After living in San Francisco for 7 years, I’ve taken advantage of visiting countless spots all throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. By far one of my favorites is the breathtakingly beautiful Mendocino County.
If you haven’t been, I strongly urge you to take an entire weekend to explore all that is Mendocino. From the food to the views, this coastal community is charming and the perfect trip for a long weekend.
Since I only had a day or two to explore, I wanted to share my “must-see’s” if you have limited time. Ready? Here we go!
WHERE WE STAYED
PACKARD HOUSE
I’ve stayed in many hotels in my day, but this was the first time I’ve ever stayed in a cottage. What’s there to say about the Packard House but how absolutely charming it is. Like the website states, Packard House is an eclectic space with a soothing palette.
The design is calming, but with spurts of color – drawing inspiration from Emmy Lou Packard, the renowned Californian post-war artist and activist heavily involved in the conservation of the Mendocino Headlands State Park.
It was incredibly cozy after a long day of exploring and nothing was better than coming “home” and putting the fireplace on! Yes, that’s right – fireplace (!!). Even better was that in the morning, a breakfast basket full of fresh pastries, eggs, and orange juice was delivered straight to our door.
WHERE WE ATE/DRANK
Ah, one of my favorite activities! And when it comes to eating and drinking, Mendocino doesn’t disappoint. Here were some of our favorite spots:
Mendocino Market: A must for sandwiches. After a long day of walking around, grabbing a sandwich and chips is the ultimate treat. Pro tip: They have patio tables in the back for you to soak up the sunshine and nom on!
Wild Fish: We asked everyone for dinner recommendations and hands down, everyone said Wild Fish was the place to be. So, we took their advice and went. Luckily, the dinner lived up to the reviews and it was top notch. While we were there, we sipped on champagne, kumamoto oysters, and ahi tuna!
Ledford House: Soak in the Mendocino warmth and catch a sunset on the porch of the Ledford House. The wine menu is lengthy so no matter what you like, there’s something for everyone. :)
The Blue Door Inn: At 5 p.m. we wandered into The Blue Door Inn for happy hour (something they have every night!) and were greeted with complimentary glasses of wine (red or white!). Definitely a perk of staying with Lark Hotels!
WHAT WE DID
WALK EVERYWHERE: If you haven’t been, you may think you can only get around Mendocino by car. But in fact, there’s so many walkable areas within the town! And you guys, the town is SO DARN CUTE. There are so many shops to stumble in you can spend all day getting lost. From art studios to local bookstores, there’s so many local gems that reside in Mendocino. One of my favorite shops in the town is a spot called Honey & Ro that houses amazing ceramics, women’s clothing and other fab boho delights!
Mendocino Headlands: Walking around the Mendocino Headlands is probably one of my favorite things to do. While we were here, we woke up early to grab coffee and walk around to take in the beautiful day and blue skies.
HOW WE GOT THERE
The trek to Mendocino is BEAUTIFUL! The roads are quite windy so if you have car sickness, hold on tight. But really, it is never boring as the views are breathtaking at almost every turn. While we don’t have a car we borrowed our friend’s and while prepping and packing, were able to fill it up with Filld – a mobile fueling company that delivers fuel to cars so you literally never have to stop for gas again. Let’s just say we were able to finish packing and fueling and get on the road within the hour. Woohoo! Interested in Filld? Download the app and find the easiest way to fuel your car!
Thank you to the Packard House for the complimentary stay. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own!