Our favorite properties tend to be the ones that use food and wine as a key ingredient in showcasing the beauty of the region, using seasonal, ultra-local food to bring a true taste of Northern California to the dinner table. At these properties, from Michelin-starred restaurants to family-run wineries, a strong sense of place is instilled into every dish. 

Michelin Coast-to-Table

Harbor House Inn quietly occupies a private cove about 16 miles south of the quaint town of Mendocino. Outfitted with redwood, the dining room– originally created as a showroom from the region’s logging days– overlooks the property’s gardens. Beyond that, the cove’s clear turquoise water laps at the foot of cliffs and a stunning arched rock formation commands the attention of the horizon. 

Harbor House is a small inn with only six traditional rooms in the main building and five standalone cottages for extra privacy. Those staying at the inn are privy to early access to dinner reservations, but many come just for the food. Twenty seats are available each night  Thursday through Monday for a tasting menu that typically features around 12 courses. The menu rotates nightly and is sourced locally. As many ingredients as possible are sourced straight from the garden on site, and the rest are products of local farms and ranches. Out of the 12 courses, there is typically only one land-based meat dish. The rest highlight fresh vegetables, produce and seafood. 

 “The ability to forage for seaweed, mushrooms, herbs and edible weeds in our backyard and the surrounding coast and forest has shaped the cuisine to be a true local snapshot of our area,” Chef Matthew Kammerer said.

Night after night, Harbor House plays with the ever changing flavors of the region, elevating not only delicacies like sea urchin, but also more humble items like seaweed harvested from the nearby coastline, or lace lichen plucked from overhanging trees. The creativity and vision is evident in every dish, earning the restaurant its rightful place as the only one with Michelin stars in Mendocino county. 

Small Batch Production

A hundred miles further south in Sonoma, Beltane Ranch perfectly encapsulates the magic of small-batch wine production and farming. When you step onto the property, you’re greeted first by a friendly shaggy dog (and maybe the far off bleating of the babydoll lambs), and then by the warm presence of Lauren Benward, whose family has run the ranch for six generations. 

 The property was built on a colorful, ‘Wild West’ past. In 1879, a pioneer California viticulturist and winemaker named John Drummond planted Beltane’s first official vineyard. He utilized the property’s volcanic soil to graft the old mission style grapevines to fine wine varieties, including Cabernet and Chardonnay with cuttings from the French Chateaus: Margaux, Lafitte Rothschild and the Hermitage in Bordeaux. 

In 1892, the ranch was purchased by Mary Ellen Pleasant, an abolitionist, feminist, and business magnate– unique titles for a black woman to achieve during a time of high racial prejudice. Pleasant was business-savvy and a well-connected social powerhouse– operating boarding houses, a hotel, restaurants, laundries, quicksilver mines, brothels, arranging marriages, and conducting numerous other ventures.

Today, the Beltane Ranch boasts 120 year of agriculture hospitality and remains one of Sonoma’s few small, family-run wineries. Brother and sister team Lauren and Alex Benward have expanded and diversified the property’s agricultural offerings, in addition to their wine production. New produce gardens, heirloom fruit trees, and heritage breed laying hens are just a few of the additions guests can see around the property and enjoy the fruits of in the dining room. Meals at the ranch are often exclusively fruits, veggies, olive oil and herbs grown on the property. 

Forage for Your Own Wild Ingredients

One night by the fire at The Inn at Newport Ranch, I sat sipping a candy cap-infused old fashioned. On the plate in front of me, were the crumbs of a delicious hors d’oeuvre: a petite wild mushroom pastry. The next morning– clearly riding something of a mushroom craving– I would order a mushroom omelet. All of these refreshments were fueled by the fungi that I had the opportunity to forage earlier that day in the surrounding redwood forest. With an expert guide at the lead, we had set out on an ATV tour to see the property, plant redwood seedlings and forage the fruits of the forest. From fresh bay leaves to redwood sorrel, we filled our wicker baskets with wild ingredients for the kitchen. 

