Northern CA: Santa Rosa, Mendocino, Avenue of the Giants
 

Hi,
We will need to be in Santa Rosa for 2 weeks this summer. We will do touring around there, such Sonoma, Napa, Russian River and Point Reyes.

We have just 2 days and 1 night where we can travel further and do an overnight.

We are thinking of exploring the Mendocino area coastline and Avenue of the Giants. Does that sound like a realistic itinerary for just one night and 2 days? I'm concerned it will be too much driving, but not sure. Also trying to figure out a scenic travel route to and from Santa Rosa, as well as a nice place to stay (clean, pleasant, possibly nice views or setting) overnight. We are interested primarily in Scenic nature and prefer less touristy atmospheres when possible. Any feedback is welcome!

Also wondering if the Mendocino coastal area should be a separate day trip....

I'd do one or the other -- either Mendocino/Ft Bragg . . . or . . . Avenue of the Giants

SR to say Redcrest (towards the top of the Ave) and back to Santa Rosa - just the drive -- is about 7 hours and adding the short side trip to Ferndale it would be about an 8 hour R-T so just about doable as an overnight with multiple stops in along the Avenue and a walk around Ferndale.

SR to Ft Bragg / Mendocino and back is about a 5 hour total drive so a little easier as a single over night -- The biggest problem would be if this is a weekend and finding a place that doesn't have a 2 or 3 night minimum.

Oh - and welcome to Fodors :)

Me again -- Re trying to do the 'scenic' route (which would be either north or south one way along the coast on Hwy 1) Nope -- whichever you decide just head up 101 to get to either Mendocino or the Avenue of the Giants quicker. You can see plenty of Hwy 1 scenery on your other day trips out of Santa Rosa.

I got confused because MapQuest is making it seem that it takes about 3 hours to get to the Avenue of the Giants. We are going on a week night. So in a nutshell you think these are definitely 2 separate trips? We don't want to do a 7 hour drive, so does that rule out the Giants?

Thank You!!!

Yes - Santa Rosa to the bottom end of the avenue would take about 3 hours. The Ave itself takes a minimum of an hour more.

What would you recommend, considering we have just 2 days and one evening to be out of the SR area? Also considering we haven't been to CA ever, and don't know if/when we will be back. Thanks!

I personally think The Avenue of the Giants + a wander around Ferndale and back to Santa Rosa would be totally doable in two days. Maybe staye here if they have availability https://gingerbread-mansion.com

What I'd do is drive straight through to Ferndale, stay the night, then take all day meandering back down to Santa Rosa the next day spending as much time/stop as many places as you want along the Avenue.

OR -- If that seems too much -- Armstrong Redwoods State Park is only about 45 mins from Santa Rosa for an easy excursion https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450

Years ago I drove through the Avenue of the Giants, it is something I will never forget, nothing I’d ever seen before. Ferndale looks like an interesting stop that I hope to do one day.

Wow! Thanks for sharing that!

Agree with janisg, we did the Avenue this spring. Drive up 101 to Ferndale or another town, and the next day drive south. The road itself is not super long. Be sure to make alot of stops along the way.

which road should I drive down on, the same one we drive up on?
any suggestions for where to stay - we are a family of 3 ?

Thanks!

Sorry, no idea about side trips, out of Santa Rosa, but make a side trip to The Bottle Barn for a seemingly endless supply of local and not so local wines, for a drink in your hotel room after a day of travel. We were last in the area for a work trip, so couldn't do many side trips to interesting places.

With just one night/best part of two days you really only have one practical option -- 101 north and back south. The only other feasible option is Hwy 1 one direction or the other and you simply don't have the time. If you are making good time on your way back to SR, you 'could' cut over to Ft Bragg/Mendocino/Hwy 1 from Leggett and then back on 128 east to 101 from Albion. But that adds more than an hour's drive time on an already rushed itinerary. Plus the road form Leggett to Rockport/Ft Bragg is EXTREMELY twisty turny.

Ok that’s really helpful.

Could Mendocino coast area be a seperate Day Trip during our stay in Santa Rosa, and is that worth doing? Or are the lower parts of the coast (closer to SR) just as scenic?

The entire coast between Marin County and Mendocino is scenic. Mendocino is too far for a day trip -- or it would be for me. It is about a 2.5 hour drive each way by the fastest route. Between Mendocino, the Botanic Garden, Glass Beach, Ft Bragg etc you'd really want an overnight. But there are lots of scenic places farther south on the coast that are more than doable as day trips..

Ft Ross - 90 minutes from SR.
Bodega Bay - 40 minutes
Jenner - just under an hour
Dillon Beach - 40 mins.

Thanks for this info. Is Point Reyes a worthwhile day trip?

Oh sure -- I didn't mention it because you had listed it in your OP so figured you were already planning to go there.

Oh that’s makes sense, thanks!!

staying in ferndale
 

we are staying at the gingerbread mansion in ferndale, which looks interesting

I've stayed there a couple of times and love it.

