This past weekend I had the supreme pleasure of visiting Mendocino for a quick weekend getaway.  Yes, Mendocino, the wine country that no one seems to know about here in San Francisco. Everyone in the Bay Area seem to be all consumed by the famous Napa Valley, myself included, but I am here to profess that Mendocino is the up and coming region that all wine and nature lovers MUST VISIT!

If you know anything about me, you know that I am an avid nature lover with a keen taste for the finer things in life.  During my visit to Mendocino, I was affirmed in my belief, yet again, that you CAN have it all. We spent our days in Mendocino hiking along the coastal trails, taking long walks on the beach, whale watching, exploring the redwood forests, and wine tasting (most wineries have complimentary tasting).  At night, we retreated to one of the most amazing Inns I have ever stayed at, Blue Door Inn.

Blue Door Inn is a part of “Blue Door Group – Inns of Mendocino” which is a part of a larger property group, Lark Hotels.  All of the The Blue Door Group – Inns of Mendocino are located in Mendocino town, right in the center of it all.

The Blue Door Inn is nestled along the cliff-side of Mendocino, and is a truly luxurious, romantic, and cozy property, in the most unpretentious way.  

From the moment we walked through the famous blue door, we were greeted with the most elegant decor.  The furnishings of the entire place are reminiscent of a magazine cover from either Architectural Digest or Country Living.  Whoever designed this home needs to give me a call so that I can hire them to decorate my future home!

A lovely host greeted us to check in, where we were provided our room key, and key to the house. The host asked us if we have any food allergies, and informed us that every morning they will be bringing a breakfast basket to our door between 8:30am and 9:00am, and that every day there is a wine tasting and a snack from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.  There is also a 24-hour coffee, water, and cookie station. Best cookies ever!

Upon check-in, I informed our host that I was lactose-intolerant, and so every morning they brought me a special menu with all dairy-free breakfast items, while my husband got all the cheesy goodness breakfast items.  We were both in heaven!

Our room was beyond perfect.  From the gas-lit fireplace, to the upscale bathroom, to the cozy window nook with an ocean view, to the incredibly plush bed, everything was perfect.  

We slept-in in the mornings, ate breakfast by the fireplace, adventured all day, and returned just in time for wine hour to refresh.  We would head out for dinner early since everything closes at 9pm, and retreat back to our beautiful bed for the night.

One of the mornings, we decided to take our coffee to their backyard, which has an incredible patio and expansive garden with the cutest little walking paths.  If it wasn’t raining on and off on our weekend, I could totally have seen myself meditating in the garden.

 

During our time in Mendocino, we were able to accomplish quite a lot!  In terms of sheer amount of activities, Mendocino surely beats Napa Valley.  

On your visit to Mendocino, I highly recommend the following activities:

• Mendocino Headlands State Park

• Point Cabrillo Light Station

• Big River

• Glass Beach

• Navarro River Redwoods State Park

• Wine tasting in Anderson Valley

If you decide to go wine tasting in Anderson Valley, I highly recommend the following wineries:

• Brutocao Cellars (free tasting) – our absolute favorite winery in the area!

• Balo Vineyards (free tasting)

• Handley Cellars (free tasting)

• Goldeneye ($15 tasting fee)

• Navarro Vineyards (free tasting) – tasting and service were mediocre, at best, but the property & grounds were gorgeous.

To all my winophiles, nature lovers, and weekend warriors, book a weekend getaway to Mendocino, stay with the Blue Door Group – Inns of Mendocino, and you will see why I loved it so much!

 

xoxo,

Suzy

Krave The World