Every evening, a three-course, seasonally-inspired dinner is served by the crackling fireplace in the main lodge’s dining room. Depending on what’s in season (or whatever the foraging baskets brought in that day), the menu could include anything from fresh abalone and oysters to honey glazed smoked duck with Mendocino mushrooms to a blood orange tart with toasted meringue. It’s more than just a meal; food is one of the most immersive experiences the property is able to use to share the diverse beauty of the surrounding land and sea.

Ready for your own culinary journey through Northern California?

See this sample itinerary: Sonoma and Mendocino: A Farm to Table Road Trip

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The Legacy of the Redwoods

Photo courtesy of The Inn at Newport Ranch

Traveling throughout the Mendocino region of Northern California, the California redwood legacy can be seen and felt intimately everywhere you go. For thousands of years, the trees were an important part of the cultural and spiritual identity of local Indigenous communities. For example, some tribes believed that the trees had the power to heal and protect them, while others saw them as the dwelling places of powerful spirits or deities. Generations of wisdom passed down in these Indigenous communities resulting in an intimate connection to the land and a deep understanding of the redwood forest ecology. 

Redwoods also fueled the beginnings of Western development in the area, through logging communities. At one point, redwoods covered over two million acres of California, but logging and development have reduced their range to less than 113,000 acres. However, conservation efforts in recent decades have helped protect and preserve many of the remaining redwood forests. Save the Redwoods League is one of the most prominent non-profits you can support in pursuit of this cause. Since 1918, the league has worked to protect and restore redwood forests, as well as connect people to their peace and beauty. If not for this organization’s advocacy, it is likely that several protected redwoods forests that we enjoy today would have been fully logged.

The Inn at Newport Ranch, a boutique accommodation perched on the Mendocino cliffs, is a beautiful picture of this transformation in redwood stewardship. Before The Inn at Newport Ranch, there was Newport– a small town that sprouted around a logging community in 1865. Ships would brashly navigate the rocks and pounding waves against the cliff to empty new residents onto the shores and load timber for trading. The logging industry left town two decades later, and farmers took their place. Now, the bones of an old farmhouse form the core of the main lodge at this newly-constructed inn. The property, comprising 2,000 acres, plants redwood seedlings daily to do their part in restoring the redwood forests. In fact, guests are offered the unique opportunity to plant their own baby tree for generations to come during any excursion into the redwoods. 

Unique Ways to Experience the Redwoods

Photo courtesy of Harbor House Inn

Ever present in these northern regions, All Roads North can curate several unique ways to experience the California redwoods during your journey. For foodies, we’d recommend enjoying a Michelin-starred fine dining experience in a former redwood showroom at The Harbor House Inn. Inhabiting an enchanting cove of the Mendocino coast, the dining room of the 11-room boutique inn is paneled with redwood. The house was built in 1916 by the Goodyear Redwood Company as a place to entertain buyers and showcase their product. The menu invites guests to experience the region through local flavors, with all of the produce sourced either from the on-site garden or a farm just 25 minutes away. 

For those more prone to active adventure, we’ll arrange a private guide to lead an excursion snowshoeing through the redwoods. The contrast of the red bark and white snow and the added layer of wintery quiet only amplify the forest’s awe-inspiring timelessness. If you’d rather get out on the water during more temperate months, we’ll arrange a paddle on Big River in a redwood outrigger canoe, made by a local artisan who has been handcrafting the outriggers for 30 years. You’ll likely share the tranquil, misty morning with not a soul but the local wildlife: river otters, harbor seals, and a variety of birds from ospreys to herons.

You can also further tap into the healing aura of the California redwoods and focus on your wellness with Shinrin-Yoku, or a privately guided forest bathing experience. Shinrin Yoku is the Japanese practice of healing and wellness through immersion in nature, leading to reconnection with our environments and ourselves. For this experience you will be guided into the forest, using walking, visual and breath meditation to activate your senses. Not only is the experience calming and restoring, forest bathing has been shown to boost immunity and reduce stress.

