Fair, filled with exquisite furniture designs in wood.

Travelers to Mendocino in summer should anticipate the fog and winter visitors may confront many rainy days, but the afternoons of summer and the crisp winter days after storms make the trip exceptional.

The entire Mendocino coast from Point Arena to Rockport is a joy to drive. Two special state parks, flanking the town of Mendocino, are Van Damme (707/937-5804) and Russian Gulch (707/937-5804). Van Damme’s main features are its lush Fern Canyon, where an extraordinary variety of ferns grow, and its Pygmy Forest, where acidic and impervious soil bonsais the trees to a fraction of their normal height. The beach at Van Damme attracts divers after abalone and rockfish. Russian Gulch boasts a hospitable sunning and swimming beach, though the water is chilly. The promontory on the north side of the park provides one of the most pleasing coastal views, looking south toward the Mendocino headlands. Russian Gulch’s moist, elevated headlands support lavish displays of coastal wildflowers, including seaside daisy, Indian paintbrush, and pink mallow.

North from Mendocino is Fort Bragg, a working logging and fishing town, the other major urban destination. Fort Bragg, the blue collar balance to Mendocino’s artsiness, is known for its California Western Railroad (the “Skunk” Train, named for the smell of its diesel smoke, now a mere memory) and the museum adjacent to the train depot. This steam train makes a daily run inland along the Noyo River to Willits. (Call 707/964-6371 for the train schedule or write ahead to California Western Railroad, PO Box 907, Fort Bragg, CA 95437.) The 40-mile round trip to Willits takes 7-1/2 hours and passes extensive redwood and Douglas fir forests, crisscrossing the Noyo River.

Fort Bragg was once a military outpost, but gradually developed to become a lumbering site. The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (707/964-4352) draw many visitors here. Over the Labor Day weekend, the Paul Bunyan Days include contests involving many lumberjack skills. As mentioned earlier, the Georgia-Pacific Museum tells the lumber story year round.

North of Fort Bragg, after Rockport, the coast highway turns inland to Freeway 101. This route proceeds to Redwood Country.

FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS FOR THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

There are several small-town celebrations that are interesting to attend.

The Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival (707/875-3422) in April draws big crowds for some beer drinking, outdoor dancing, and honky tonk music.

Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor celebrates with a July 4 Salmon Barbecue, offering a full plate of salmon, plus plenty of down-home corn, beans, and salad. The event is sponsored by the Fort Bragg Chamber of Commerce (PO Box 1141, Fort Bragg 95437, 707/961-6300).

Whale watching is popular here in January, especially from the Bodega Headlands or Mendocino Headlands. Fishing boats (such as New Sea Angler, Bodega, 707/875-3495) can take you out for a closeup look at the California gray whales swimming south in January and north in March. Mendocino and Fort Bragg hold Whale Festivals in March, with activities ranging from a marine art exhibit to a Whale Run.

LODGING ALONG THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

The opportunity to serve travelers has been a major impetus for the restoration of hotels and the opening of restaurants along this coast. Typical of the story is the effort of Joanna and Bob Santos to resurrect Fort Bragg’s Old Coast Hotel (101 North Franklin, Fort Bragg, 707/961-4488). They’ve turned the place around from its declining state as an ex-boarding house to a trendy but comfortable lodging with six rooms and an exceptional restaurant. The restaurant features Creole food, such as shrimp in a hot sauce or eggplant with redpepper jelly. An adjacent culinary store features “handmade” food products from the Fort Bragg-Mendocino region, such as jalapeno pepper jelly, nourishing a local food craft industry.

Here are some representative lodgings along the coast:

The Bodega Bay Lodge (103 Coast Highway 1, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, 707/875-3525) is a deluxe coastal lodge with fireplaces, heated pool, and spa.

The Inn at the Tides (800 Coast Highway 1, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, 707/875-2751) boasts 86 units in a clustered village atmosphere on a hillside overlooking Bodega Bay.

Fort Ross Lodge (20705 Coast Highway 1, Jenner, CA 95450, 707/847-3333, 800/968-4537) emphasizes a coastal environment with panoramic ocean views. The units include fireplaces and hot tubs.

River’s End Resort (Coast Highway 1, Guerneville, CA 95446, 707/869-3252) is a comfortable eight-unit facility on cliffs overlooking the Russian River. The resort features private decks, ocean views, and its own restaurant.

Gualala’s (pronounced wa-la-la) Old Milano Hotel (Gualala, 707/884-3256) boasts a view of the coast overlooking Castle Rock. This superbly-sited bed and breakfast allows you to soak in the hot tub with a view of the ocean. At the restaurant, try the grilled lamb or braised prawns.

One of the stately lodgings along the coast is the Stanford Inn By the Sea (Coast Highway One and Comptche Ukiah Road, PO Box 487, Mendocino, CA 95460, 707/937-5615), which offers a pleasing view of the rugged Mendocino coast and proximity to the picturesque town of Mendocino. Of considerable interest at the lodge is the opportunity, with the help of their adjacent Catch a Canoe & Bicycles, Too! outfitter, to paddle as far as eight miles up Big River, timing the trip with the tidal surge. Paddlers see wildlife and experience tranquillity in this wooded habitat. The Catch a Canoe shop also rents bicycles and kayaks.

