Highway 1's Mostly Mendicino Coast

[Carla]

If you've been dreaming of motorcycling California's Highway One (and who hasn't?), Doug's look at Highway 1's Mostly Mendocino Coast (http://www.openroad.tv/index.php?categoryid=16&p25_id=106) will put you over the edge! Mendocino, Fort Bragg, the Skunk Train, the Redwood forest, and all that foggy summer coastline...it's irresistible.

Best times to visit? In spring and fall, I think. Less fog, but it still could be chilly. Always bring layers when riding the Pacific Coast. The hotter it is inland, the more likely it'll be cold and foggy at the coast.

Want a break from the saddle of the motorcycle? Rent a outrigger canoe or a horse (http://www.openroad.tv/index.php?categoryid=16&p25_id=83) for some interesting off-road explorations.

Have you got any tips or questions about riding in this area? Respond to this thread, and we'll start a body of knowledge together. I actually have a bunch of questions:


Where have you stayed in the Mendocino/Fort Bragg area? (From budget to pricey.) Have you got any recommendations for campgrounds, B&B's, motels?
Have you rented a motorcycle in this area? (I googled and found Eaglerider (http://www.eaglerider.com/index.php4) and Dubbelju (http://www.dubbelju.com/) in San Francisco.)
How about restaurants and cafes?
Do you know where to rent kayaks, or a good little hike? Where to see the sea lions?
Got tips on detours to other places, small towns (like Casper (http://www.openroad.tv/index.php?categoryid=16&p25_id=14), for example).

[RIDE]

Great post Carla! Makes me want to get back up there soon!

So I do have one recommendation for a place to stay...it's called The Little River Inn. Great place right on Highway 1, about 2 miles south of Mendocino. It's just on the other side of the Highway with a great view of the ocean.

The Inn has it's own wonderful restaurant and cozy bar. The food is quite good. There is also a great little nine hole golf course and some tennis courts just behind the Inn. The rooms are very nice and prices are pretty reasonable for this area.

For anyone who want to check them out, here you go: http://www.littleriverinn.com

Time to plan a trip up there!

RIDE

[JimW]

My wife and I visited Mendocino a few times before we had kids, and at least once after we had our first son. We took the dog with us a couple of times, and always stayed at the Stanford Inn because they allow pets (oooh, I should post this tidbit in the Traveling with Pets forum as well!).

The Stanford Inn is just across the river from the town of Mendocino. The hotel caters to pets very well. Here's there info... http://www.stanfordinn.com/

[Carla]

I just found another Doug McConnell video on the Mendocino area (http://www.openroad.tv/index.php?categoryid=16&p25_id=83) that gives you a taste of Fort Bragg on horseback, the Skunk Train (http://www.skunktrain.com/) for "cliff hanging rides in the redwood forest." (As if motorcycling doesn't provide enough excitement!) You'll want to stop by the old fishing harbor at Noyo, which has kept a lot of its 1850's roots. Don't miss a stroll through Mendocino Botanical gardens (47 acres!) to see what's in bloom. The Headlands State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=442) (right next to Mendocino), in Nov-March its a prime spot for whale watching (http://www.mendocino.com/mendocino-whale-watching.html). Russian Gulch State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=432), just two miles north of Mendocino, offers a place to just unwind. You can make camp there and, if you want to stretch your legs, hike to the 30-foot high Russian Gulch Falls.

[oorahljim]

Is this the area in California where the 1965 film, "The Russians are Coming! the Russians are Coming!" was filmed? This was one of my favorite films as a child. I always enjoyed TAGS on tv, too!
Jim

[Carla]

You've got a good eye, Jim! With a little googling, I found out that the 1996 comedy The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060921/) was filmed in Caspar, Fort Bragg, Mendocino, and also on the other side of the USA in Nantucket, Massachusetts. I've put it in my Netflix queue.