Whether you are interested in experiencing the iconic California redwoods through the lens of history, fine dining, wellness or adventure, there are endless personalized experiences our Travel Specialists can dream up to create a truly special experience suited to your interests. Reach out today to start planning your dream journey to the Mendocino coast.

Mendocino Itinerary Inspiration: Sonoma and Mendocino: A Farm to Table Road Trip

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On our first full day at the property, Otis took us on an ATV tour of the grounds. 

“It’s like having your own private state park,” Otis said. Having worked at the property for many years, Otis is an Inn at Newport Ranch legend and pretty much an encyclopedia of local information. From the the legacy of the local Indigenous peoples, to tales of area’s history as the small logging town of Newport, to stories about the property’s wildest past guests– each story was more fascinating than the last.

The Rocky Mendocino Coast

Our ATV expedition began at the main lodge, set on cliffs overlooking the sea on a bluff of coastal prairie. Cattle graze in their pastures beyond the accommodation structures. Aside from the main lodge, where the dining room and three guest rooms are located, there are four other stand alone cabins for guest lodging. Most are clustered closely together, but the owner’s house, Sea Drum, offers more seclusion and an unbelievable view of the ocean. The name of the four bedroom house pays homage to the waves hitting the cliff just below. 

We skirted along the property’s 1.5 miles of coastline. The cliffs gave way to pristine, turquoise ocean, to secret beaches, and according to Otis, the watery home of seals, kingfish, king crab and even 18-foot great white sharks. Set against the drastic edge of one vista, there was a vast kettle suspended by chains over a fire pit, the perfect setting for the Viking themed wedding that had recently taken place there. During certain seasons, humpback whales swim to the foot of the cliffs and rub barnacles off their backs. Leatherback sea turtles, orcas, and gray whales are just a few other visitors known to pass through.

Foraging in the Forest and Planting Redwood Trees

We left the ocean behind and turned our ATV to the riparian forest. Less than a mile from the coast, we found ourselves in a different environment entirely. The tree cover dimmed the light, the earth smelled damp, and everything was verdantly green. The trees in this new microcosm– including douglas fir, alder, and big leaf maple trees– can handle the salty ocean air, and serve as a barrier between the iconic redwoods we would encounter later on. 

We searched for mushrooms along the forest floor. Otis showed us which fungi to look for, how to cut off the dirt and debris with a harvesting knife, and gather them in wicker baskets. Those wishing to dive further into the experience have the opportunity to inoculate their own mushroom log, which they can then bring home and enjoy for days to come.

Heading further along the winding trail through the forest, towering redwoods began to come into view. Otis caught sight of wild bay leaves, which we added to our baskets for the ranch chef to use, then took a nibble of some redwood sorrel. It looked like clover, but had the tart-sweet tang of sour apple. Dining at the property often includes whatever foraged ingredients such as these that are brought into the kitchen.

Guests are invited to plant redwood seedlings to grow for future generations to enjoy. Of course, we didn’t pass up the chance to leave our mark with our own baby trees. Otis said that kids particularly enjoy this experience, with one rambunctious young lad naming his seedling “Destroyer of Carbon.” Planting redwoods, and the mushroom foraging for that matter, are both part of Otis’ weekly routine. Activities at The Inn at Newport Ranch aren’t gimmicks devised to entertain guests. Rather, visitors are invited into authentic ranch undertakings. I think that is what makes any experience incredibly rich: people can always sniff out what is orchestrated on their behalf and what is genuine. 

