T is for Trip on Mother's Day

 

Every year on Mother's Day we used to go up the coast to Mendocino. However, due to the pandemic we hadn't been there since 2019, so this year my wish was to go back to Mendocino. This was the first time that we did this trip without Kaefer. I have written about Mendocino several times - here, here,  and here. Sorry, this is a photo-heavy post.

Mendocino is a small town located right on the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino County which borders to the North of Sonoma County. It takes about two to three hours to drive there depending on how many slow moving vehicles are in front of you. All the roads to Mendocino are windy backroads with very limited opportunities for passing other cars. We also usually have breakfast somewhere in between, but this time the place where we usually go to was a big disappointment and I doubt that we will return.

We arrived shortly before noon and first walked around the picturesque town a bit.

Mendocino has a lot of old water towers, but depite them as a result of our heavy drought they had to endure a very severe water crisis. Their own water was running out and they had to truck in drinking water from other places. Imagine sitting right on a huge body of water, but having no water to drink.

I have always loved the beautiful gardens in Mendocino, full with colorful flowers. Flowers that are lining the white fences.

But the water crisis changed how people garden, and what I now saw were manly gardens with drought tolerant plants that don't need much supplemental water - and definitely not here on the often foggy coast.

Mendocino is full of little nooks and decorations on buildings. I couldn't resist taking a photo of this sign, taken outside Dick's place.

One of my favorite places in Mendocino is the Gallery Bookshop - it smells of books, the shelves are crammed with books, everywhere are benches and chairs to sit and read. It's a wonderful old fashioned bookstore. Some of my most useful gardening books for the Northern California climate I found here.

Then we headed out to the Mendocino Headlands, passing more beautiful places within the town.

The Headlands are on a peninsula which gives you beautiful views of the ocean and back to Mendocino. From here you can see how it is located on top of the cliffs. It is indeed very romantic - as well as often cold and almost always windy. I was glad I was wearing my thick winter jacket.

The headlands were covered with wildflowers, especially lupines in white, yellow, pale pink, blue and purple. It was a feast for the eyes.

But there were also other wildflowers, like this mallow which I think is an Oregon Checker Mallow (Sidalcea oregana) and wild iris.

And then there was the ocean with a shoreline so different from the one at Salt Point. 

There is a pretty big blowhole out on the bluff - it didn't blow much, but the noise when the ocean splashes in there is quite impressive.

A narrow trail leads around it - and then there were always those views!

Thrift Seapink (Armeria maritima) and California lilacs (ceanothus) rounded out the wildflowers.

As you know, I love trees, and somehow I really liked this one and couldn't stop taking pictures of it.

After having walked the big loop we returned to the town and now it was time to pay a visit to the Chocolate Haus. Oh my! Mother's Day was a great excuse to get some wonderful chocolates.

We opted to drive back along California Highway 1. At this time of year, the road was lined with wildflowers.

Looking out over the ocean,you can see the marine layer (aka fog) hovering over the sea at the horizon. It didn't take long to reach the land.

The view from the highway to the West and to the East.

We stopped in Gualala at the Seafood Shack for some delicious rock fish and chips and a bottle of local Scrimshaw. This beer is brewed in Fort Bragg which is about 10 miles north of Mendocino. The Seafood Shack is a small local business that we try to support whenever we can. Like so many places, the pandemic hit them hard, but since their seafood is one of the best along this part of the coast, we always stop here for a late lunch or early dinner. The staff is hard working and always very friendly. And of course you guessed it - the beer is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday. Cheers to you, Elizabeth, and all of the T visitors (i.e. YOU who is reading this right now).