Page 24 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021 DISCOVERING MENDOCINO

During our week-long visit, Mendocino sur- Mendocino’s history embraces both great and
prised and delighted us with its rugged beauty as shameful episodes of California’s history. It’s a
only few other destinations have - the Martian story of tough, ambitious men and women who
landscape of Wadi Rum in Jordan, the golden sa- endured hardship and danger as they settled a
vannahs of Kenya and the fantastical sandstone landscape that could be most unforgiving. The
cliffs of the Algarve in Portugal. The many moods rugged individualism of hard-working fisher-
of the sea, one night illuminated by a full moon man, farmers, lumbermen, sailors, and ranchers
and many days viewed through a scrim of fog, built the Mendocino of today that welcomes
contrasted with dense old-growth forests tourists from around the world with luxe ac-
pierced with shards of sunlight and rolling hills commodations, great restaurants and adven-
golden with vineyards and orchards. We soaked tures in a landscape second to none. By design,
up sun on winery decks, bundled up for wind- Mendocino’s past and natural setting color ev-
buffeted beach strolls, and walked the shop-lined ery visitor’s experience. That’s a big reason we
streets of historic towns. New vistas beckoned found the area so fascinating.
around every bend in the road or park path.

24 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021