Mendocino, Sausalito?
 

We'll be in Napa for a conference in January and are thinking of extending our trip. Are either of these worth a few days? Thanks!

Sue

Sausalito is a small town worth a "stroll", not a couple of days -- it's just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco -- most people, if they go there, would take the ferry from San Francisco, as much for the ferry ride as anything else, walk the town, maybe eat lunch or dinner, and go back to San Francisco. Mendocino is a different story -- its several hours north of San Francisco, on the ocean, and, yes, worth a few days.

My daughter lives about 10 minutes from Sausalito. Very picturesque, but lots of traffic and humanity in the area. Mendocino is much quieter and very lovely in a different way. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. My husband and I love Mendocino, but we are very quiet people and easily amused.

Yes, the two are different animals -- one North and one South. We were in Mendocino in September and enjoyed the botanic gardens (on the coast) and the town itself w/cafes/cofeeshops, and the drive from 'inland' (Healdsburg, Willits) thru the curvy, forest roads was beautiful. If you are flying out of Sacramento, perhaps Mendocino and area makes sense; if you are headed back to SFO, then Sausalito (and maybe Point Reyes and/or Muir Woods? www.nps.gov) would be 'on the way' back to the airport...? Depends on what you might want to see/do in these areas.

Yes, it really depends on what you'd like to do. A lot of us in the Bay Area love Point Reyes National Seashore for its expansive views, booming beaches (not so much for swimming but great strolling), hiking trails through Douglas fir forests and on coastal bluffs. I like some of the local bakeries and cheese makers (Cow girl Creamery in Point Reyes Station, Rouge et Noir not far away) and Hog Island Oysters. Small B&Bs and homes to rent can be found in Olema, Point Reyes Station, and Inverness. All very small communites on the east side of Point Reyes national Seashore. Inverness is on the west side of Tomales Bay,

If you are more interested in shopping and a bit of other wine country, you could try a couple of nights in Healdsburg on hwy 101 north of Santa Rosa. It is a nice little town with some very she-she shops and nice old neighborhoods to walk around in. Dry Creek is just west of town for great wine tasting.

Mendocino is very nice but much further north on winding roads.

Sausalito is touristy in the shopping district but is right on the bay with some hotels on the hill with great views. It is very near to Marin Headlands in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area where you can go for easy walks on the trails and have amazing views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

So what sort of decompression are you looking for after the conference in january. We can have some nasty blowing storms that time of year. The weather is very changeable. So driving up and back from Mendocino could be miserable if a storm front is moving through. A cozy B&B or hotel somewhere could be ideal regardless of the weather!

Just a note re: dining in Mendo ... just back from a vacation along the coast from SF last week ... ate in Mendo Bistro and truly enjoyed our dining experience. Not only was the service and food excellent, but prices were extremely reasonable and the local wines were good!!! The place was recommended by a local shopkeeper. She steered us in the right direction!

whoops... Mendo Bistro is in Ft Bragg, just north of Mendocino.
www.mendobistro.com

Mendocino is a wonderful place to r-e-l-a-x for a couple of days. Beautiful walks, hikes, etc. but be forewarned, there is not much else to do! I highly recommend The Headlands Inn - beautiful rooms and top notch service, including gourmet breakfasts served to your bedroom on trays and tea and cookies every afternoon. For dining, go to the Albion River Inn.

The Inn above Tide is a lovely place to stay in Sausalito.
www.innabovetide.com

Mendocino is our wine country retreat (those of us in sonoma wine country) as it is still much less traficked, has much smaller wineries, and of course is on the coast! I agree that it's a much more relaxed vacation. Inverness/Olema/Tomales Bay would be my choice if you were wanting more Bay Area (not Sausalito for a few days) they are wonderful outdoors, food, charm, etc. Healdsburg would, of course be my choice in Sonoma County for food/wine/refined yet casual entertainment options.

I think it depends on what you like to do.

Also, you are coming in January. Which tends to be wet, and often we have had flooding/mudslides etc during that time frame. (which would affect both locations)