Seaside savings: in winter, enjoy the Mendocino coast at its least expensive

Sunset, Nov, 2004 by Lisa Taggart

My grandmother lives in the frigid Midwest, so I wanted to treat her to a California getaway as a winter splurge. But with holidays approaching, I was watching my budget. The Mendocino coast was the perfect solution. The town of Mendocino, 150 miles north of San Francisco, is lined with galleries and historic buildings; nearby, Fort Bragg is less renowned but also appealing. Together they sit on an extraordinarily beautiful stretch of coastline.

Even though November is considered off-season, it's typically sunny. And my Gram never knew we were traveling on the cheap. The weekend, including taxes and tips, cost just less than $400.

We started with a great deal at the 1878 Mendocino Hotel & Garden Suites: $99 a night. The grand lobby had my grandmother cooing--score some points for me. Including tax, two nights cost $217.80. While in town, we peeked at other inns with off-season deals: We liked the Americana charm of the John Dougherty House, and thought the rooms at the Blue Heron Inn, though possibly a little noisy because they're above the Moosse Cafe, offered the best ocean-view deals in town.

DAY 1: Views and wine

Right outside our hotel was the town's best attribute--grassy headlands high above the rocky shoreline, with stunning views. We oriented ourselves at the Ford House Museum & Visitor Center, also the information center for Mendocino Headlands State Park. Besides offering brochures on the town's restaurants and beaches, the center, in a home built in 1854, has exhibits on Mendocino history.

When we checked into our hotel, we received coupons for complimentary wine tasting at the Fetzer Vineyards Tasting Room next door (these coupons are generally available at local hotels), so we launched our bargain excursions there. We sampled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, learned about the winery's organic growing practices, and browsed through the nice selection of cheeses, snacks, and cookbooks.

My stomach rumbling, I led Gram to cozy MacCallum House Inn & Restaurant. Though the formal dining room is a bit of a splurge, the Grey Whale Bar & Cafe, in the restaurant's glassed-in porch, offers lighter, less expensive fare that's equally delicious. We supped on mini burgers and gourmet tacos.

Before turning in, we lingered at the big fireplace in the hotel lobby and treated ourselves to a hot chocolate and an Irish coffee.

DAY 2: Walks and beer tasting

My Gram woke me early--much earlier than my usual weekend wake-up--for a brisk walk along the bluffs. The wind was blowing but the sun was out, and, bundled head to toe--yes, it was chilly, but still better than Gram's Michigan--we admired the frothy whitecaps and the magnificently blue water. We wandered along the footpath, and a passing hiker squealed that she'd just seen a whale. "Oh, I'd love to see a whale. I never have," my Gram said. We kept our eyes on the horizon, and I was sure that I spied something wild in the water, but it turned out to be only bobbing heads of kelp.

At breakfast, Gram nearly busted our budget. She has quite a sweet tooth--and everything looked scrumptious at Garden Bakery. After she ordered two coffees, a nut tart, a sweet roll, a piece of pie, a cookie, and a piece of strawberry cake, I had to cut her off. We couldn't even eat half of it. She gave me a guilty smile as she wrapped up the leftovers for later.

Well fortified, we hopped into the car and headed north to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, where Gram took advantage of the discounted senior admission. The 47-acre park has outstanding plant collections, stretching from the highway to the edge of the sea. We especially liked the colorful heathers and the brilliant Japanese maples. At the edge of the bluffs, visitors get beautiful views of the ocean and headlands.

We continued on to downtown Fort Bragg and the North Coast Brewing Co. The 16-year-old brewpub is an institution in town. On Saturdays, there are free tours of the brewery across the street, where massive vats turn hops, barley, and yeast into tasty brews such as Red Seal Ale. Afterward, we headed to the restaurant for pints, a salad, and a barbecued pork sandwich.

I was ready for a nap, but Gram wanted to see Fort Bragg's Glass Beach. At the site of a former dump, gem hunters can spy all kinds of brilliant, wave-polished beach glass. We walked along the sand, looking for pieces of discarded bottles transformed into gems by the ocean. Even after this jaunt, Gram's energy hadn't flagged. On the way back, she wanted to stop at Russian Gulch State Park to see the waves fill the massive blowhole on the cliff; it almost looked like some earth-size whale spout. We also wandered along the pretty Fern Canyon Trail under the redwoods.

Back in Mendocino, we strolled around town, admiring the quaint white clapboard houses and cottage gardens, then browsed galleries at the Mendocino Art Center.

To rest our feet, we stepped into Patterson's Pub, where I had a pint and my Gram had a soda. The menu looked good, so we ordered dinner--fish and chips for me and a Reuben for Gram. The fish was excellent, with crisp, flavorful batter, and Gram pronounced the Reuben "as good as any Reuben I've ever had." When you're 86, that's saying something.