Mendocino

Mendocino looks like that little town in Practical Magic. Everybody knows each other, everything is locally own/grown, and the coffee shops are straight out of Gilmore Girls.

Everybody is all about Big Sur right now. So much so, many campsite reservations need to be made up to a year in advance. We are just far too impatient for this kind of bother, so rather than motoring down south whenever we get that urge to make Olive sleep outside with us under the stars, we go north. It's like hopping over to Ireland in just a few hours, which makes it no surprise that it is our absolute favorite weekend getaway destination.

All along the northern coast you will find sweeping views of the Pacific crashing against red wood and eucalyptus tree spotted cliffs, which is home to some of the most artistic, interesting SF expats who turned in their city hats for something a little slower. It is also home to some of the most iconic small town settings in Alfred Hitchcock's repertoire, which might have a little bit to do with our frequenting the area, but I digress. From old Russian architecture, to local cheese farms, to small victorian charm and some of the most golden egg yolks I have ever come across (offered via honor system in front of small private farms), the area between SF and Fort Bragg is one of the best kept secrets of California, and we couldn't think of a better area through which to lead our friends and family on your way up to the party. 

Mendocino is the culmination of all of these things we adore about the northern coast. It's a tiny little victorian town on a sliver of a cliff, surrounded by thick forest, independently owned farms and vineyards, and is absolutely bursting with charm. The only thing they have more than farmland are darling bed & breakfasts, which is precisely why we chose this location. You've got to stay in one.