Mendocino is the perfect sustainable California weekend getaway, and it has a little something for everyone. This town is a small coastal community in Northern California and rests in the shadow of its much more famous coastal neighbor on the Central Coast – Big Sur. While Big Sur is no doubt beautiful, Mendocino has a certain charm about it, from the Ireland like rugged, windswept cliffs to whimsical train rides that take you to hidden bars tucked away amidst towering Redwoods. In this blog, I’m going to share how to plan a sustainable California weekend getaway to Mendocino.
Sustainable Roadtrip
For a typical California weekend getaway, my husband and I try to take our electric car versus renting. So this time when we went to visit Mendocino, we decided to take our electric car. The car gave us a range of 250 miles which took us comfortably all the way to our hotel in Mendocino. So from San Francisco to our hotel, the ride took us around 3.5 hours and a total of 154 miles.
We stopped along the way to sample some sustainable wine, try some local cheeses at a farm, grab lunch and even do some eco-friendly cider tasting. So if you have an electric car, and you’re roughly about 3.5-5 hours away you can easily make this a sustainable road trip. If you’re coming from from LA, you can always find supercharging stations along the way, that you can time with a meal break so you can grab food/coffee while charging.
Things to do in Mendocino
There are honestly so many things to do in Mendocino, that you need to plan at least a week when you visit Mendocino. But most of us may not have a week, so on your sustainable California weekend getaway, here is an itinerary you may find helpful. This itinerary assumes you are driving into Mendocino from the San Francisco Bay Area and starts on a Friday, but you can just as easily start on Saturday as well. Your first stop is going to be a 10:30am farm tour with the delightful sustainable Pennyroyal Farm in a town called Boonville, which is on the way to Mendocino.
Day 1
Pennyroyal Farm
Farm Tour
Your California weekend getaway must include this family-owned sustainable farm, dairy, and vineyard. All Pennyroyal Farm wines and cheeses are produced entirely from what they grow and tend. The farm tour is SO adorable and you’ll get to meet the goats, sheep and the llama! About an hour long, this kid-friendly tour will take you around the farm, showing you how their cheese is made. You’ll also meet the winery guard dog who is so cute. The farm tour is for everyone and my husband really enjoyed it. You can book the farm tour here in advance.
Regenerative Farm
Pennyroyal strives to be a regenerative farm, meaning, their farming methods are sustainable and utilize minimal fossil fuel; their vineyard is fertilized by a compost program, fueled by waste from the barn, and certified Fish Friendly Farming; two onsite holding ponds provide all irrigation water for the garden and vineyard; diversified crops and animal husbandry are in constant rotation.
Cheese and Wine Tasting
After your farm tour get ready for the cheese and wine tasting in their outdoor patio overlooking the gardens and the vineyard. It was so cool to be able to taste the wine & cheeses after getting to see how it was made right at the farm! The Laychee cheese is my favorite, it’s so soft and creamy and perfect with the wines. Ask for a taste of the blueberry Laychee cheese, I bought 4 tubs of this cheese to take home! You can purchase the tasting separately, or if you do the farm tour, this tasting is included. Even more of a reason to just go for the farm tour! We also bought a case of one of the red wines that we tried because it was so good. With 23 acres of vineyard being certified Fish Friendly Farming, their wine is a reflection of sustainable farming practices as well as traditional winemaking methods.
I left Pennyroyal feeling good about my visit, and happy that I supported a local business that strives to leave a more positive impact on the surroundings.
Lunch at Wickson Restaurant
Post farm visit, drive over to Wickson Restaurant at The Madrones in the little town of Philo, just about 10 minutes away. Definitely choose the outdoor patio seating, I swear I felt I was transported to a Tuscan villa! Chef Jason Azevedo combines his love of great flavors and fresh ingredients with Wickson’s wood fired oven to make delectable dishes for you to relish. I loved the Bohemian pizza (artichoke hearts, basil, lemon zest), the Gambas Al Aiijio (Rock shrimp, garlic, smoked paprika, white wine, lemon, bread), a Caldo Verde Soup (Collard green, kale, leeks, potato, olive oil), and a Goan inspired curry dish from India.
