(KGTV) -- Nestled in scenic, coastal Mendocino, the Brewery Gulch Inn, offers a great respite from your stressful day-to-day. The inn is both luxurious and homey, with tremendous staff and thoughtful amenities. A B&B engineered for comfort.
Walk around the expansive grounds and look out at Mendocino Bay. Remember the Milky Way? Step outside on a clear night and see more stars than you even imagined. But most importantly, breathe the air. It’s different, you’ll notice right away.
Voted the best hotel in Northern California by Condé Nast Traveler, the inn has 10 rooms, plus the secluded Serenity Cottage. The rooms feature leather furniture and fireplaces and there’s even good (complimentary) Wi-Fi. A number of rooms have balconies – to really enjoy the view – and some include two-person bathtubs. There are nice touches everywhere: a bucket of umbrellas at the front door, just in case.
Downstairs in the great room, there’s a made-to-order breakfast, with daily omelet and benedict specials. The crab benedict is amazing. While enjoying your breakfast, you can watch Steller’s jays and Acorn woodpeckers duke it out at the bird feeder or a covey of quail meander across the lawn.
After breakfast, take in the scenery from the back porch. Catch a little sunshine – or rain, it is Mendocino after all – and just enjoy the bay.
Out and About
That big breakfast comes in handy as you leave the inn’s comfortable confines to explore Mendocino. Russian Gulch State Park has a beautiful (and easy) four-mile hike: coastal redwoods, ginormous mushrooms, diffuse light and a waterfall at the top.
For more coastal fun, drive north to Glass Beach in Ft. Bragg to mine the sea glass – the beach glistens in the sun. There’s a nice coastal path that winds along the bluffs and offers spectacular views of the rugged coastline.
If you’re up for more walking, check out the large Mendocino Coastal Botanical Gardens, and enjoy more trees and coastal views.
Mendocino is a great place for an active vacation with scuba diving, biking, golf, whale watching and canoeing. Catch a Canoe & Bicycles rents kayaks and offers eco tours.
There’s no shortage of fine dining, including the Little River Inn and Trillium Café. Our favorite, Café Beaujolais, is located on the eastern edge of Mendocino. Loved the gulf prawn fettuccini.
Mendocino is also wine country. The Anderson Valley is about 45 minutes away up windy 128 (more big trees). Enjoy sparkling wines from Roederer or Scharffenberger or take advantage of the region’s fine pinot noirs at Lazy Creek, Goldeneye or Husch.
Back to the Inn
Enjoy the wine, but don’t stay too late. In addition to breakfast, Brewery Gulch provides an amazing happy hour – and by happy hour they mean dinner. Enjoy a single entrée – salmon is a favorite – plus sides like beets with goat cheese, lentil soup and excellent bread. There’s a great beer and wine selection as well, just keep an eye on the generous pours, the night is young.
After happy hour, head back down to Mendocino for a stroll, borrow a DVD from the inn’s large collection or take a nice hot bath. Between the forest air and the sound of waves coming from the bay, you’ll sleep well.
Contributing travel writer Josh Baxt has been writing about travel, science, healthcare and other topics for more than 18 years. Based in San Diego, he is particularly interested in finding hidden gems (and sharing some of them). At this moment, he is thinking about his next great meal.
