Welcome to the Mendocino Coast

Ari Shapiro's Mendo Top 10

I suspect that if you were to ask everybody who’s ever visited Salmon Creek Farm what to do with your time on the land, they would overwhelmingly give you the firm answer: “Do nothing.”

If you approach your stay here with daily itineraries, detailed to-do lists, and hourly calendar entries, you’re missing an opportunity. How often do we get to just sit and think, to wander aimlessly along a forest path without a destination, to watch birds circle and branches wave without waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive? I say all of that because I don’t want the list that follows to send you off in the wrong direction.

However…an overwhelming array of remarkable places lie within a short drive of Salmon Creek Farm, from local businesses to natural beauty. Since my first visit to the land in 2019, I’ve accumulated a long list of nearby spots that I recommend to friends. So for this month’s newsletter, I’ve decided to share ten of my favorites with you, in no particular order. For more suggestions, check out the Mendocino Coast page on the Salmon Creek Farm website. And while you’re there, please consider becoming a member of our nonprofit Salmon Creek Arts with a donation of any size. Your contributions allow us to keep this land open for visiting artists through Schools of Salmon Creek and many other programs.

1. The Mendocino Art Center

Since 1959, the Mendocino Art Center has been a magnet and anchor for the area’s creative community. World class visiting and resident artists teach courses in ceramics, painting, photography, and more. You can sometimes find treasures for sale; pieces made by artists who’ve left their work behind. This Saturday, July 12th, The School of Salmon Creek is opening The Sun at Mid-Day, a group show by the artists who’ve been living at Salmon Creek Farm for the last seven weeks! It’s our first art show out in the world, and the work will be up until August 4th, so stop by the Mendocino Art Center to see it if you’re in the neighborhood.

2. Corners of the Mouth

In a 19th century wooden church overlooking the sea, this collective natural foods store sells everything from locally harvested kombu to freshly baked breads. Corners of the Mouth started 50 years ago, when the Mendocino coastline had lots of communes and back-to-the-land folks looking for a dependable place to buy food. (You can read a brief history of the store in the latest issue of Edible Mendocino.) Some people will tell you that you haven’t really visited Mendocino unless you come home with a Corners of the Mouth totebag. I am personally overwhelmed by the pile of totebags in my home, so instead of a tote I’ve hung a hand-drawn monthly calendar from Corners of the Mouth on my office wall at NPR headquarters in Washington.

3. The Mendocino Headlands trails

The last time I visited the area in February, I stayed at Gardenseal Ranch in Mendocino Village rather than at Salmon Creek Farm. I had arrived from the East Coast, so I used the jetlag to my advantage. Every morning I would wake before sunrise and walk the trails along the Mendocino Headlands as moonlight on the crashing waves gave way to dawn. I timed my walk to end just as The Waiting Room opened its doors…

4. The Waiting Room

This is actually a three-in-one. The Waiting Room is the coffee shop and bakery connected to Beaujolais, a high-end historic dinner restaurant and inn, which is also connected to a fabulous pizza spot called The Brickery. As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a farm stand and a garden to sit in. But back to The Waiting Room. If you arrive when it opens at 7, you can sit by a crackling fire, sip a cappuccino as good as any in a big city, and choose from an array of pastries. The olive oil cake is a favorite, but just to be safe you should probably get a seasonal scone and a fruit galette, too. On the weekends they have loaves of bread and bagels that always sell out.

5. Petite Percebes at Good Bones Kitchen

A few years ago, local ceramicist and chef Miles McCreary turned an old roadhouse in the town of Casper into the kind of small town restaurant I dream about, with natural wines and a concise menu that changes weekly based on what’s freshest. He called it Good Bones because of the building’s history. Many of the great touring artists from the 20th century have played the building’s small stage, from Etta James to Bonnie Raitt. More recently, the team of Natallie Avitia and Lucas Dai Pra have taken over the kitchen with their pop-up turned long term residency Petite Percebes. They serve fresh oysters, crab risotto, and a sneakily vegan onion tart that I would eat every day if I could. Sit on the porch and watch the ocean over lunch, perch at the bar and strike up a conversation with a stranger, or catch live music on a Saturday night and imagine the ghosts of old performers tapping along.

6. Fog Eater Cafe

Every meal at Fog Eater Cafe starts with savory boiled peanuts with just a hint of heat. Actually, the meal starts with the bright colors of the room and often a warm greeting from Haley Samas-Berry and Erica Schneider, the duo who created this restaurant in 2019. On a foggy day, this place provides the sunshine. The menu is hearty and homey Southern food with a California twist, and it’s all vegetarian. I tend to get the fried blue oyster mushrooms with mashed potatoes and gravy, braised greens, and carrots. Then I take a long nap. The adjoining bottle shop is adorable, too, with a great selection of wines and other drinks. You can even pick up a Salmon Creek Farm seed packet there if they haven’t sold out.

7. Big Hendy

The Northern California coastline used to be full of ancient redwood trees towering hundreds of feet high. Most of the forests were clear cut, but there are still a few places you can experience what this place looked like before the devastation. The old growth redwood forest of Hendy Woods State Park feels like a cathedral - vast, quiet, and cool even on the hottest days.

8. Big River kayak or canoe

This is the only place in my life I have ever seen river otters in the wild. I can’t promise you’ll see them, but I will guarantee a beautiful kayak paddle upstream. I’ve also spotted seals, herons, kingfishers, and more. It’s best to call ahead, both to reserve a kayak and to time your excursion so the incoming tide carries you upstream and the outgoing tide helps you on your way back to the mouth of the river.

9. Kayak Sea Caves

Unlike Big River kayaking, which is best done solo or with a few friends, the Mendocino Sea Caves excursion is a guided tour. Launching from Van Damme State Beach, you’ll pass through stone passageways where light ripples on the ceiling and echoes bounce all around you. If you think you sound good singing in the shower, wait until you belt out a number in here.

10. Little River Blowhole

This one is not for the faint of heart! It is dangerous and requires rappelling down a fraying rope, so attempt the descent at your own risk. Park your car on the side of the road by the Little River Cemetery on Route 1 and walk towards the coast. There, you’ll find a massive opening in the earth where the waves have carved out a blowhole. Gingerly inch your way to the edge of the cliff, grab the rope, and lower yourself down the side. At the bottom, the ground is generally dry. Walk to the mouth of the cave, watch the waves crash and foam up to your feet. Think how lucky we are to be able to visit a place like this.

Ari Shapiro is a journalist, writer, and singer. He is an anchor of NPR's All Things Considered, and a Board Member of Salmon Creek Arts.