Chef Azevedo specializes in Iberian peninsula dishes with a focus on locally sourced ingredients from local farmers and ranchers and Mediterranean techniques. Post lunch, stop by the Bohemian Chemist on the property, a vintage art deco herbal apothecary – with an emphasis on locally sourced and sun grown cannabis. The sustainable, intentionally cultivated cannabis is reflected in their farming fundamentals, a collection of best practices like organic and regenerative farming, staggered harvesting, long cure times, and exclusive reliance on the ever-generous sun above.
Gowan’s Cider Tasting
Introduction
Okay this place is something special and it’s not just any old cider tasting. On your California weekend getaway, this stop is the difference between being a tourist and a traveler. As a traveler, stop by here and settle into the wooden chairs underneath the beautiful apple trees and sample some of the best cider I’ve ever had from rare heirloom apples. This sustainable family farm spans 6 generations and nearly 150 years. I had the pleasure of meeting not only Sharon Gowan but her mother-in-law as well.
History
Gowan’s Cidery is a beautiful orchard featuring a special collection of 84 different types of heirloom apples from around the world. These ancient trees were planted by great, great grandparents. Over the generations they continued to flourish and produce the apples used to craft the award-wining ciders and some of the best apple pies you’ll ever taste. Gowan’s handcrafts six estate applewine ciders, each of which have won countless awards. If you drive by without stopping, I promise you’re making a terrible mistake. I tried their apple juice and hubby and I proclaimed it was the best fresh apple juice we had ever had. Sharon even sliced some of the apples for us to snack on – omg. To die for. Reserve your tasting under an apple tree here.
Sustainable Farming
The Gowan family uses organic farming practices and sustainable methods to ensure the health and vitality of the land. Gowan’s is the first orchard in the US to receive an autonomous (driver optional) electric tractor. This is the newest farm technology in one of the oldest orchards. These tractors will drive up and down the orchard rows to mow the grass (called a cover crop). Cover crops are critically important to protect soil and streams— something the Gowan family has been doing for generations.
Cider Process
The cider making process begins with hand-picking the apples from the orchard, then pressing and fermenting the juice. All steps in the process take place onsite at Gowan’s, a rare farm-to-table cider.
Stay at Stanford Inn
Introduction
It’s time to move on from the delicious cider and drive to Mendocino, now just an hour away and the last stop on your California weekend getaway for day 1. Check into the most delightful eco-resort – Stanford Inn, a plant based resort tucked away overlooking the coast. My husband and I are not vegan, but we were thoroughly impressed by this eco resort. We had the opportunity to meet the lovely owners and hear from them their vision for this resort: “an opportunity to reconnect with one another, nature, one’s creativity and joyfulness.” Right away I knew this would be a special place that I’d want to write about.
Guest Rooms
Guest rooms include wood-burning fireplaces, balconies and the resort even has a fitness center, a solarium enclosed pool, sauna, and hot tub, a variety of inspiring classes, daily yoga, as well as a spa, and Massage in the Forest experience. Oh and let’s not forget about their on-site plant based restaurant – Ravens!
Charging your EV Vehicle
By now you’re probably wondering if our electric car needs to be charged. Well guess what, the resort has charging stations so as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, we immediately charged our car at one of the charging stations! They really mean it when they say they are an eco resort!
Canoeing & Yoga
While at this resort, take advantage of their yoga classes. My husband and I even took a breathwork class. You can also paddle up Big River in a super-stable redwood outrigger canoe or specially adapted Northstar carbon fiber canoes! I highly recommend this activity, we absolutely loved it! Tip: paddling back is way harder because of the winds so be prepared to take longer on the way back.
Ravens Restaurant Review
Even though we are not vegan, we found the food to be unbelievably good. For dinner we tried the Rice Paper Rolls, Roasted Beet Salad, the Ravens Ravioli ( Hemp & sunflower ricotta stuffed house-made ravioli, marinara, braised garden greens), and the Thai Red Curry. For breakfast we tried the Herbed Polenta (which I normally wouldn’t order but this was SO good), and the housemade buckwheat pancakes (to die for). I also tried one of their mushroom medicinal breakfasts as it was the mushroom harvest season in November and it was really good! The cuisine served in the restaurant, composting and recycling programs, the cleaning supplies, electric and bio-diesel fueled vehicles make Stanford Inn & Resort North America’s only truly sustainable destination.
