On the Road Again With Uncle Jay
Gualala and the Mendocino South Coast

By Jay Gordon

It’s my mama’s fault.  When she became restless, she’d stare off into the distance and say with a sigh, “Sometimes I just want to get in the car and go about as far as I can go!” Now that I’m much older, I’m more likely to wonder how far I can go in a day or a weekend.  Living in Willits, the heart of Mendocino County, offers an abundance of opportunities to explore fascinating places.  

Two of my favorite pastimes are driving through miles of redwoods and touring along the Pacific Coast’s Highway 1.  Living art!  Combine that with a visit to arguably the most beautiful art museum in the county and you have the essential ingredients of a thrilling road trip.

Gualala (the “G” is silent) is about as far south as you can go on the Mendocino Coast before reaching Sonoma County. The Gualala Arts Center just celebrated their 45th annual “Art in the Redwoods” festival in early September, 2006. (They must be doing a lot of things right!)  You will still find an abundance of reasons to be delighted. They regularly change their exhibits, and of course, the redwoods and the stunning vistas along the way are timeless.

Before those of you with a knowledge of basic Mendocino County geography and habitat go “Huh?” -- let me explain.  If you want to spend more time in Gualala (a noble ambition), you can take CA-253 south of Ukiah and connect to CA-128  to Boonville, then (seven miles later) Mountain View Road directly to the coast.  That will still be beautiful, but it will severely limit your exposure to redwoods.  For the more adventurous, you can stay on CA-128 to the coast.  Your reward will be a longer scenic drive, lots of redwoods, and the lure of lovely wineries for convivial stopovers.  I always especially enjoy Navarro Vineyards.  Great wines, lovely setting (with picnic tables and a charming garden with a view of the vineyards).  Most important, a hospitable, knowledgeable staff. Click here for more information.  (If you’re coming from south of Mendocino County, consult a road map to plan your route.)

You can always go one way and return the other to get the best of both worlds.  We had a gastronomical motive for going the long way both ways.  We stopped for sandwiches in both directions at the country store in Elk.  (Watch for the line of cars along the beach.)  It’s a delightful, compact store with an astounding array of basic necessities, clothing, jewelry and the work of local artists and artisans.  And, oh yeah, superb sandwiches and other picnic supplies. Take special note of their selection of cheeses.  Time to swoon!

When you get to Gualala, go just past “downtown” and look for a sign for a left turn to the Arts Center.  (A right turn will have you bobbing on the ocean, so why did I feel that instruction was necessary?)  

Gualala Art Center is an architectural gem with spacious, uncluttered galleries nestled in a sprawling grove of redwoods.  It is a year-round home to art exhibits, live theater, and a bountiful calendar of community events.  .

Typically, you may take your pick of painting styles: oil, acrylics, watercolor, pastels, and drawings.  Regularly featured are sculptures in stone and metal, whimsical freestanding pieces, photographs and interpretations in wood, fabric, glass, fiber, and other media.  Check their website for information about their calendar of events.  Or call them at 707-884-1138.  There’s always something interesting going on.  
Want something else to do once you get to Gualala?  Check out the Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce website.  Or e-mail them at info@redwoodcoastchamber.com.  Phone 707-884-1080.   Rent a kayak.  All summer the folks who live there have been promising, “It’s cooler on the coast!”  You can find out for yourself if it’s true.  Weather Cam.  

If it’s sounding more like you need an overnight stay, there are lots of options.  Check the Chamber website (above) or go to www.GoMendo.com for everything you want to know about Mendocino County. The site is sponsored by the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance and also includes a calendar of events for the entire county.  You can request their latest Mendocino County Travel Planner from the website.

Pick up a copy of the guidebook Destination Mendonoma (Mendocino + Sonoma) while you’re in the area.  It’s free and readily available all over town.  Extremely well written and chockfull of fascinating information about the area.  It’s where I learned, among many other things, that the best time for whale watching at Gualala Point Park or the Point Arena Lighthouse Museum is late October.  The whales return in early spring as they return north to their summer feeding grounds.  They swim close to the shore to be sure you can photograph their new babies.  

Mendocino County is a great place to visit if you’re looking for something interesting to do in an extravagantly beautiful place.  It’s also the perfect place to do absolutely nothing.  You decide. We make either one easy.