The Mendocino Coast is Haute Hippie Heaven

Have you ever wanted to experience a truly magical weekend? A weekend where you feel like you’re literally living in a fairytale? A weekend where you experience not just luxury, but raw beauty. Not just romance, but genuine adventure. Not just an escape, but a transformational awakening. Then look no further than Mendocino, a secret bohemian getaway nestled between the rugged cliffside coast and the imposing, yet inviting, redwood forests of Northern California.

I was recently whisked away to Mendocino, described by the New York Times as the #1 place to visit in North America. During my trip, I discovered some hidden treasures that you simply must experience for yourself. The mysterious forests, roadside 50-foot sandstone cliffs, and a rustic aroma will make you feel as though nature itself conspired with the angels so that, at least for a moment, you could feel an uncorrupted kind of love for this area.

In fact, as you drive up Highway 1, along the California coast, from San Francisco to Mendocino, you’ll start to feel as though you’re leaving America and entering New Zealand. The natural beauty is shocking.

Whether you’re an indoor glamorpuss or an outdoor she-explorer, the dreamy subtropical county of Mendocino has something for you. Here are but six reasons you should visit the whimsical locale home to James Dean’s “East of Eden” and Angela Lansbury’s “Murder, She Wrote”:

The Inn at the Newport Ranch

With panoramic ocean views, the recently completed Inn at the Newport Ranch was named one of ‘America’s Best New Hotels’ by Conde Nast Traveler. But it didn’t achieve this distinction by being like any of the other ultra-luxe vacation properties; it achieved this distinction by being uniquely unlike them.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at this gracefully austere abode after driving up the one-way country roads was that the hotel is literally a ranch built above a spectacular ocean cliff, completely secluded on 2000 private acres. I mean — WOW! Here’s a quick video I made of The Inn at Newport Ranch, to give you a fuller picture:

Once I put dropped jaw back, I wandered through the freshly cut grass which faintly smelled like light perfume. There was just so much natural green everywhere, I felt like I was a minor character in a John Steinbeck novel. I proceeded to go inside the main ranch house, which looks like a custom-designed dream house, made especially for the modern urban girl looking for a different kind of vacay.

Once I ventured further, it was obvious that designers had artisanally handcrafted exotic hardwoods –mahogany, cherrywood, ripple sycamore, red cedar– to create not only a breathtaking interior aesthetic, but a functional confab to emphasize that you are truly “adventure lodging.” The obsessive attention to detail in this intimate residence –which is quite literally like a luxury bed and breakfast– is evident in every aspect of The Inn at Newport Ranch, from the first floor living room, to the rustic library, to the elevated hot tub and its spectacular views. As I found out, nearly everything used in the construction, and every piece of furniture was sourced sustainably and locally, to support the community.

But it gets better.

When we checked into our suite –appropriately named “The Grove”– there were massive, ancient redwood trees everywhere. Inside! Ascending from floor to ceiling. In the organic-posh living and dining room, and near the cozy fireplace, redwood trees function as both support beams and works of pristine art. The headboards are also made from fallen redwoods, and each room has a stunning ocean view.

Is this for real? I pinched myself.

This is what our two-bedroom suite (The Grove Suite) looked like:

In our suite, the only thing that interrupted the power and presence of the redwoods, was the equally eye-catching view of the Pacific Ocean seen through the 25-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows, leading to the outdoor grill and private hot tub (from which we watched the water glisten as the sun set).

That evening we enjoyed chatting with the other guests (one couple had met on Tinder and were planning to host their wedding there!) during their daily 6-7pm beer, wine and snacks hour, held in the stocked ‘guest kitchen’ in the main lodge:

Many who stay at The Inn at Newport Ranch opt to buy fresh seafood at the nearby Noyo Harbor (which is the largest fishing port in Northern California, with 175 fishing boats), and cook in their suite’s fully-stocked kitchen, or BBQ on their deck. Instead, we decided to see what vegan meals they could whip up for us in the main lodge (a delicious tempeh and veggies dish with a homecooked feel), and meet some more of the other guests.

