This Northern California Downtown Is Made For Strolling

Occupying an elevated outcrop between Northern California's Shoreline Highway and the Pacific Ocean, Mendocino sets the stage for a lovely stroll. This marquee town of the Mendocino Coast constitutes a modest 2.2 square miles of pastel, New England-esque structures, complete with wooden water towers left over from its early logging boom. Around the periphery, Mendocino Headlands State Park offers grassy trails that flow seamlessly from Main Street to the peninsula's expressive cliffs. Upping the ante even further, there are two downtown beaches hiding in plain sight. With its mid-19th-century architecture spread across lightly trafficked streets, abundance of easy-going hikes, and the sensation of bare feet squishing across low-tide sands, downtown Mendocino is made for strolling.

Main Street

Mendocino's Main Street runs east-west along the south side of the headland. Here, you'll find a surf shop, a book shop, a jam shop, and a couple of chocolate shops (amongst other mom-and-pop shops). Almost all establishments are positioned on the north side of the street, so as to preserve the wide-open view of Mendocino Bay.

Here on Main Street, you will also find Mendocino's two main museums, conveniently located directly across from each other. The Kelley House Museum was built back in 1861, and showcases the affluent furnishings of its namesake owner, as well as sprawling grounds and one of the town's many aforementioned wooden water towers. The Ford House Visitor Center & Museum was built even earlier, in 1854, and includes a model of Mendocino as it stood in 1890, handcrafted by a local artisan. This is also where you can find public bathrooms and information about the Mendocino Headlands State Park.

If you like what you see and wish to linger a bit longer, consider visiting Meyer Family Cellars for a wine tasting, or grabbing a cold beer at the quirky dive-bar known as Dick's Place (for even though Mendocino now exudes a high-brow demeanor, it had a raucous side to it back in the day). Both are steps from the museums. Otherwise, let's make our way to one of the three trail heads on the south side of Main Street.

Mendocino Headlands State Park

All three water-facing sides of Mendocino are bordered by the 7,400-acre Mendocino Headlands State Park. Its windswept fields are spliced through by well-trodden, yet never crowded, trails that meander along sinuous cliffs. The countless viewpoints reveal sea arches, grottoes, near-shore islands, and, as promised, sneaky access to some surprise beaches.

Before descending the staircase to Portuguese Beach, do yourself the pleasure of thoroughly exploring the north side of the headlands. If it's wintertime, you might just spot grey whales surfacing as part of their migration, and if your Mendocino meander comes as part of a summer vacation, then enjoy the respite from the heat offered by the Pacific's salty breeze. During my own headlands stroll, I came across a couple of photographers, and even a painter stationed above a particularly inspiring cove.

Portuguese Beach

Having experienced the best of the cliffside micro-wilderness, the southwestern fringe of Mendocino Headlands State Park beckons. Beautiful as the cliffs may be, beyond the designated trails, they are treacherous to navigate. The one exception is an inconspicuous wooden staircase that leads down to Portuguese Beach. Assuming a cooperative tide, this stretch of wet sand extends one's stroll by roughly a quarter of a mile and delivers a completely different vantage point on the seascape. Of course, Portuguese Beach also opens the door to a mid-walk swim, so don't forget to pack a towel.

Big River Beach

Heading eastward along the southside cliff trail, once again in full view of Main Street, delve briefly into a wooded area and emerge at the mouth of Big River and its affiliated swath of sand. If you're heading here directly from Main Street, look for Mendocino Presbyterian Church, recognizable by its angelic-white body, baby-blue door, and ambitious steeple, then descend from its parking lot.

Thanks to the recurring waves at the confluence of Big River and Mendocino Bay, Big River Beach is a magnet for sunset surfers. Evening also brings out the bonfires, which are easily built using the beach's ample driftwood. But for casual strollers, any time is a good time to walk the gentle forest trails to this lesser-known side of Mendocino.

Lansing and Side Streets

Mendocino's commercial core extends beyond Main Street. In fact, in terms of density of proprietors, north-south Lansing Street acts as the community's primary thoroughfare. Refuel at one of its several cafe-restaurants and then fan out across the serene side streets in search of downtown Mendocino's old-fashioned inns and many small-scale galleries, many of which are the result of the town's post-1930s reinvention.

Given its geographical confines and simple grid structure, you'll never get lost in Mendocino, but you'll always find something new. So choose your own adventure to finish off this multifaceted stroll. Perhaps it's time for prior window shopping to evolve into purchases for that perfect gift or souvenir. Perhaps you wanted to wait until the end of the day for a proper splash in the Pacific. Or perhaps you yearn to chase the sun to the western edge of the headlands in order to bid this beautiful day adieu.

A Similar (and Nearby) Spot for Strolling

Just ten miles north of Mendocino, another coastal timber town with a colorful mix of maritime and frontier-style architecture unfurls. Rather than shy away from the Shoreline Highway (S.R.1), Fort Bragg embraces this crosswalk-rich, reduced-speed section as its main street. As such, this second stop along the Mendocino Coast provides easy access to the commercial and culinary delights congregated along the eastern side of town, the collection of museums along the westside sidewalk, and its very own headlands park.

I suggest starting with a cup of joe at Headlands Coffeehouse, a chill and friendly spot a block up Laurel Street, then cruising by the enshrined cross-section of the largest redwood ever known to have grown along this shoreline. You'll find it between the Guest House Museum and Sea Glass Museum, both of which are worth a stop. To cap it off, watching the sun set once again from the cliffside trails of Noyo Headlands Park is a must.

A Toast to the Mendocino Coast

The neighboring towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg developed as logging and shipping hubs, but have since transformed into scenic communities tailor-made for self-guided walking tours. They both benefit from sunny skies and oceanfront landscapes, they both boast exclusively independent businesses from within historical frameworks, and they both blend their sidewalked streets with easily accessible/navigable nature trails.