Mendocino County is a sparsely populated collection of
picturesque villages, forests and vineyards.

The quaint villages of Albion (pronounced AL-BEE-INN) and Elk are found on either side of where Hwy 128 meets the Pacific Ocean. If you're turning south on Hwy 1 from 128, you'll discover the offbeat village of Elk. It's a lively close-knit community and one of the most pleasant oceanfront hideaways you'll ever find. This charming hamlet is perched high above the Pacific Ocean on sparsely populated scenic bluffs.

Fort Bragg is a rustic seaside town with a working fishing harbor, beautiful State Parks on the beach and in the redwood forests. You'll find a great selection of interesting shops, everything from grocery stores to stylish boutiques. Fort Bragg is best known for the Skunk Train, it's an old Time Train that takes you on a redwood forest journey without having to hike. Just south of Fort Bragg, on the ocean side of Hwy 1, is a "Must See" for any flower lover, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are the only oceanfront botanical gardens in America.

Little River has an unique attraction in its Van Damme State Park. There are three distinct parts to this park; the beach is a favorite for kayakers and abalone divers. The east portion of the park features a paved trail through picturesque towering redwoods that progresses into a hiking trail that loops through a pygmy forest. The nutrient-poor, highly acidic clay hardpan soil that is found at this level of the Mendocino Coast terrain is relatively inhospitable. As a result, the trees are dwarfed; some mature trees are barely waist-high even though they are hundreds of years old.

Mendocino (pronounced "MEN-DOUGH-SEA-NO", although locals usually shorten it to "Men-dough"), is the only town on the California Coast designated as an Historical Landmark. Established in the 1850's with architecture reminiscent of grand Victorians and quaint Saltbox cottages of Maine. Surrounded by crashing waves and flowered covered bluff trails. Quaint shops and functioning water towers with flower covered picket fences, line the tranquil streets.

Mendocino's South Coast runs from Irish Beach to Gualala. The locals pronounce it "Wah-Lah-Lah". Gualala is the Native American Pomo word for "water coming down place". This area is appropriately named because of the Gualala River that flows majestically into the pacific ocean creating a wide river mouth.

Mendocino Wine Country begins about 90 miles north of San Francisco in the inland valleys of Mendocino County. Due to the varied terrain and expansive range of micro climates, Mendocino produces an impressive variety of grapes that create superior wines. The Mendocino Wine Tasting Tour is best traveled in a loop, beginning on Highway 101, in the quaint little town of Hopland, head west toward the coast, then Hwy 128 to enjoy the wines of Anderson Valley.