Day 2
The Vegetable Gardens & Rescue Animals – Stanford Inn
Hopefully you had a great night’s sleep and woke up a wonderful morning in your balcony overlooking the beautiful farm, the gardens and the ocean. This morning before breakfast, go stroll the farm where you can see the rescue donkeys, horses and the llamas. You’ll end up walking through the organic vegetable garden from where much of the vegetables are sourced, for the meals at Ravens. Once you’re done with breakfast, head out of the property and drive toward Fort Bragg.
The Skunk Train
Today you’re in for a real treat. The California weekend getaway is not complete without a train ride on the famous Skunk train through giant redwoods to a hidden bar and hike. Step back in time for a magical ride…there are many rides throughout the year but my most favorite is the Mushroom, Wine and Whiskey ride that usually happens in November. Buy your tickets online and meet at the Fort Bragg station that has a huge parking lot where you can park your car. Once you board the train, you can choose between outdoor (standing only) and indoor cars. We always choose the outdoor cars because I love watching the redwoods as we journey to the hidden bar.
Glen Blair Hidden Bar
Blen Blair is the station the train stops at deep inside the redwoods. Once you disembark, you’ll see a beautiful bar with an outdoors area complete with firepits, a whiskey station, a mushroom station and an indoors area with live music, pizza station and vendors serving different types of wines from the Mendocino region.
Food & Spirits
You can also try different mushroom bites as you walk around and all of these are from local restaurants in the area. We sampled mushroom soup from Little River Inn, mushroom tapenade from Spontaneous Cafe, treats from Trillium Cafe and wines from wineries like Navarro Vineyards, Goldeneye Winery and Twomey. You can also take a short hike around the redwoods or play some games like jenga, cornhole etc. We also roasted marshmellows and made s’mores! I highly recommend this train ride or any other ride into Glen Blair for a beautiful Saturday/Sunday morning!
Hiking – Mendocino Headlands State Park
Post train ride head to the Mendocino Headlands State Park and be prepared to see a slice of Ireland in California. If you do this California weekend getaway itinerary in spring, the cliffs around this state park will be brilliantly green and in sharp contrast to the blue ocean swirling beneath. You’ll also be treated to wildflowers in the area. Stroll around a bit and discover your own slice of heaven here.
Fog Eater Cafe
For dinner, you’re going to step into a cute restaurant in Mendocino town. This is another vegetarian only restaurant in the town of Mendocino next to the Headlands State Park and I cannot recommend it enough. The food menu changes with the seasons and we had one of the most delicious pepper soups, hush puppies, pumpkin grits, and fancy beans & rice few weeks back when we visited Mendocino.. As you can kind of tell from the menu, this is fresh NorCal produce combined with the comfort of the South. The ambience is super cute and you have to end the meal with their signature beignets that come with a rhubarb jam! The restaurant is also run by two badass women and might very well be one of the best food stops on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway).
Day 3
Self-Care and Checkout – Stanford Inn
Breathwork/Yoga class
Post breakfast at Ravens, take a breathwork class with Sid Garza, the wellness director at the Inn. He teaches you the importance of breath in our daily lives, very similar to the Indian yoga philosophy of breath that I have been practicing for sometime now. And then we had the lovely opportunity to meet with the Stanford Inn creators/owners themselves: Jeff & Joan Stanford and their lovely dogs. They believe in a getaway that is surrounded by “the natural”. A stay at the inn embodies the “return” to a natural environment and you can explore nearby beaches, forests, or the headlands – nature in its wildest forms, so you can return back home truly rejuvenated versus needing a vacation after your “vacation”!
Reading by the fireplace
If you have some time, chill in the living area next to the lobby by the crackling fireplace and read one of the many books that Jeff & Joan have sourced. Many are around mindset, wellness, nutrition and plant based living and are absolutely fascinating. The ambience is extremely inviting and it feels very cozy to curl up on the couch next to the fireplace, with the resident cats and plants for company!
Solarium Pool/Sauna/Hot Tub
You could also spend a few hours at the solarium pool and sauna. The heated pool and sauna is inside a solarium filled with plants and it’s an absolutely magical feeling being inside this pool. Don’t miss an opportunity for some pool time plus a forest massage before you head back home today!
Conclusion
In conclusion, whether you want to just relax by a secluded beach, take a hike, experience a magical train ride to a hidden bar, or experience some sustainable dairy farms, organic cider tastings under apple trees and wellness properties like the Stanford Inn, a sustainable California weekend getaway to Mendocino will not disappoint. I hope this blog gave you some good inspiration for your next California road trip!
