With its wild coastal headlands, gorgeous old forests, cute Victorian inns, and lovely beaches, Mendocino is a great place for a Northern California getaway. This county combines the best of forest and coastline, and while the scenery alone is reason enough to visit, there are also plenty of things to do in Mendocino for travelers looking for a bit more activity. You can go wine tasting, hike through groves of ancient redwoods, ride on the historic Skunk Train, or head out to a quiet viewpoint to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean.
Mendocino is a year-round attraction, with cool winters and summers that range from mildly warm to hot. Winter is the best time of year for whale-watching, while spring brings colorful blooms. Although the summer months tend to be warm, they also get sizeable crowds, mainly when area kids are on summer vacation. Consider an early-fall visit for great temperatures and fewer crowds.
Although the Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) does have bus service throughout the county, it's way easier to get around the region by car or as part of a guided tour. If you're outside road-tripping distance of Mendocino, your best bet is to fly into the Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa or the San Francisco or Oakland airport in the Bay Area and rent a car.
Travelers who like to cook should stop at the Boonville Barn Collective in Boonville, a short drive from Ukiah. Here, you can pick up locally grown piment d'ville*, ground espelette pepper popularized in France’s Basque region, where it’s called piment d’espelette. While Espelette peppers are the main product produced here, they also sell poblano, sugar rush, comapeño, and guajillo chili powder.