The next day we had a delicious and fresh home-cooked breakfast (with many of the ingredients coming from their own organic gardens) and chatted with our new friends. The 34′ locally-custom-made longboard table was outfitted with fresh lavender and denim cloth napkins. All meals are at a communal table (unless you want to cook in your suite), which I loved.

The owner was there, telling stories about his Wall Street days in NYC in the 80’s, and enlightening us about the history of the Inn and Mendocino county. We were pleased to hear that the Inn will soon be getting their chicken coop, so that guests will be able to enjoy fresh eggs from happy hens instead of carton eggs from unhappy hens. I learned that all the logs used in the making of the hotel were from fallen or terminal trees salvaged from the surrounding 2000 acres, and that every effort has been made to be as eco-friendly as possible. Will Jackson, the owner, is as well-read as I am about plant’s feelings and intelligence. That’s why he didn’t clear a single healthy tree. My kind of place!

That afternoon, we set out on an ATV tour of the property. It’s hard to explain what the 2000-acre property looks like without actually being there. It was so lush, and so diverse, that it made me feel like I was in the original Jurassic World movie, and a raptor was about to pop out at any moment. The property has an 18th century graveyard on it, along with many streams and winding ATV or horseback riding pathways. As much as I loved the ATV trip, I think next time I’m going to do the route by horseback so I can see more animals and hear more of the life in the forest (ATVs are so loud!).

Here are a few more attractions that can’t be missed, all within a quick, beautiful drive from The Inn at Newport Ranch:

Dinner at Ravens Restaurant

On day two, after I settled in and finished hugging the trees (hey, I live in New York City and climate change is real, so don’t judge me for being a tree hugger–you know you are too), Mike and I peel ourselves away for dinner. I had heard of a great little restaurant over at the Stanford Inn, a gorgeous eco-resort that uses the energy of Mendocino’s native habitat to provide cleansing and healing food, treatments, and rest, to over-worked urban souls and a litany of artists who would love to call it home.

As we arrived, we were greeted by one the Stanford Inn’s founders, Jeff Stanford. (The Inn was co-founded by his Canadian wife, Joan Stanford, in 1988 on a $22k loan.) As he gave us a tour of their organic gardens and animal sanctuary, it started to sprinkle rain, and he stopped to pick up a stranded worm on the walkway, and gently placed in back in the grass (something I used to do as a child walking to school). We talked about meditation and health, and he told us about how they use potato chip oil as fuel for their trucks, and how their research garden is doing experiments with carbon, energy and calorie farming.

Inside the Inn, I browsed through their impressive collection of books before sitting down for wining and dining at Ravens, the Stanford Inn’s vegan eatery. And it did not disappoint.

The menu was sublime, with food and ingredients picked from Raven’s carefully curated on-site organic garden. Even if you’re not a vegan, the freshness of the produce and the serenity of the surroundings is enough to allure you into this meatless enclave.

It’s hard to pick a favorite dish, even though I tried about six! Definitely try the mouth-watering Portobello Sliders, served up with delicious grilled portobello mushrooms, house-made focaccia, pickled red onion, avocado, arugula, tomatoes, roasted fingerling potatoes, and pan-seared snap peas. OH – and the vegan sushi. So yum.

And let me not forget: the wine, stocked exclusively from Mendocino and named one of the best wines in the world. And their cocktails are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Seriously. I choose The Canadian (obvi!) martini, which is made of honeysuckle, melon, kiwi, and caramel should be on every girl’s to-drink list. In fact, I convinced them to give me the recipe, so I could share it with you:

Ravens Canadian Martini

While you’re sipping on that, I’ll tell you about a few more amazing reasons to visit the area:

Being in the Redwood Trees

And speaking of lists: after I sobered up from my nirvana-inducing meal, I was able to check off another must-have experience in Mendocino: losing myself hiking and biking on the trails and valleys mysteriously hidden between a cathedral of Redwoods.

As I made my way through the magical 2,000 year old forest full of wildflowers, eucalyptus, and California Oaks, I couldn’t help but feel like a little girl again. Like the girl who once believed in Disney movies. Like the girl who felt like the animals –and nature around her– could somehow understand her, and subconsciously send darts of tranquility and love to her soul. I didn’t feel like I needed to be anything — not a wife, not a boss, not a globe trotter; I only needed to be me, Hilary.

