A Scenic Drive Through Mendocino County
Day 1
We started out on a Saturday morning by picking up a rental car in San Francisco. Then headed north over the golden gate bridge into Mendocino County.
Luckily missing any early morning traffic. It’s a beautiful and slow going drive along Highway 1. There are plenty of beaches and hiking areas to stop at along the way.
The weekend seemed to be the time for locals to take their sports car out for a drive. Definitely a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
You’ll first pass by Muir Woods. It’s an incredible sight standing among the gigantic redwood trees. All averaging over 600 years old.
The roads are very winding up and down the mountain. But there are plenty of opportunities to stop for pictures. Never a boring drive with views like this!
The day we were there was extremely windy along the coast. So windy I had a hard time getting the car door open. The waves in the ocean were crashing against the shore, so we didn’t see anyone out on the water.
After 3 hours of driving and stopping, we made it as far as Bodega Bay. A great place to go for lunch is the Fishetarian. The owner is an avid fisherman who sells the freshest seafood around.
There are so many great items on the menu, it’s hard to decide. They even have vegetarian options. And the sweet potato fries are the best!
Our next stop was the town of Mendocino. Even though the population is less than 1000, it was a booming little place. With cute shops lining the streets, and a perfect location right on the coast.
The television show Murder She Wrote was filmed here. If you have time, you could go for a hike or visit the beach. Mendocino Headlands State Park surrounds this tiny town.
Once you get this far north, your sure to see awesome vehicles like this one. Mendocino area is a popular hangout for hippies.
By dinner time, we made it to our final stop for the night Fort Bragg. The distance was 171 miles total. And google maps will tell you it takes 3.5 hours. But give yourself plenty of time to stop and see some of the sights along the way. We were 7 hours driving and could have used more time.
Glass Beach Fort Bragg
One of the point of interest in Fort Bragg is Glass Beach. Residents years ago used to throw their trash over the cliff as a dumping spot. But nature has beautified this problem. With the crashing waves on the shore over the years, it as smoothed and broken down the glass into tiny attractive pieces.
Our AirBnB for the night was a loft complete with a fridge, microwave and fireplace. It’s situated about 10 minutes north of Fort Bragg. But it was perfect for us since we were still heading that way.
Day 2
We woke up early on our second day intending to drive through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
But upon arrival, we noticed most of the park was closed off due to a marathon taking place. So we made a stop in Leggett to see some other redwoods.
We decided to take Highway 101 back south since we were short on time, and it’s a much faster way back to San Francisco.
Driving on Highway 101 you’ll see winery after winery. The director Francis Ford Coppola owns one along this route. But since we had a plane to catch, we had to leave the winery tours for another time.