July 22, 2004

TIMES TRAVELS

Touring Mendocino County

By Mike Cleary
Special to the Times

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Mendocino County host a golf tournament at the Little River Inn (www.littleriver inn.com) every June. This year our foursome won. My friend, Ron Vitt of Solstice Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, and two course-savvy locals cleverly employed the “Hit the ball, drag Mike” strategy and it paid off.

This year the inn assigned us the room adjacent to Ollie’s Whale Watch Bar. While Mary Ann unpacked, I went next door for ice and to say hi to Susan, the world’s most unflappable barkeep. With an anything-to-get-a-laugh attitude, I entered the bar and said in a loud voice, “Susan, we’re in 102. We’d appreciate it if you could quiet things down in here by 9 tonight.” She got a kick out of it, but the barstool occupants simply stared at me with openmouthed astonishment.

George Burns said if you have a good line, beat it to death. So, at the awards banquet, I mentioned our proximity to the bar to the audience that contained sports’ greats like former Raider’s coach Tom Flores, NFL Hall of Famer Bob St. Clair and former 49er Jeff Stover.

The result was that after the banquet, everyone made sure to somehow make contact with 102 on their way to and from Ollie’s Whale Watch Bar. It was a very late night.

Sunday, while most of my golfing colleagues headed home, Mary Ann and I hung around to play tourist. Eager to start the day with a long run, we asked around for recommended routes. A server at the inn’s Garden Restaurant thought we ought to try the area’s newest state park or the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Both are worth mentioning.

Big River State Park & Beach is just over the bridge heading into the village of Mendocino. Formerly the Hawthorne Timber Company, the Mendocino Land Trust purchased the 7,334 acres in 2002. That same year the California State Parks agreed to own and manage the property. The park’s estuary is the longest undeveloped estuary in Northern California going an impressive 8.3 miles inland. The old logging road is now the pathway for hikers, joggers and bicyclists. I should add that Mel McKinney, the innkeeper at the Little River Inn, said there have been a number of mountain lion sightings and people in the area don’t take it lightly.

Interestingly, since the California State Parks took over, off-leash dogs are now a no-no on the riverside portion of the Big River Beach. It seems for some three decades this has been Mendocino’s de-facto dog beach. Locals would like their old lifestyle back.

On Highway One in Fort Bragg is the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (www. gardenbythesea). One might be tempted to call this the Garden of Eden, but being on the chilly North Coast, Adam and Eve would have been online to Eddie Bauer ordering up something warmer than fig leaves. The 47 acres stretch from the highway to the Pacific Ocean with all sorts of scenic trails. The garden area is rich in diversity ranging from a Heritage Rose Garden to a Dahlia Garden. It’s an ideal place for a picnic. Tables and benches are scattered throughout the grounds. It is also one of the best sites for birding on the coast.
 
If you can swing it, the Saturday after Labor Day is a wonderful time to be there as the Botanical Garden hosts the 20th Annual Winesong (www.winesong.org) Charity Auction and Wine Tasting.

We thoroughly enjoy the village of Mendocino, particularly Gallery Books on Main Street. This independent bookstore has a terrific collection of new fiction and nonfiction, local authors’ works, children’s books and classics.

Plus, we are never disappointed with lunch at the Mendocino Cafe. The menu is eclectic, the service is friendly and the price is right.

I have saved the best for last. Mary Ann finally talked me into going to the 3rd Court Day Spa at the Little River Inn for a manicure and pedicure. Lita took me in tow, no pun intended, and made my inaugural journey a pleasant one. I was so pleased with the outcome that I was disappointed the restaurant at the Little River Inn wouldn’t let me dine barefoot that evening. Cheers.

Mike Cleary and his wife Mary Ann co-host “Food and Travel Radio” at 6 p.m. Sundays on KABL 960 AM. Readers can e-mail Mike at mc@foodandtravelradio.com.