In Mendocino, MacCallum House (45020 Albion Street, Box 206, Mendocino, CA 95460, 707/937-0289, 800/609-0492) is one of the prominent Victorian lodgings, typical of the artsy B&Bs along this coast. A driftwood-like whale sculpture adorns the front yard. The Joshua Grindle Inn, discussed earlier, is a parallel lodging.

Another choice early Victorian with a prime coastal location is the Little River Inn (7751 North Highway One, Drawer B, Little River, CA 95456, 707/937-5942, 888/466-5683), built in 1882 for lumber tycoon Silas Coombs.

One of the most charming seaside destinations of all is Heritage House at Little River. This large property has luxury rooms and some separate houses, plus an outstanding dining room with a view. Guests can walk the bluffs along the coast and enjoy a glass of wine with sunset. Lodging includes an exquisite dinner and hearty breakfast. Heritage House is at 5200 North Highway One, Little River, CA 95456, 707/937-5885, 800/235-5885. This could be a good destination for a romantic getaway or a care-free family reunion.

Arguably the most romantic of the upscale lodgings in the region is The Whale Watch Inn (five miles north of Gualala at 35100 Highway 1, Gualala, CA 95445, 800/942-5342), located strategically on bluffs overlooking tidepools and a rocky coast. Mesmerized by the crashing surf, the silence, the dance of light in the fireplace, the in-room jacuzzis, and the creative breakfasts, couples have been discovering and re-discovering each other here. Guests have been leaving their collective erotic memoirs and pledges of love to each other in little books in each room since 1985. The contents of these books would make a romance novelist blush and require that a cynic recant any notion that true love does not exist.

DINING ALONG THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

In Bodega, the restaurants that put you close to the fishing fleet and the bustle of the harbor are The Tides (707/875-2777) and Lucas Wharf (707/875-3522). You can see the boats unload their catches right in front of the restaurant.

At the mouth of the Russian River, the restaurant of choice is River’s End (707/865-2484). This is a choice location for watching the sunset and admiring the coast, along with its resident wildlife in season.

For a meal or bed and breakfast in Jenner, try Murphy’s Jenner-By-The-Sea (707/865-2377), a turn-of-the-century inn. Seafood is the dinner specialty, washed down with an ample selection of North Coast wines. The Sunday champagne brunch draws a crowd.

The Sign of the Whale restaurant (707/882-2259) in Point Arena features prime rib and seafood.

Two Mendocino-area restaurants worth noting are the award-winning Cafe Beaujolais (961 Ukiah Street, 707/937-5614), which enjoys a solid reputation for its French-California style, and the intimate Little River Restaurant (Little River, 707/937-5942), a cliff-top aerie specializing in seafood.

The Saturday night wine-and-barbecue dinners organized by the California Western Railroad, aka The Skunk Train, are popular in Fort Bragg. Make reservations with California Western Railroad (PO Box 907, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, 707/964-6371).

In Fort Bragg, besides the mentioned Old Coast Hotel, another good dining option is seafood at the Wharf (707/964-4283), along the busy but compact Noyo River harbor. While eating, you can observe fishing boats going to and returning from sea.

When price is no object and the finest of fine-dining is sought, the choice candidate along this coast is St. Orres (707/884-3335), just north of Gualala. Housed in a distinctive wooden building, with a dome that seems to echo the Russian church at Fort Ross, St. Orres pleases the palate with boar and deer, as well as salmon and halibut. The appetizer might be warm goat cheese in pastry or mixed organic greens with the house raspberry dressing.??

NEARBY TRIPS ALONG THE SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST

The primary Nearby Trips to consider would be an excursion in Marin County, on the way north, or in the Redwood Country, perhaps driving north along the coast, cutting over to Freeway 101 north of Rockport, exploring Redwood Country, then driving south on Freeway 101 to San Francisco.

The region itself also has some interesting small side trips. Just south of Mendocino, consider a drive 30 miles inland along State Highway 128 to the town of Boonville. Highway 128 skirts the Navarro River, a favorite winter steelhead fishing stream. One pleasant picnic stop here is the Hendy Woods Redwood Park 707/937-5804). Canoeing fans rate the stretch of Navarro River from Hendy Park to Dimmick as one of the loveliest in California, perhaps equaled only in the autumn by the Trinity River. The canoeing season on the Navarro is November through April.

Boonville is a proud little town with its own colloquial language. It is also a festive site with an art show in March, wildflower celebration in April, Buck-a-roo rodeo in June, and sheep raiser’s barbecue in July. The invisible marijuana-growing industry provides a major stimulus for the local economy.

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SONOMA-MENDOCINO COAST: IF YOU GO

For general info on the region, contact the Fort Bragg/Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, 332 N. Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, 707/961-6300 or 800/726-2780.

For Sonoma information, contact the Sonoma County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 5000 Roberts Lake Road, Suite A, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, 707/586-8100.

To learn more about the coastal state parks, write Department of Parks and Recreation, Mendocino Area State Parks, PO Box 440, Mendocino, CA 95460, 707/937-5804.

This territory is also within the scope of interest of the Redwood Empire, an organization of attractions and service providers in the redwood region north of San Francisco. For more travel information on Redwood Country, write the Redwood Empire Association, 2801 Leavenworth, 2nd Floor, San Francisco 94133-1117, 415/394-5994 or 888/678-8502. Send $3 for their excellent VISITOR GUIDE TO REDWOOD COUNTRY.

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Copyright © 2009 Lee Foster, Foster Travel Publishing. All rights reserved.

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