Netflix (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Russians_Are_Coming_The_Russians_Are_Coming/60011339?trkid=189530&strkid=750660798_0_0) says, "A classic 1960s comedy starring Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Brian Keith and Eva Marie Saint. A Russian submarine runs aground near a small New England town, and it's up to Arkin, as the Russians' second-in-command, to covertly secure a towboat to avoid an international confrontation. When Arkin hooks up with residents such as Reiner and Keith, all hell breaks loose. Earned three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture."

I guess it's time for a gang of Russian Ural motorcycles to ride up there, huh? :-)

[oorahljim]

Carla;
Yes,that would be fun!
Jim

[oorahljim]

Carla;
Depending on my schedule, and since in the film it is after Labor day, perhaps I shall check into organizing a Ural Adventure at this location. I will bet that many owners will remember this movie!
Jim

[oorahljim]

I have just watched the video's of the Town's movie history (http://www.openroad.tv/index.php?categoryid=16&p25_id=28). The home video's bring back lots of memories of The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming!
This film is on dvd (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Russians_Are_Coming_The_Russians_Are_Coming/60011339?trkid=189530&strkid=750660798_0_0)!
Jim

[Sharon]

Wonderful video--brought back a lot of memories regarding "Murder, She Wrote." I miss that little town's antics!

It's really neat having info on the state parks. I had never heard of the Russian Gulch SP. Now I know. How am I ever going to wait until next season before heading west?!

Sharon

[Fensalden Inn]

Hello OpenRoad Travelers ~

What a great new site this is! Fensalden Inn has a 'motorcycle club' that stays with us on their annual trek north along the coast each May. We have wonderful, riotous memories of the group, including one year when they played a practical joke on a fellow rider, and even got the Innkeeper involved. It seems this particular rider was known for his tardiness, and sure enough, when his breakfast was ready, he was not! The rest of the gang found one of those huge banana slugs on the property and our Innkeeper dressed it up real nice and served it as his breakfast. He was quite the sport, and even feigned an attempt to eat his slug sandwich! :eek:

Fensalden Inn offers 8 separate accommodations ranging from $129 to $239 per night, and we include a full three course breakfast each morning, as well as wine and hors d'oeuvres each evening at 5pm in our Great Room. If you're looking for some pampering and comfort on your ride, stop by and give us a try. ;)

In regards to kayaking/canoeing, Catch a Canoe & Bicycles, too (http://www.stanfordinn.com/innlight/adventure.html)! at the Stanford Inn has a great little setup. Located at the mouth of the Big River, they offer various boats in many sizes to accommodate any group from a couple of hours to a full day. Their handmade redwood outriggers are the best!

Van Damme State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=433), the Headlands (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=442) in Mendocino, Montgomery Woods (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=434), and the Pygmy Forest (http://nrs.ucop.edu/Jenny-Pygmy-Forest.htm) are all unique and amazing hiking areas. The Mendocino Coast is full of things to do for the outdoor lover.

Oh, and to spy the seals and sea lions, don't miss MacKerricher State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=436) to the north! They've built sturdy boardwalks around the shoreline, with plaques mentioning local points of interest, and marine life abounds in the tidepools. The seals and sea lions lounge on the rocks just off the coast, close enough for pictures and to enjoy their playful barking on a sunny afternoon. :cool:

[Carla]

Wonderful video--brought back a lot of memories regarding "Murder, She Wrote." I miss that little town's antics!

It's really neat having info on the state parks. I had never heard of the Russian Gulch SP. Now I know. How am I ever going to wait until next season before heading west?!

Sharon

I think you are just going to have to keep collecting your new camping gear (http://http://sojournerrides.blogspot.com/2007/03/my-camping-cargo.html) - I love reading about your ongoing evaluations and purchases!

[Carla]

There is so much written about motorcycling the Mendocino coast that I hesitate to begin an attempt to collect them all here, but I couldn't resist pointing you all to this very excellent article in the online magazine Motorcycle Escape by a very excellent motorcyclist and writer, Jamie Elvidge. Here's her #1- California's Mendocino Coast (http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/escape/favoriterides/123_0444_getaway/).