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MENDOCINO VACATION RENTALS, CALIFORNIA |
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Sights and Attractions in Mendocino |
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| Mendocino and the surrounding areas are home to some really unique sights and attractions. Spend your day discovering this region's distinctive culture and history. |
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Honeymoon
Wine Tastings and Tours
Kelley House
Ford House
Presbyterian Church
Mendocino Arts Center
Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
Skunk Train
Point Arena Lighthouse
Whale Watching
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| Honeymoon |
| The village is the ideal place to spend your honeymoon. There is much that a couple can do together here - stroll along the beach, explore the tide-pools, ride a carriage, get a massage, go on a wine tour, and more. You can be married in a lighthouse and spend the first few days of your married life in a heavenly setting. |
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| Wine Tastings and Tours |
| Nearly 40 wineries are located in three clusters in Mendocino County - Redwood Valley - Ukiah, Hopland and Anderson Valley. Redwood Valley - Ukiah and Hopland are both in the Russian River area of the County. In addition, the western most winery on the continental United States is on the North Mendocino Coast, and a winery tasting room and brewery are in that area as well. |
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| Kelley House |
| Kelley House Museum is a local history museum featuring gardens and a spring-fed pond. The museum overlooks the Mendocino Bay. The Kelley House is home to Mendocino Historical Research, a non-profit agency dedicated to the preservation of the ethnic, economic and social history of Mendocino. The museum hours are 1–4 PM daily from June to September, and 1-4 PM, Friday through Monday, from October to May. |
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| Ford House |
| Another attraction on the coast is the 1854 Ford House. This historic home and visitor center was built for Mendocino’s founder, Jerome Burley Ford, and his wife. It is now a museum that exhibits works of local artists and those of Pomo Native Americans. |
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| Presbyterian Church |
| Located in Mendocino village, the Presbyterian Church was built in 1868 of native milled redwood, is a California Historical Landmark and the venue for many marriages. |
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| Mendocino Arts Center |
| The Mendocino Art Center is an educational, exhibition, and resource center for the visual and performing arts. The facilities include studios and classrooms for fine arts, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, textiles and computer arts. Gallery spaces provide exhibition opportunities to a variety of artists. The center also has an artist in residence program. The gift shop features artwork by local artists. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and the Zacha Sculpture Garden features sculpture and a tiled courtyard. The center is open daily from 10 AM – 4 PM January through March and from 10 AM to 5 PM beginning April 1. |
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| Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden |
The Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden, also called the Garden by the Sea, offers formal flower gardens, fern-covered canyons, coastal pine forests and over a hundred species of visiting birds. The Gardens are wheelchair accessible. Guests are welcome to bring a picnic during their visit. Well-mannered dogs on leashes are allowed.
February, March and April, the spring whale migration time, brings blooms such as camellias, daffodils, magnolias and the Pacific Coast iris. May, June and July feature rhododendrons, heritage roses, perennials, foxglove, succulents, lilies, heathers and native wildflowers. August, September and October offers perennials, dahlias, fuchsias and hydrangeas. November, December and January, the winter whale migration time, presents Japanese maples, late perennials and wild mushrooms.
The garden is open daily year-round, with seasonal hours. From March to October, the garden is open from 9 AM to 5 PM, and from November to February, the garden is open from 9 AM to 4 PM. The facility is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, as well as the Saturday following Labor Day in September. Admission is $7.50 for adults 18 -59, $6 for seniors 60 and above, $3 for youth ages 13-17, $1 for children 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. |
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| Skunk Train |
| The California Western Railroad’s Skunk Train has vintage steam and diesel locomotives that take you deep into the Redwood forests, just as they used to when Mendocino was still a logging town. Moving at a leisurely pace of less than 30 miles per hour, the trains pull covered and open observation cars. The Skunk line runs 40 miles from Fort Bragg on the coast to Willits on US Highway 101. It crosses some 30 bridges and trestles and passes through two deep mountain tunnels. The halfway point of Northspur is popular lunch spot. Excursions leave Fort Bragg every day at 9 AM and 2 PM. |
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| Point Arena Lighthouse |
| The Point Arena Lighthouse is the only Pacific West coast lighthouse of significant height (115 feet) that you can climb to the top. Guided lighthouse tours, as well as self-guided tours of the grounds, are available daily. Enjoy the Lighthouse Gift shop featuring unique souvenirs and custom made Abalone Jewelry. The lighthouse is open weekdays from 10 AM to 2:30 PM and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under. |
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| Whale Watching |
| A fascinating activity is to ride on a 50-foot boat along the coast and watch the California Gray Whales pass by the Point Arena Lighthouse as they migrate to and from Mexico. Once almost extinct, these whales can easily be seen from vantage points along the California coastline from December through April in most years. Don’t forget to attend the Mendocino Whale festival, and the Fort Bragg Whale Festival, which both take place each March. Nearby Fort Bragg is home to several charter businesses offering whale watching tours. |
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