Mendocino Magic: A Weekend Coastal Escape

There's something truly enchanting about Mendocino, a charming village perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. With its Victorian architecture, dramatic coastline, and a range of dining options, it's the perfect destination for a refreshing long weekend getaway. Join me as I recount my recent escape to this coastal gem, featuring a delightful stay at a historic inn, a diverse selection, and breathtaking natural beauty.

Our Mendocino adventure began with checking into the Joshua Grindle Inn.

At the Joshua Grindle Inn with hosts Ken and Kate

This beautiful bed and breakfast, housed in a historic 19th-century Victorian home, exudes warmth and charm. This unique property dates back to 1879 and features three types of accommodations:  beautiful spacious rooms in the main house, large elegant rooms in Cypress Cottage, and unique rustic rooms in the Water Tower. We stayed in Water Tower II, which is comfortably furnished and offers glimpses of the ocean through the Cypress trees.

The Watertower offers a unique Mendocino lodging experience

Ken and Kate are excellent hosts and can suggest a range of activity and dining suggestions in the area. Kate oversees the generous continental-style breakfast with fruits, yogurt, homemade granola, and her signature scones. It provided the perfect start to our days of exploration. Ken maintains the grounds and hosts backyard bonfires when the weather permits. It was a great way to relax at the end of our day and mingle with our hosts and the other guests.

The highlight of our visit was hiking the Mendocino Headlands Trail in its entirety. This trail should be on everyone’s short list of things to do when visiting Mendocino. It is an easy 4 mile hike along the bluffs that offers breathtaking panoramic views at almost every turn. The trailhead was only a short walk from the Joshua Grindle Inn, so we were able to complete the loop entirely on foot. We opted to start from the northern trailhead near the intersection of Ford St. and Heeser Drive and hike counter-clockwise.  

Our hike along the Mendocino Headlands Trail using Strava (www.Strava.com)

Remnants of the morning’s fog still lingered over the Cypress Grove leading to Point Kelli.

Passing through the Cypress grove at Point Kelli

This approach provides a dramatic transition from a sheltered Cypress grove, opening to dramatic rocky bluffs and ocean views. As we emerged from the trees, the morning mist still clung to the shoreline, which only added the sense of adventure.

Morning fog lifting at Point Kelli

We rounded the peninsula of Point Kelli and headed back through the Cypress grove and followed the contours of the shoreline to look back at starting point. In the 10-15 minutes it took to cover this short stretch of trail, the fog had lifted to bright blue skies.

Looking back at the Cypress grove and Point Kelli

In our second mile, we arrived at the first of several rocky islands that hosted colonies pelicans and other seabirds.

Numerous rocky islands host seabird colonies

Mile three leads us past several narrow peninsulas that offer views of natural rock arches and brings us to Mendocino Arch and the long expanse of Goat Island.

Rock arches and Mendocino Arch with Goat Island on Right

The Mendocino Arch is undoubtedly one of the most photographed locations of the Mendocino Headlands, but to really capture its magic be sure to come back at sunset when the arch is illuminated by the fiery brilliance of the setting sun.

Watching the sun set at Mendocino Arch is a must on a clear day!

In the interest of time, we opted to skip the trail that circles Point Mendocino, but this peninsula offers an impressive blowhole, as well as sweeping views of the ocean the town along Main Street.

Mendocino Main Street with Portuguese Beach in the foreground

The last stretch of our hike brought us past Portuguese Beach with a fishing trawler in the bay beyond. The landscape was quite barren in late summer – we observed a few sparse patches of poppies, but we did encounter several brightly colored patches of naked lilies (Amaryllis belladonna). While not native to California, these bulbs have become naturalized and we observed this same patch in previous years.

Lucy with Naked Lillies overlooking Mendocino Bay

The last stretch of the trail offered intermittent views of the bay as it meandered slightly further from the edge of the bluffs. Once again, Cypress trees make their appearance as we pass a late season patch of Queen Anne’s Lace.

A patch of Queen Anne's Lace was still blooming

Finally, we reach the stairs leading up to Church Street (and down to Big River Beach). Most mapping programs show the trailhead starting at the end of Church Street, but the posted signs indicate “Big River Beach”.

Stairs leading down to Big River Beach (and up to Church Street)

Heading up the stairs, we were greeted by another bright display of Naked Lillies and Mendocino Presbyterian Church.

Mendocino Presbyterian Church on Church St.

The Presbyterian church is a landmark in Mendocino and is the reason for the naming of Church Street. The church building was built using local redwood and was dedicated in 1868.

To complete our loop, we headed right on Main St and left on Evergereen St., past the lovely garden setting of Café Beaujolais. From there we took a short jog left at Pine St., and finally right on School St. to Little Lake St and back to the Joshua Grindle Inn.

While some hikes are about the destination…or challenging yourself, this hike is all about the scenery. It’s about taking in the sights, the sounds…and even the smell of the fresh sea air. While we were blessed with calm weather (with a touch of fog), the conditions on the Mendocino coast can change rapidly – so be sure to check the forecast and dress appropriately. Fortunately, you’re never far from town, so it’s easy to change plans!

This hike has definitely inspired some ideas for new seascape paintings, and I have decided that Naked Lillies will also be making an appearance in a future composition!