Traffic to Mendocino?
 

If I am driving from Healdsburg to Mendocino on a Friday, am I going to encounter bad traffic? Also, what is the most scenic route - and is there a good place to stop along the way to see /hike in Redwoods?
Thanks!

If you get a start on your day, you should be fine. Take a detour and go to "Avenue of the Giants". These are where the giant Redwoods are. You won't be dissappointed. As you go in, you will see a large mailbox on your right, make sure to grab the brochure.

Sorry, I meant to say "if you get an early start on your day."

Where is Avenue of the Giants? I thought it was quite a ways north of Mendocino, but I might be mistaken

The Avenue of the Giants is north of Garberville and quite out of the way from Healdsburg to Mendocino.

If you want to go to Armstrong Redwoods, from Healdsburg you'd go south and then take River Road to Guerneville. From there on to Jenner and up the coast on hwy 1 through Point Arena and Little River to Mendocino.

Or for a quicker trip, go north on 101 to Cloverdale and catch 128 to Albion. Navarro River Redwoods State Park is on this route and it will take at least an hour less than the Armstrong/Jenner route.

Dear sharbear84,

Follow janisj's advice and take Route 128 following the exit off 101 at Cloverdale. Navarro River and also Hendy Woods are excellent stops to see redwood groves, and they are directly on the route through the Anderson Valley on Route 128.

The earlier in the day you go on a Friday the better off you will be. There is an increase in traffic mid-afternoon on Route 128 in both directions; on Fridays a definite increase west bound - tourists and locals alike. Every place, no matter how bucolic, has some sort of "rush hour", it seems.

If you want to see more redwoods on the way back, you can take Highway 1 to Jenner, turn inland on Route 116, and go to Armstrong Redwoods, as janisj suggested.

Another suggestion is to take the Orr Springs / Ukiah road east bound (the road intersects Highway One almost directly outside of Mendocino town) and see Montgomery Grove on the way - these trees are not so well known, but they are stupendous. Bear in mind that the Orr Springs road is not a highway, but a country road so the going will definitely be slower.