Intrepid and isolated, Mendocino's south coast awaits the adventurer who wants to breathe deeply of the salty sea aromas, wiggle toes in the sand, and witness lingering sunsets. One of America's most dramatic seaside drives, Highway 1 saunters deliciously through expansive dairy, heather and pea farms, winds up and down rocky coves and slips comfortably through small villages. Headland inns invite walks to the ocean and whale watching from the terrace. Hidden jewels of restaurants offer just-caught seafood, wild game, local peas and great Italian cuisine. A feeling of timelessness pervades the trip from Point Arena with its landmark lighthouse on the western most point in the lower 48 United States, to Gualala where the Gualala River forms a border with neighboring Sonoma County.

The Pacific Ocean is one of Mendocino's richest resources. For generations, many families have relied on salmon and crab to make their living. During the Depression, canned salmon from Mendocino's fisheries, selling at just five cents a can, fed the nation. Today, Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg is still the largest and deepest harbor between Eureka and San Francisco. You can still buy freshly caught salmon, crab, albacore and rockfish on the docks. And a budding number of smoke houses offer sumptuously smoked salmon and albacore.

The Italians who came to Mendocino brought their tradition of grape growing and knowledge of viticulture. The first Italian to sink roots into the soil, Daniel Gobbi, arrived in 1856, and planted ten acres of Zinfandel, a vine that continues to be associated with the best of Mendocino's wines. Mendocino, roughly estimated, has about 3,000 acres of vines older than 60 years. Wine lovers attest to a perceptible depth and complexity in old vine wines. Mendocino is also a leader in organic farming, with an estimated 3,000 acres of organic vineyards alone in the County.

In the 1970s, Mendocino was a haven for the "back to the land" set. Today their fruits and vegetables are staples of local organic food markets and farmer's markets. Some newly arrived entrepreneurs sprouted cottage industries that have since grown into big businesses. Since 1972, Thanksgiving Coffee Company, a roaster of beans imported from all over the world, has grown into one of the most respected and socially responsible companies in the country. Devora Rossman put Mendocino Mustard on the culinary map, beginning in 1977 while she was still a pre-school teacher.

And finally, there's the personal element. Mendocino's innkeepers, winemakers, restaurateurs, artists and shopkeepers are a charismatic, independent bunch who practice an inimitable brand of genuine hospitality.

The Mendocino County Alliance is a great resource for travelers, offering a comprehensive Website including region-by-region lodging and attraction information and a regularly-updated Calendar of Events. See the information box for details.

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