After ascending to a mountainous high point overlooking the coast and forests we had just journeyed through, Otis pointed out how much farther the property’s boundaries stretched. We had barely scratched the surface of The Inn at Newport Ranch’s 2,000 acres. Next, it was back to the sea, where we enjoyed a turkey, brie and fig jam baguette at one of the property’s 15 picnic spots. As we nibbled on the sandwiches that Ranch staff had so kindly packed for us, the sun slowly sunk into the ocean and painted the sky in soft pinks and oranges. It was incredibly peaceful– not another person in sight and only the sound of the crashing waves as a backtrack. 

Food and Family

Every day at The Inn at Newport Ranch ends with a complimentary happy hour by the lodge’s roaring fire, followed by an indulgent dinner in the redwood-accented dining room. The menu features local ingredients, including the mushrooms that we had foraged mere hours ago. There was even a candy cap mushroom-infused Old Fashioned on the menu! The minimal number of rooms means a minimal number of guests. As you recount your day by the fire or chat over breakfast, you quickly get to know the few other people who are staying. An easy sense of camaraderie quickly develops over the course of your stay– both with other guests and the staff. 

In addition to the truly stunning scenery and diverse landscapes the property has to offer, that is probably how The Inn at Newport Ranch drew me in most. You leave truly feeling like you became a part of something special, if only for a short while. You become part of the family. 

A stay at the Inn at Newport Ranch pairs well with: Sonoma and Mendocino: A Farm to Table Road Trip

Reach out to a Destination Specialist today to book your stay at the Inn at Newport Ranch, complete with customized experiences along the Mendocino coast with expert guides at the lead.

The post The Inn at Newport Ranch: The Jewel of the Mendocino Coast appeared first on All Roads North.

Mendocino in November

Mendocino is the lesser-known wine region in California north of Napa and Sonoma Valley. Its coastline is rugged and its atmosphere less refined than its highfalutin neighbors. November is the perfect time to visit to cash in on peak mushroom and crab season as well as the last of the season’s beautiful fall foliage. Plus, there’s no cozier setting to enjoy the last of autumn than amongst the misty ancient redwoods the area is famous for.

In early November, the Feast Mendocino celebrates Mendocino’s mushrooms, with lots of local wine involved in the festivities as well. Dungeness crab season typically begins in mid-November as the temperatures drop. It’s the perfect time to set out on the Pacific with a local crabber to catch your own fresh seafood.

Mendocino Weather in November

Sample Itinerary: Sonoma and Mendocino: A Farm to Table Road Trip

Death Valley in November

Death Valley is the hottest place in North America, with temperatures reaching upwards of 115 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. However in November, it’s the perfect destination to get some late autumn sun at much more pleasant temperatures in the 70’s. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore everything this California national park has to offer– towering sand dunes, sparkling white salt flats and rainbow-streaked, craggy mountains.

Since the summer monsoon season is past, the clear skies make for ideal stargazing in the Gold Tier Dark Sky Park. Plus, the camping season and Ranger Programs start up in the fall so you’ll have plenty of options for activities.

Death Valley Weather in November

New Orleans in November

November is the perfect sweet spot to experience New Orleans during good weather, less crowds and decked out for the holidays. New Orleans is a city known for its zest for life. The Cajun flavors pack a punch, music spills out from jazz bars into the streets and no city throws a better party. However, Louisiana summers are hot and muggy and Mardi Gras in the spring packs the city with tourists.

In November, you’ll find much cooler weather (although still warm) and there are plenty of lesser-known festivals going on. From the Bayou Bacchanal celebrating Caribbean culture in the city to the Fête des Fromages celebrating the area’s French influence, there is a wide range of cultural influences at play in New Orleans– make sure to come hungry. For football-fans, you’ll feel right at home in the enthusiastic football culture. The Bayou Classic is a highly-anticipated game that happens every Thanksgiving weekend.

New Orleans Weather in November

Sample Itinerary: The Best of New Orleans and Cajun Country

Check Out The Other Posts in Our Series Below:

• Best Places to Visit in the USA – Month by Month
• January
• June
• October

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