There is no Los Angeles here, no San Francisco, San Diego or Long Beach.
Mendocino County has no thriving metropolis, no large center of commerce or industry. Instead, it has a collection of small towns and villages placed peacefully among incredible scenery to make up this Northern California nirvana.
This is a look at three of these places, Mendocino, Fort Bragg and Hopland.
• MENDOCINO, CA
The namesake town of the county sits on the edge of the sea – literally, it’s 50 feet above the bluffs – and a million mental miles from the rest of the world. Its serenity, beauty and remoteness from major civilization has drawn in artists and free-thinkers who appreciate the quaint surroundings.
It’s a B&B type of place where the pace moves at about the same speed as a light Pacific breeze. Many people have seen Mendocino even if they are not aware of it, thanks to Hollywood. About 50 movies have been filmed here, in large part because many of the buildings have a New England style about them. In fact, the house used in Angela Lansbury’s Murder She Wrote TV show is a Mendocino B&B.
There are hiking trails through the bluffs and down to the sea, and several tidepools. In the town there’s small shops, easy-to-explore streets and restaurants to try for lunch or dinner.
When the exploring has expired, the day is done and it’s time for a few cold ones, Mendocino offers two selections. One is Patterson’s Pub, a quaint place in the middle of town full of character (and local characters). It has sports on TV, a popcorn machine in the back, pub food (the clam chowder, served only on weekends, looks particularly enticing but PubClub did not sample it due to other dinner plans) and a long line of taps at the bar.
The other bar is less, er, refined. It’s down by the water and is the place for local activity later at night. There’s not much to Dick’s Place other than the fact it’s a place that serves cocktails, and for many, that’s plenty. The name on the window of this small bar is hard to spot, so either look for the crowd in front or the hanging sign that says “Cocktails. On and Off Liquor Sales.”
• FORT BRAGG
One of the bigger “cities’ in Mendocino County, Fort Bragg has a couple of shopping strip malls with anchor chains which stock the usual items from home in case one needs a re-supply of, say shampoo or toothpaste.
More importantly, it is the starting point for the Skunk Train, steam or diesel-powered passenger cars that go deep into the forest of the California Redwoods. Originally, the trains were propelled by gas and emitted a foul odor, causing people to refer to them as “skunks.” Today, the trains make Fort Bragg a prime area for redwood-seeking tourists and railway buffs in particular.
This is a pickup truck town. Loggers, not longboarders. It is named after Colonel Braxton Bragg, who ran the original fort and later became a general in the Confederate Army. Nearby Noyo Harbor is home to a fairly large commercial fishing fleet; seafood restaurants and fish markets are in the parking area. The jetty is a good spot for watching the fleet come in and out of the harbor and also for spotting migrating California grey whales in the spring (whale watching boats are also available).
Fort Bragg can brag about its 47-acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; MacKerricher State Park with wetlands, dunes, hiking trails and an extesive coastine; and Glass Beach, a former public dumping area that has real polished glass of all shapes, sizes and colors (it’s safe to walk on but walking down to it can be a challenge so wear shoes).
A nice, clean 4-block area comprises its downtown. A good way to see it is to be there for First Friday when the art shops open their doors in the early evening, with many serving wine. This goes from 5-8 and has several residents in a good mood strolling from place to place (balloons identify participating businesses).
Fort Bragg is also home to the North Coast Brewing Company, a brewery that brews its own beer right in town. It has a bar/restaurant (455 N. Main Street) where its original Red Seal Ale is joined by 11 other selections, plus seasonal brews. A dozen are always on tap at the bar, including Scrimshaw Pilsner, Old No. 38 Stout and PranQster Golden Ale. The restaurant is quite good and steaks are a prized specialty. In the mood for something else? Consider the fact that the beer-batted fish and chips are the original menu item.
As far as bars & nightlife, one of the best places on the entire north coast is in the area, but it’s not actually in Fort Bragg. It’s five miles away in Casper. The Caspar Inn is a live music venue that brings in bands such as English Beat and the Young Dubliners. It’s a former brothel that is known up and down the coast as a destination all into itself. Above the stage, on an old railway section, is this slogan, “Respect All, Hurt None, Love 1 Another.”
The Caspar Inn is on a remote stretch of highway sitting all by itself, distinguised by a martini glass neon sign. There’s a $10 cover. The lone Fort Bragg taxi driver does not work past midnight but there are rooms at the Inn for those who can’t pull themselves away from the place.
In town, there are a fine selection of dive bars. Locals like to start at the Golden West. It appears this bar has been here since the actual Gold Rush, perhaps with the addition of shuffelboard, pool, bumper pool and a vintage juke box.
It is no long walk to be welcomed into the Welcome Inn. This is a bit brighter bar than the Golden West with shuffleboard tables popular among the regulars. These bars are on Redwood, just a couple of blocks from Main Street.
For later at night, say midnight until 2, there’s the Tip Top Lounge around the corner (Franklin Steet). It this sounds like a classic dive, then that would be a correct assumption – standard pool table, longtime bartender and longtime crowd.
• HOPLAND
At one time, this area was one of the world’s largest producers of hops. Thus the name Hopland. While the warm days were ideal for growth, the cool nights made the hops susceptible to disease, and they did not survive.
But Hopland did, and simply turned its attention to a product that loves warm days and cool nights – grape vines.
Today, Hopland is hopping with wine tasting rooms. There are seven of them and the town is only four blocks long. Hopland, and the wineries just a couple of miles to the north, are recognized for their award-winning Rhone, Burgandy and Bordoux varieties (but white wine lovers need not be bashful).
Some tasting rooms have live music and there is a locals-popular bocce court in the middle of town. It is adjacent to The Crushed Grape, a bar and restaurant in the old Hopland High School that is now part of the Brutacao Cellars Tasting Room.
There is also a tasting room not of wine, but of hops. Hopland is the home of California’s first microbrewery, Mendocino Brewing Company. Its lineup includes Red Tail Lager, Black Hawk Stout, White Hawk IPA and its flagship Red Tail Ale. The classic brick building pours selections in a comfortable tasting room. Mendocino Brewing brewed its first beer in 1983.
Mendocino Brewing’s building is across the street from the Bluebird Cafe, a classic American roadside diner if ever there was one. It’s almost as if Mel, Alice and Flo will come flowing out of the kitchen. This place is as old-fashioned as old-fashioned gets, right down to the screen door to get in the white wooden building. It serves huge helpings of breakfast, lunch and dinner until 7 p.m. Further down, there’s a stuck-in-the-60s roadside burger-and-shakes joint called Burgers My Way.
Hopland is also home to the Solar Living Center, which blends winemaking with solar energy. Each August, it hosts the annual SolFest, two days dedicated to renewable energy and sustainable living.
Hopland is located on the 101 about an hour north of Santa Rosa. There are no stoplights and driving through it, it’s as easy to miss as a major league fastball. So approach it slowly.
Unfortunately the Hopland Inn, which was like something out of the old West right int town, is now closed.
However, the new Super 8 in nearby Ukiah puts together packages for a pair of Hopland annual happenings, Hopland’s Famous Wine Tasting Event the first of May and the Hopland Fall Passport the third weekend of October (this one includes grape stomps). 693 South Orchard Way. (707) 468-8181.Super8Ukiah.com.
More Mendocino County Posts:
• Scenic Drives Of Mendocino County
• Mendocino County Cities, Fort Bragg, Hopland Tourist Information Bars Nightlife (pubclub.com)
• Mendocino County Bars, Nightlife & Live Music
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