But hiking off the beaten path is not the only adventure I had with my enchanted reds. I also learned that you can take the famed 5-Star “Skunk Trains,” restored Reconstruction Era trains that taxi you through wildlife estuaries, ascend for spectacular mountain-top ocean views, and descends into dark, forbidden canyons in and out of the forest. If that weren’t enough, the train also provides wine and beer tasting as well as social activities so you can experience one of the most gorgeous places on earth with a little bit of liquid fun.

Oh, and if you’re an animal lover, contact Lodging and Llamas for a llama-accompanied hike and gourmet picnic in amongst the redwoods. The llamas will carry your cargo, and you can walk, hike and adventure alongside them. My one big regret on this trip is that we didn’t get to try this, as the owners were out of town during our stay. It’s conveniently located, only a 10 minute drive from the Inn at Newport Ranch, but definitely book in advance.

But that’s not all!…

Tourist Spots Along the Coast

I’m not usually into going to the typical tourist stopovers, but this area has some unique oceanfront experiences that I simply didn’t want to miss. Like the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, for example.

As you stroll through the perfect 70 degree weather with the wind gently blowing through your hair, you can wander through the cliffside gardens, where you’ll see dogface butterflies, beautiful succulents, and an assortment of plants and insects native to the area; go in a real-life bee preserve, where bees are being diligently protected; and be sung to by a tiny chorus of tweets during a regular organized bird walk. All while you are still on the ocean, in prime whale-watching territory.

Still, though, Mendocino gets better. One of the most well-known stopovers in the area is Glass Beach–a beach whose “sand” is literally made of colorful glass rocks you can walk on and play with. It’s a long story about how this came about, but suffice it to say it’s a special treat you will not want to miss out on. Although it’s illegal to “take the glass,” the rocks sometimes end up being re-created as smart jewelry pieces for the organically inclined.

You can also whale watch, play with the seals, go kayaking, and experience numerous other watersport adventures available on-demand in the area.

If you want to wander a bit farther south, you can also climb to the top of the Point Arena Lighthouse — a splendid throwback to a bygone era. You might be saying, “a lighthouse, Hilary?” Yes, a lighthouse! First, how many of us have ever been to the top of a lighthouse? Second, can you name anyone you know who has ever been to the top of a Lighthouse?

I rest my case.

Besides the sheer novelty and bragging rights, you will get to experience the ocean from 150 feet above sea level and learn how captains navigated around danger and shipwrecks for hundreds of years. The area is known for the gray whale migration and great white sharks, so keep an eye out. There are even seals and spotted black-tailed deer who feed on the seaweed scattered across the rocks below. You can also visit the museum there, go to the charming little gift shop, and even sleep overnight to get the fully immersive experience, with complimentary Chenin Blanc and chocolates provided in your suite.

And speaking of local and delicious…

Wine Tasting

And, of course, no trip to Mendocino  would be complete without visiting some of their world-famous vineyards, wineries, and wine cellars. Whether you’re on a romantic getaway for two, or a no-boys-allowed weekend with friends, Mendocino’s 90 wineries makes a day of sweet libation-hopping possible along Route 128. You can experience a winery run completely on wind, and indulge in Alsatian-style Gewürztraminers, all without breaking the bank. The wine here is so divine that many vineyards from Napa and Sonoma buy their grapes from Mendocino because they are “second to none.”

Don’t want to venture far from The Inn at Newport Ranch? No problem – there’s a cliffside winery and tasting room, called Pacific Star Winery, literally two minutes up the road. Have a seat sipping a biodynamic petit syrah and watch the waves crash against the bluffs.

So there you have it ladies, five fun, romantic and rejuvenating reasons to visit Mendocino county. If you’re in the mood to be lost in beautiful forests, dazzling waterways, breathtaking accommodations, adventure activities, novelty experiences, and liquid delights, then putting this modern day Garden of Eden on your must-see list is an absolute essential.