Fort Bragg VS Mendocino

[gayl]

I'm bored. Said it .... owning it. Our area is now red and I think it'll be orange by April. So I'm thinking of going up the coast in a month. Anyone been to either with a dog? Or do I just head up to Arcadia (closer to Oregon border). Not sure Oregon wants Californians there yet

NoCal region = artsy / wine / craft beers / trees
SoCal = beaches but too cold for them now

[Winemaker]

We've stayed in Fort Bragg, and Caspar CA, and in Brookings, OR at VRBOs, great places. We've stayed in Eureka in a motel. We rent a vacation home for 3-7 days, hike in the many state parks, and enjoy grilling and cooking meat/fish/produce bought at local butchers or farmer's markets. Sit on the deck, watch the waves, seals, birds or other wildlife while watching the sun go down with a bottle of wine. Some of DW and I's "bestest" times together.

We've also been up I-5 from Sacramento to Mt.Shasta, several times.

This year we're going toward Plymouth and Placerville, CA, as we spent 2 days there last year and are going back.

[cathy63]

We have family in Fort Bragg and have enjoyed walking the coastal trails when we visit. Dogs are allowed on all the trails as long as they're leashed, and I've seen some on restaurant patios as well. We stay with the relatives, so I can't comment on lodging options.

Mendo is just a short drive south. It's a bigger town, and more artsy than Fort Bragg, but you could easily stay in either place and visit the other one. April is likely to be cool and windy.

[anothercog]

They are really close to each other so no need to choose one or the other. You'll find cheaper lodging and more restaurants in Fort Bragg v. Mendocino.

[W2R]

Never been to Fort Bragg. I spent a couple of days in Mendocino back in 1968, and I thought it was heaven on earth. OMG, the sea, the boats, the amazing and beautiful forests, the artists... I don't know if it is still like that, but wow, what a beautiful place it was over half a century ago. I wanted to stay forever but had to get back to university.

Not only that, the song keeps going through my mind. "Mendocino, Mendocino, where the skies are blue..."

[1242Vintage]

Been to both Fort Bragg and Mendocino a few times. Both are awesome. Last trip (pre-Covid) was to Ft Bragg. We did the rail bikes and had a blast. Burned off a few calories that morning.

I always bring my bike when we head to the coast. Lots of good trails and low traffic country roads to explore.

In Ft Bragg we usually stay at one of the little hotels just north of town at the north end of the railroad trestle. Easy beach access, clean and usually reasonably priced.

[skyking1]

That's really funny you mentioned Mendocino and a dog. Last time we went out there we stopped at Navarro the winery not too far off 101 on the way. they had a dog watering dish just inside the door so I went to get my Jack Russell terrier who then proceeded to greet everyone that came there for an extended period of time. They said please take his leash off and he acted as the winery ambassador
It did not hurt at all that they were tasting goat cheese near the front door and he was getting a little crumbs.

Edit: Bottom line, it is a very dog friendly area

[RunningBum]

I really enjoyed the botanical gardens between the two, but I'm not sure that dogs are allowed there.

[Ronstar]

Passed through Fort Bragg and Mendocino about 5 years ago. Ate at Trillium Cafe in Mendocino. A little house - awesome.

And for beer lovers - North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial stout - superb.

Not sure about the dog friendliness of the area.

[Winemaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyking1 Last time we went out there we stopped at Navarro the winery not too far off 101 on the way.

Navarro Winery is one of the best in my opinion. Great wine and you can't beat their 1 cent shipping sales!

And IIRC, Philo is where the have a great farmer's market.

[braumeister]

Both nice places, so I would certainly choose both. I had a friend who used to attend very advanced woodworking classes in Fort Bragg at the Krenov school, and visited him there a couple of times. We spent part of our honeymoon in that area when it was far less developed, and loved it. I also second the recommendation of North Coast Brewing.

[yakers]

Both are nice, prefer Mendocino slightly, kayaked up Big River, love the area.

[daylatedollarshort]

I went on vacation a while back with friends who rented a house near Mendocino and they brought their dog. We seemed to find many beaches and parks he was allowed on the trails at. This is a good resource -

https://dogtrekker.com/Destination/mendocino

[CindyBlue]

Here's a good site for information about traveling with a dog...
https://dogtrekker.com

[skyking1]

Rocky our first JRT was a funny little creature. He liked to hide any treats in plain sight, with dust bunnies and good intentions. At Navarro, they wanted to give him a home made dog biscuit, and I told them he would probably hide it. That sounded like fun so they gave him the treat. At first, he wanted to hide it in the server's pant cuffs. That was no good so we all followed him back into the offices, where he used dust bunnies and computer cords. he came out all happy and dusty-nosed. Here is a vid of his silly behavior.
https://youtu.be/0rfHOlsCdQs

[Teacher Terry]

Fort Bragg is a beautiful area and we have taken our dogs.

[gayl]

Thank you, daylatedollarshort & cindyblue. Will bookmark the dogtrekker link