If you have not yet read my Mendocino Coast family road trip itinerary Part I post on this blog you can do so in comparison with Part II and choose which route suits your needs best. Mendocino Coast road trip Part II follows a totally different route and highlights attractions that were not discussed in Part I. May be eventually you will do both.
This family road trip itinerary follows scenic Highway 1 – one of the most beautiful highways in the United States that winds its way along the Pacific coast. It is more difficult to navigate it than HW 101 and you will drive much slower but the whole point of taking HW 1 is to enjoy the road itself, to make frequent stops and admire unparalleled views. The closer to Mendocino Coast you approach the less people and traffic you will encounter and only occasional cows will cross the road at random – so be careful driving! I really feel that this is one of those rare parts of California (and the U.S. for that matter) that is unspoiled and has preserved its timeless wild beauty. On this trip you will find a good binocular indispensable. I also strongly recommend taking one of the nature guidebooks with you that you can find on my Travel Resources page – it will make your nature observations so much more meaningful.
Mendocino Coast road trip – Day 1
Apart from multiple stops at scenic coves and rugged cliffs our first extended stop was at Fort Ross State Historic Park. For our family, being originally from Russia, this place has a special significance: it was a Russian colony for 30 years and it certainly felt like a part of Motherland for us. But even if you are not Russian this is a great place to visit with kids for many reasons:
- It is a part of Californian/American history and it is a fine example of a western fort with multiple exhibits depicting the life of people in the 19th century American West;
- The Fort organizes a lot of educational programs and events (cultural, historical and environmental) as well as guided Fort tours;
- It is located in a scenic location on a cliff above the ocean so you can take a short hike to the beach and enjoy nature.
We spent about 3 hours here and we loved every minute of it. The Park also has a great picnic area right off the parking lot to enjoy your meal “au plain air”.
After Fort Ross we continued our journey towards Mendocino Coast. A quaint village of Gualala became our base for the next couple of days. Gualala is situated right along HW 1 so you can stroll along the ocean’s edge, stop at cute cafes and shops and just take things easy here. We stayed at Gualala Country Inn because there were no chain hotels that we liked in the vicinity but it turned out to be a good choice with cozy rooms and free breakfast.
Mendocino Coast road trip – Day 2
We devoted this day completely to nature exploration. First, we went to Russian Gulch State Park. It has wonderful trails along the Russian Gulch Creek and the ocean but my favorite fixture of this Park is the Devil’s Punchbowl, which is in essence a blow hole formed when pounding waves forged an inland tunnel and left a hole 100 feet across and 60 feet deep. At high tide, the waves crash around the cave’s interior, producing a roaring echo.
In summer the Park organizes Junior Ranger® programs for visitors age 7 to 12, times and locations are posted in the park. Also if you visit in summer you can go swimming at the beach at the mouth of the Creek and all through the year you can enjoy tide pools and fishing.
After having a picnic lunch at the Russian Gulch we headed to another park – Navarro River Redwoods State Park. It is a narrow strip of protected redwoods along HW 128. You have to drive far eastwards to get to hiking trails but we did not go there. We just stopped on the side of HW 128 and went in exploring in the wild without any trails. You cannot get lost because pretty quickly you will get to the bank of the river, where the park ends but that short walk is much more interesting than any walk on a manicured trail. There were no signs of any civilization, only towering trees, which were so dense that they blocked our GPS signal. At times it seemed like a movie set from Jurassic Park and the sensation was almost real that a dinosaur might just leap out at you at any moment.
On the way back to Gualala we stopped at St. Orres, which offers fine dining and lodging. No, we did not dine there because its prices were way above our budget. I think it is more suited for a romantic dinner for two (even though they told us that kids are welcome). It has such a unique architecture which you just can’t miss driving on HW 1 so we decided to check it out. We took a little walk, saw a flock of wild turkeys and many other birds. It is one of those roadside curiosities that make the road trip so much more worthwhile compared to any other means of travel.
Mendocino Coast road trip – Day 3
On Day 3 we were driving back home. Whenever we travel to/from the Mendocino Coast we make a stop either in Sonoma or Napa and enjoy a little grown-up time at a winery. Every parent deserves a little “wine time” but it does not mean that kids won’t have fun at the same time. We picked Benziger Family Winery for our lunch stop and tour. You can read about it and other Sonoma family friendly wineries in my earlier post describing Sonoma County family friendly road trip itinerary. You may choose whichever winery you like most – I guarantee you will like all of them.
Alternatively, once in Sonoma, you can visit Jack London State Historic Park. In addition to being a historic place where the beloved American author spent his final years and was buried, the park offers about 30 miles of hiking trails. Visit the historic buildings and enjoy nature walks with beautiful wildflowers in spring. Please, note that the museum at The House of Happy Walls will be closed till July 2018 for refurbishment (photo is from the museum website) .
I am certain that the visit to this lovely park will inspire you to read more of Jack London’s books. If you already have Tales of the North
in your collection (with White Fang and Call of the Wild) here are a couple more good books we found to add to our library:
Best Short Stories of Jack London
Jack London: San Francisco Stories
When we arrived home we realized that we only drove a couple of hours North but it felt like the beautiful and peaceful Mendocino coast was worlds apart. If Mendocino County is not on your travel wish list yet I hope this post changes your mind. If you found this Mendocino Coast road trip itinerary useful, please do me a little favor and share this trip with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂
