Destination Mendocino: Getting There Half the Fun by bruce

I can’t tell you how many people who live in Mendocino describe it as paradise. The view of historic Mendocino Village, population 1004, perched on the cliffs next to Mendocino Headlands State Park, is break-taking, no doubt. But getting there is also half the fun. The last 15 or so miles before Highway 128 exits the Anderson Valley at the ocean, is old growth redwoods. The road is a lazy winding trip past Paul M. Dimmick Wayside park and dozens of turnouts that lead through fern-fringed trails to the Navarro River, just a couple of hundred yards from the highway. In summer, it provides beach access for sunbathing and swimming. In winter, it’s misty, lush and mysterious. When you go there, pull over, look up and take in the wonder.