Mendocino & Ft. Bragg, Northern California

Twisted Chimneys, Cloverdale, CA

I have been without work since I resigned my job in Santa Barbara effective 23Mar07 - just over six months ago. Our journey to find our next adventure has taken us several places - most recently to northern California (NorCal) and the Mendocino Coast area. Located about a three hour's drive north of San Francisco through some great wine country, redwoods and ocean views, the Mendocino area has charm and natural beauty. We spent 2-5Oct07 on a trip for me to interview in Mendocino. We overnighted on the road north of San Francisco in Cloverdale - where we turn off "the 101" onto CA 128 toward the coast. However, we stayed in the Cloverdale Super 8 (very nice one, too!) and NOT the interesting building above with the twin twisted chimneys.

Traveling through the Anderson Valley west of Cloverdale, vineyards begin to come into view, and with them, Central California's 'fall color'. Other varieties of grape vines turn red, orange and purple.

Passing from the open valley, the road runs through previously logged redwoods. These trees have all grown up from a time when originally logged around the 1880's to the early 1900's. The roadway is quite dark even in broad daylight.

As large as these trees are, you can still see the original stump among the very large re-sprouts. Me next to one of the large, original stumps. So, you want to go into the "stump-grindin' business"???

Passing through about fifteen miles of redwoods, the road opens very quickly to the Pacific and the PCH or Pacific Coast Highway, CA1. This area is typified by very rugged coastlines

and protected inlets that are actually the 'mouths' of creeks and rivers.

This is the town of Mendocino, and in the foreground the mouth of the Big River. Mendocino is situated on a short and broad peninsula and lists a population of less than a thousand.

Continuing northward just a couple miles from Mendocino is the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse and the very small town of Caspar. These are the support buildings for the lighthouse - and the effects of the strong ocean winds can be seen on these Monterey Cypress trees.

The lighthouse itself is a simple building, much shorter than I had anticipated, having seen the much taller lighthouses in North Carolina.

Weller House, 1886

Fort Bragg, CA is only about ten miles north of Mendocino - and yes, I was confused with the name of the town, too. Having lived in NC from 1993 - 2005, I was very much aware of another Ft. Bragg. However both were named for the same Confederate States Army officer Braxton Bragg. The fort in California was very short-lived as there was no true threat to the coastline.

We stayed two nights in the Weller House, a completely remodeled B&B in Fort Bragg, the only building in town to be on the National Register.

The water tower of the Weller House is the tallest structure in Fort Bragg! Now that municipal water has long been available, onsite water storage in town is no longer needed - so there are now two bedrooms, a hot tub room and a roof-top deck in the tower.

From the tower you can see across town

and in the other direction across a couple blocks and then to the open ocean.

The town of Fort Bragg has about 7,000 residents and while a three+ hour drive to an airport (Oakland or San Francisco), there is just about anything one would need right in town - except for Trader Joe's. For that a drive into Santa Rosa is required: about two hours away, back down the beach, through the redwoods, past the vineyards, turn in Cloverdale, then down "the 101" for about a half-hour. Fort Bragg lists three basic attractions: Glass Beach, the Skunk Train and the Garden.

It's important to always face the ocean while collecting, as the shoreline is rugged and the surf can surprise you at any time. When a large wave comes ashore, and is channeled between the rocks, it can make a wave into a BIG WAVE!

Glass ON the Glass Beach! Once the site of the official Town Dump (1949-1967) tumbled glass remains long after the original cleanup some forty years ago.

This is some of our 'loot' from Glass Beach.

The Skunk Train at a crossing very near the Weller House. For me, this adds a dimension of entertainment, history and transportation. The train can travel as far as the 40 miles east to the town of Willits on "the 101".

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden began as a commercial nursery and garden in the early sixties, and was purchased by the California Coastal Conservancy in the early '90s. The garden leases the 47 acres for $1/year from the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District. In spite of the land connections, the garden has NO operating connections with any governmental agencies and is not supported by tax dollars. There are about 20 staff, 150 volunteers and the highest attendance of any North Coast facility - 60,000++/year!
Heaths and heathers - require full sun and cool temps all year long - NOT what I could grow when I worked in Oklahoma, Florida, Bermuda or North Carolina!

A path to the ocean - MCBG is the only botanical garden in the USA to have ocean frontage.



On the drive home, we were treated to some very special Central California Skies. Enjoy them here and perhaps later in a painting by Jeanne Miller!