Road Trip: Mendocino to San Francisco, California
See leg one, Seattle to Cannon Beach, here, and leg two, Cannon Beach to Gold Beach, Oregon, here. See leg three, Gold Beach, Oregon, to Mendocino, California, here.
Mile 35 | Point Arena: Small-Town Bliss
You may be shopping for real estate in this jewel of a town, especially after tucking in to pastries and coffee at Franny’s Cup & Saucer and doing dinner at Uneda Eat, a first-class restaurant with an utter lack of pretense. Seal the deal with an overnight at the Coast Guard House Historic Inn & Cottages.
Mile 58 | Sea Ranch Lodge: Iconic Stay
Part of the historic Sea Ranch development, the lodge is built with the rough-hewn planks of local redwood and cedar (weathered to a gorgeous gray), with interiors that are perfectly minimalist. Make time for late-afternoon strolling down the lodge’s trails out to a series of vertiginous headlands.
Mile 120 | Tomales Bay: Oysters & more
Tomales Bay has a real magic, and delicious oysters, to boot. Take a lazy lunch of fresh haul at Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall, have a farm-to-table revelation for dinner at Sir and Star at The Olema, and bed down in a waterfront cottage at Nick’s Cove.
Mile 140 | Point Reyes: Wild Beaches & Elk
Grab coffee in Point Reyes Station en route to the Point Reyes National Seashore, a beautiful and isolated stretch of untrammeled California coastline. Take an easy hike at Kehoe Beach; look for elk along the Tomales Point Trail through Tule Elk Reserve.
Mile 220 | San Francisco: Golden Gateway
Drop your bags in the colorful boutique rooms at The Marker hotel and launch out for a walk up and down those steep hills (or book a tour with Golden Gate Pedicab). Check out historic murals at Coit Tower and a tiki drink of choice at the Fairmont hotel’s delightfully kitschy Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.
DETOUR WORTH TAKING:
From Sea Ranch, head up winding roads through the coastal hills to Annapolis Winery, a sun-blessed and charmingly small family-owned winery. Taste and procure their small-batch Zinfandel, Cabernet, and rosé.
BY THE NUMBERS:
220 Miles driven
145 Steps to the top of Point Arena Lighthouse
3.5 million Bivalves harvested and sold by Hog Island
450 Elk living on Tomales Point
30 Minutes between tropical “thunderstorms” inside the Tonga Room
Photos: David Fenton; Courtesy of Sea Ranch Lodge; Angela de Cenzo/Food Styling by Amanda Anselmino; SSiltane/Getty Images; JTB Photos/Getty Images
