A couple of weeks ago we took a little family road trip up the coast to a great Northern California beach town called Mendocino. There’s just something about the NorCal coast that just calls to me. The beaches are so wild and rustic compared to your typical California beach. The rocks, bluffs, trees and plants are so gorgeous up here. We stayed at this great historic hotel called the Little River Inn. In fact, they’ve been in operation since 1939 with the same family! Innkeeper Cally Dym is the fifth generation owner along with her husband, Executive Chef Marc Dym. The inn has a notable guest history as well, from Ronald Reagan to James Dean (while filming East of Eden). It’s situated right off of Highway 1, on the bluff right above the beach. The view is seriously stunning, it doesn’t get any better.
The inn also has a restaurant and bar on site and after eating there the first night, we pretty much decided to eat there for every meal! That good folks, that good. They were so accommodating with our kids too, which is a huge plus in our book. Our kids are not going through the easiest phase right now, so sitting still at a restaurant for an hour or more doesn’t always work. Ha. Even though the restaurant vibe is pretty upscale, we didn’t feel uncomfortable with the kids at all. Which was nicely done. Also, the menu has something for everyone. They even had a vegan breakfast scramble! I was impressed. I had some pretty amazing salmon and halibut the two nights we were there, and the homemade blackberry jam was scrumptious. Chef Marc has done a great job.
We stayed in an ocean view deluxe room. It was huge and had room for two queen beds, a small dining area, wet bar, a fireplace and lounge area as well as a large bathroom with a jacuzzi and separate shower. Oh and don’t let me forget the amazing deck with two rockers, perfect for enjoying that gorgeous ocean view. We sat out there morning, noon and night. So perfect for enjoying the California coast.
We had a great weekend walking around the small town of Mendocino, walking down to the beach from the inn and we even made our way over to ride the Skunk Train in Fort Bragg. Our kid’s are pretty obsessed with trains, so this was definitely a good choice. They loved riding in the vintage train and watching the greenery fly by. I heard there’s even a campground only accessible by train, might have to do that next time!
Also if you’re a fan of abalone and want to hit up the Mendocino area, the Little River Inn is having their annual Abalone Camp – a two-day all inclusive abalone diving experience. You can read more about it here, but it sounds pretty amazing.
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