February 21, 2024
For folks who have never been to Mendocino - GO. If nothing else, just to roam the small village shops, grab an artisanal coffee/treat and feast your eyes while strolling along the free, easy-access Mendocino Headlands State Park trails (about three miles of them) wind around the town on three sides - another breathtaking coastal conglomeration of craggy cliffs, crashing waves, wildflowers, dramatic views and turquoise-blue water.
We enjoyed brunch at Flow - a very nice upper-level deck restaurant with ocean views. A little pricey, but totally worth it. We sat inside for warmth - split the crab and kale/mushroom bennies - served with a rosemary/potato medley (sweet, yukon gold and purple) - delish! A MUST STOP SPOT!
A quick visit to Corners of the Mouth (historic red church building turned natural foods market/workers grocery collective in 1975) with its stained glass windows and fresh, organic produce - plus a spicy vegan ginger cookie to go - had us on our way to the next stop:
Fort Bragg
This place made the list primarily because of the fact that it's unique - known for its main attraction - Glass Beach. There are three beach sites that accumulated sea glass from broken bottle and garbage/debris dumping along the coastline near the northern part of Fort Bragg after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Years of smoothing left drift glass pieces that now adorn this beautiful coastal cove area (even in low season, there were quite a few people...including a big school bus field trip).
We walked the .25-mile Noyo Headlands Park trail to the coves below, the area covered with sea gems and tide pools showcasing loads of roaming hermit crabs and other fun sea creatures.
This particularly busy sightseeing day had us ready to find our next snooze space. We weren't feeling the overall Fort Bragg vibe so we kept rollin' to Westport Beach.
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