CONTENTS Welcome to Mendocino County. i As a visitor you may be headed to our rugged coastline, which has been Welcome . ..2 a draw for filmmakers, artists, visitors and folks looking to relocate . Many remember that the television show “Murder, She Wrote” was filmed in the town Day Trips . 3 of Mendocino, or that the film Overboard was filmed in Noyo Harbor . We Westport . ..4 have a rich history of filmmaking on the Mendocino Coast and throughout the county of Mendocino . Fort Bragg . 5–10 Depending on the route you take to get to the Mendocino Coast, you Mendocino . .11–15 will be amazed at the diverse landscape along the way .You will likely see roll- ing hills with gnarled oak trees, old rustic barns with sheep, cows and horses Fort Bragg Map . 16 roaming the open space, giant redwood trees, meandering rivers, vineyards, Mendocino-Little River Map .17 apple orchards and the amazing Pacific Ocean . The majority of visitors to our county seek to visit the Mendocino Coast . Little River/Comptche . .18 Many discover the redwood forests found along Highway 20 and Highway Albion . .19 128 when traveling west from Highway 101, plus the beautiful wine country along Highway 128 and a solar beer brewery in the town of Boonville . Anderson Valley . 20 Up and down our coastline, on Highway 128 and Comptche-Ukiah Road, Elk/Manchester . 21 are amazing state parks, plus towns and communities with architecture from days gone by . Our county coastline borders Sonoma County to the south and Point Arena . .22 Humboldt County to the north . Gualala . .23 DRIVING TIMES to and from the Mendocino Coast… Directory . 24–31 Crescent City 5 hours Events . .31 Eureka 3 hours i Redding 5 hours Sacramento 4 hours San Francisco Bay Area 3 .5–4 hours San Jose 4 .5–5 hours Santa Rosa 2 .5 hours Published by Ukiah 1 .25 hours Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce 217 South Main Street Fort Bragg, California 95437 (707) 961-6300 www.MendocinoCoast.com ©2009 MCCC 2 www.MendocinoCoast.com If you take Highway 1 from the south you will first With such a enter Mendocino County in the artistic town of Gualala, large and diverse which hugs the coastline and has great small shops and area we hope that restaurants . Driving north through Anchor Bay, you will you will come back find yourself in Point Arena, one of four incorporated cit- time and time again ies in the county . Point Arena has a pier, an art deco-style to enjoy all that is theater, some Victorian architecture, and the Point Arena here . The Mendocino Lighthouse, just to name a few highlights . Coast Chamber of As you continue north you will be dazzled by the Commerce and Visitor beautiful scenery the Mendocino Coast offers .Manchester Center is here to help Beach, Irish Beach, Elk, Navarro, Albion, Little River, the guide you to lodging, artistic and historic town of Mendocino, Caspar, Noyo restaurants, activities, Harbor, the city of Fort Bragg, Cleone, Westport, and shopping, and services . Leggett are full of beauty, charm, and cultural and historic We have more than 550 members in our database, and our points of interest . extensive website is a great resource for your trip planning . Our communities continue to find ways to become Go to www .mendocinocoast .com to learn more about all more sustainable, green and organic . Mendocino County we have to offer . leads the world in organic wine-growing, with more than Once you arrive on the coast, we have a great Visitor 3,500 acres of certified, organically-farmed wine grapes . Center located at 217 South Main Street, in Fort Bragg . Growing organic means growers have taken better care of We are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a m. –5:00. p m. their vineyard soils . Organic farming is also popular for and on Saturdays 9:00 a .m .–3:00 p .m . (closed for lunch fruits and vegetables in our county and, on the Mendocino 12:00 p .m .–12:30 p .m .) . We hope to see you soon! Coast, many restaurants utilize these locally grown and Note: Population amounts reflect the number of people within the indicated zip code, organic ingredients . not town boundaries. (www.census.gov) Day Trips In and Around Mendocino County If your time is limited, here are a few ideas to maximize your sightseeing. n If you only have one day to n If you have two days, n If you have three days, n If you have four days… sightsee, check out: include some of these in choose one of these as a day how about a scenic drive Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden your stay: excursion: north? (2-4 hours) Guest House Museum Anderson Valley wineries Drive through a redwood tree in Point Cabrillo Lighthouse (1–2 hours) Kelley House Museum Point Arena Lighthouse and Leggett (one-hour drive north, one-way) McKerricher State Park and The Ford House Museum & Coast Highway 1 scenic drive Glass Beach (2–3 hours) Mendocino Headlands State Park Kayaking one of the local rivers or a Avenue of the Giants (two-hour drive minimum, one-way) Hike