fort bragg/mendocino weekend

where do i even begin?? this trip to fort bragg and mendocino was one of the most memorable and relaxing little vacations we have taken in a long time. 

being surrounded by gorgeous blue crashing waves, warm sand, good beer, wine and food for three days was exactly what we both needed.

the first stop we made as we got into mendocino was mendo burgers. i had asked friends where to go/see/eat while we were in mendocino and several people said it was a must. 

the mister had a juicy burger and i went with the cajun fish sandwich, and i was so happy that it was sauteed, not fried. i mean, i love me a good fried fish sandwich but its always so good to have the option of something a little healthier. the fish was cooked just right, flaky and moist, and the fries were sizzling hot and were exactly what i needed for dipping in the strawberry shake we shared.

after devouring our lunch, we went for a short walk along the bluffs and then explored downtown mendocino. such a charming little town! we came upon the wine shop and decided it was a perfect day for a little wine sipping. the winemakers from a local vineyard (nope, can't remember the name!) were pouring that day and we had a great time. the wine was good and the people were very friendly.

we stayed at shoreline cottages and we highly recommend staying there. the people were friendly and incredibly helpful, the cottages are ah-dorable and so affordable and its in a perfect location between downtown ft bragg and mendocino. its also dog friendly (they give you a dog bed, bowls, dog towels and treats) and has an awesome area with a fire pit (wood, charcoal, paper and lighter fluid provided!) and several tables and picnic benches throughout the grounds to have a picnic on.

we grabbed some local beer and huddled around the fire pit our last night there.

hare creek beach is across the street, less than a 5 minute walk away, a perfect place to watch the sunset. 

beware the steep steps! we didn't realize the path down to the beach would be so steep and we were seriously huffin on the way back up.
 

dinner on saturday night was at north coast brewing co.

we love a good brewery and we weren't disappointed with this one! the beer was cold, crisp and delicious and we both enjoyed our food- clam chowder, carolina style (vinegary and tart) bbq pork, cheesy cornbread cake and coleslaw for me. clam chowder, crunchy and fried to perfection fish and chips for him.

we were thrilled when our extra friendly server told us that we could mix-and-match the beer they had for sale in the cooler and get a 6 pack of  whatever looked good. yes, please!

 we finished off our first night there with local beer and sunset on the beach. a beautiful way to end a relaxing first day.

stay tuned for more on the trip tomorrow...