For our 2 day 1 night trip to Ave of the Giants (from Santa Rosa), I’m still trying to decide where to stay. We would like a place that has 2 separate bedrooms, and I need a comfortable bed in order to sleep and am also sensitive to musty air or dust or bugs…..

There’s Miranda Gardens which is rustic but nice, (and has great reviews) and my family seems to think it would be exciting to be nearly sleeping in the park.

I also see a place called Scotia Lodge in Scotia, which looks nice and they have a 2 bedroom option.

There are also places in Shelter Cove which would give us a glimpse of the scenic coast, but I’m not sure if the travel time will just be too much for the one night stay.

Any more thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!

Definitely NOT Shelter Cove. You simply don't have the time. Just Garberville out to Shelter Cove takes an hour over a very winding road.

Ok, thanks for that advice.

Do I need tickets or reservations in advance to go to Avenue of the Giants?

Absolutely not. It is a rural public roadway. No 'entrance gates' etc. It is actually mostly the original route of 101 before the new highway was built decades ago.

Ok thank you. That’s what I would have thought, but someone at some point told me to make sure I reserve in advance. But that was not correct apparently.

Maybe he was talking about accommodations or something??

yes maybe.

staying in ferndale
 

We just returned from a trip through the avenue of the giants and stayed at the Gingerbread Mansion for 2 nights. It's quite nice. They serve a nice set of appetizers and wine from about 4:30-6.

Sounds wonderful! Has anyone been to the Benbow Inn? Because there are 3 of us we prefer a 2 bedroom configuration and they seem to have that.

I've stayed at both the Gingerbread Mansion and Benbow Inn (Gingerbread X2 and Benbow X3)

I LOVED both. But the last time I stayed at the Benbow was probably 6 years ago or more, so can't attest to the current management etc.

The Benbow's grounds are lovely, the pub is exactly like a country pub in and English coaching inn. The dining room (again this is probably 3 chefs ago) ran from very good to meh. The rooms span from compact queen's in the historic wing to massive, gorgeous terrace suites. Decor throughout is very traditional.

Russian River or Tomales Bay Kayaking
 

Hi,
We would like to go kayaking one day while in the Santa Rosa area.

Considering:
-Tomales Bay morning trip
-Tomales Bay evening Bioluminescence trip
-Russian River trip

Advantages of the TB morning trip might be seeing diverse wildlife and unique beautiful landscapes.

The bioluminescence trip sounds very intriguing but I’m not sure about how I would like kayaking in the dark.

The Russian River sounds relaxing. I’m not sure if the scenery would be as scenic or interesting as TB, but it does sound beautiful.

Has anyone done any of these? In terms of choosing just one of these options, which would you recommend?

Kayaking Tomales Bay or Russian River
 

Any suggestions are appreciated

I'd probably do the morning Tomales Bay trip myself. No sea otters or things like that but lots of sea and shore birds and easy kayaking. But maybe I'm just not that attracted to the Russian River trip simply because there are so many river kayaking options near my home w/o driving the two hours to Guerneville/Rio Nido

That’s what I was leaning towards, thanks for your input!!

Is Lake Sonoma another good kayaking option? Any other options within an hour or so of Santa Rosa?

Hi Everyone,
I appreciate all of your feedback, and wanted to report how the trip went. We saw most everything we wanted to see, but will admit we were in the car a lot.

Based in Sonoma to start with, enjoyed the vineyards, mountains and scenery.
Did a Kayak trip in Tomales Bay which was fantastic, then drove around that area which is stunning.
We drove to Eureka to walk higher up in the Redwoods at the Zoo there. It was quite nice.
Then went to the Avenue of the Giants which was magically beautiful and peaceful.
Stayed in the Benbow Inn for one night. The room was spacious with a lot character and the service was excellent. The grounds were so nice too.
Next day we drove over to Fort Bragg area, and did a Noyo Bay boat tour. It was nice to sea lions and seals, boats in the Harbor etc.
Then drove down through the Mendocino Coastal area, which was spectacular.
When going down, we saw where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean in Jenner, and decided we'd like to go kayaking there a different day. The area is unique.
Did horseback riding in Jack London Historic State Park which was surprisingly very scenic and enjoyable.
Went to Safari West in Calistoga and did a safari, which was fun, beautiful and educational.
Went on a kayak trip in Jenner, which was possibly the best highlight of our trip. The natural environment was unique and we could see the ocean from the cove we were in. Loads of pelicans and seals and a stopover on a beach.
Drove through Napa, had coffee. Napa was of course gorgeous, but I enjoyed the more down to earth beauty and atmosphere of Sonoma.
Went to see the Golden Gate Bridge, but couldn't due to fog.
Tried to do the 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach, but it was closed.
Visited relatives in Santa Cruz, saw Natural Bridges and walked along the coast. It was so pristine and scenic.
Went to the Aquarium in Monterey. It was nice but way too crowded. I was surprised they allow that many people in at one time.
Stayed 2 nights in Palo Alto, which was ok, before going back to the airport.

That's it!

Sounds like you had a great time -- and squeezed in a LOT :)

Thanks for reporting back