The town of Laytonville, in the northern region of Mendocino County, at 1,260 feet above sea level has the distinction of being the highest elevation of any community located along Highway 101 from Baja California to Canada. And speaking of heights, the world's tallest redwood tree, at 367 ½ feet, is located in Montgomery Woods State Park, between the coast and Ukiah. More trivia: Seabiscuit, America's favorite race horse in the 1930s, spent his last years on a ranch between Willits and Ukiah.

The North Mendocino Coast is anchored by the town of Mendocino. Its classic New England-style architecture sets the seaside town's Victorian ambience, exemplified by the meticulously-restored Mendocino Hotel. Year-round flower gardens proliferate in the temperate climate, which also sustains ferny trails in five state parks encompassing abalone coves and tide pools, redwoods and conifers, waterfalls and the Pygmy Forest. Highway 1 follows the craggy North Mendocino coastline from Elk to Westport. Inspiring inns and regionally famous restaurants dot the coast and warm travelers with feather beds, hospitality and enticing fare. Along the way, turn of the century Fort Bragg, once a company lumber town, now bustles with antique stores, art galleries and the sublime Coast Botanical Gardens.

The headwaters of the famous Russian River form the heart of the county's Russian River Valleys region. The river carves a fertile and rugged landscape through the southern part of Mendocino. American settlers began arriving from the gold fields in the 1850s; Italian immigrants founded the first vineyards and wineries. Warm summers, cool springs, crisp falls and wet winters make this area ideal for growing wine grapes and pears, as well as market gardens and pastures. As the speed limit slows for the first time since crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway 101 traverses Hopland, which bubbles with a brewery, wine tasting rooms, bocce ball courts and a brick oven bakery. In the Ukiah Valley, the namesake town retains vestiges of the 1950s and is home to the historic Grace Hudson Museum. Contemporary Ukiah bustles with cozy bakeries, farmers' markets, tree lined streets and a selection of small retail shops. To the east is the recreational playground of Lake Mendocino, and further north lay Redwood and Potter Valleys, known for organic and premium vineyards.

Until the late 19th century, members of the Pomo tribe were the principal inhabitants of the then-remote Anderson Valley. Then came sheep ranchers and apple farmers who kept to themselves, even creating a private language, Boontling, of which a few words continue to pop up around the town of Boonville (Need a morning coffee? Ask for a horn of zeese; they'll know.) Now a renowned source of wines such as pinot noir, gewürztraminer and methode-champenoise sparklers, Anderson Valley is the place for leisurely vineyard tours and mellow tasting rooms. Roadside farm stands and mom-and-pop markets offer provisions for picnics at wineries and streamside redwood parks. Along the way, rough-hewn redwood fences, layered with lichen and moss, border pastures and orchards, as they have for decades.

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