into the redwoods at Russian Jaunt through Mendocino village sea caves tour Gulch State Park (2–3 hours) shops and galleries Horseback riding, hiking or biking into Stroll through Fort Bragg’s historic the redwoods or along downtown shops and galleries coastal trails Take a ride on the Skunk Train 3 Westport Population: 299 Charming Village Close to Recreation Opportunities Blink and you’ll miss the downtown . But slow down and you’ll find a store for picnic supplies, a hotel that offers meals and lodging, and an area rich in logging history . An active local community, organized as the Westport Village Society, wants to make sure their town and history aren’t forgotten . Each year, the Westport Village Society sponsors an annual Mother’s Day toy duck race . The Westport Volunteer Fire Department hosts lively barbecues and other events throughout 65 the year . Nearby, you’ll find the state’s northernmost winery and several bed-and-breakfast inns that provide a cozy respite and gateway to exploring the 7,500-acre 135 Heath and Marjorie Angelo Coast Range Preserve, or a hike along the Lost Coast in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park . 134 The beaches, big cliffs and state parks north and south of Westport provide 180-degree ocean views that are nothing short of spectacular . On a clear day you can see the Lost Coast to the north and Fort Bragg headlands to the south .From here, Highway 1 heads north for six more miles before it turns inland and east toward Highway 101 . Numbers on maps correspond with numbers in red above ads and next to Directory listings. Photo provided by Bruce Lewis 65 134 135 4 Population: 14,410 Fort Bragg Ideal Destination Surrounded by the spectacular natural beauty of northern California’s redwood forests and the Pacific Ocean, Fort Bragg is an ideal destination for both visitors and small businesses . Located in historic Mendocino County, it is the largest town on the scenic coast between San Francisco and Eureka . This growing, prosperous city offers a unique blend of natural resources, recreation, and scenery . Fort Bragg, once a booming logging town, is now a hub for state parks and reserves . The area’s Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden is one of only two such gardens in the continental United States fronting directly on an ocean . The famous Skunk Train takes visitors from Fort Bragg or Willits on a route through the redwoods that is accessible only by railroad . Those looking for special adventures will find that Fort Bragg’s location offers an array of appealing activities including whale watching, sport fishing, kayaking, and beachcombing, along with bird-watching, horseback riding, hiking and biking . Art galleries showcase local artists, and craftspeople and antique shops offer unexpected finds . Couples know that the town, with its wide variety of venues, is the perfect place to have a romantic wedding and honeymoon . (Business locator map on page 16) 3 11 12 5 Fort Bragg Ideal Destination Things to Do… n Visit the Guest House Museum and the old-growth redwood tree (see photo at right) for a taste of Fort Bragg’s history . n Take a stroll through Noyo Harbor . Listen for sea lions, rent a canoe or kayak for a paddle up Noyo River, or enjoy great fresh seafood at one of the many restau- rants to be found in the Harbor district . n Park at the north end of Glass Beach Way and take a walk across the Pudding Creek trestle . 21 26 28 31 35 6 Ideal Destination Fort Bragg Fort Bragg History: Fast Facts In the spring of 1856, the U .S . Bureau of Indian Affairs established the 25,000-acre Mendocino Indian Reservation around the Noyo River .The fol- lowing summer, First Lieutenant Horatio C .Gibson, then serving at the Pre- sidio in San Francisco, established a military post on the Mendocino Indian Reservation approximately one and one-half miles north of the Noyo River . He named the camp for his former commanding officer Captain Braxton Bragg, who later became a General in the Army of the Confederacy .The of- ficial date of the establishment of Fort Bragg was June 11, 1857 . Its purpose was to maintain order on the reservation . 37 38 39 41 43 49 7 Fort Bragg Ideal Destination Parks and Beaches… North of Westport and south to Caspar Bainbridge Park Jug Handle State Natural Reserve Laurel Street between North Harrison and Highway 1, four miles south of Fort Bragg North Whipple streets, Fort Bragg 707-937-5804 Includes Wiggly Giggly Playground, tennis courts, basketball hoops and picnic tables MacKerricher State Park Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve and State Beach Main entrance and visitor center three miles north of Fort Bragg on Highway 1 Highway 1, four miles south of Fort Bragg Extends from Pudding Creek Beach in Fort Bragg to 707-937-5804 Ten Mile Beach north of Fort Bragg • 707-964-9112 55 56 58 74 76 80 8 Ideal Destination Fort Bragg 82 Parks and Beaches… North of Westport and south to Caspar Otis R.