For those flying in, drive time from regional airports
- Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS) (near Santa Rosa, CA) - 2h drive time, lowest risk of encountering traffic. Good chance you could get a pickup from another guest - let us know in the RSVP form.
- Sacramento Airport (SMF) - 3h35m drive time, not much risk of traffic
- Oakland Airport (OAK) - 3h15m drive time, moderate traffic possible
- San Francisco International (SFO) - 3h30m drive time, highest traffic potential
Driving from the Bay Area or Sacramento
We expect to have many guests driving up from the greater Bay Area and the Sacramento Area. We will be happy to help arrange carpools with our local friends and family for guests traveling from further afield — see final questions in RSVP form.
Route-wise, You have two options, both of which are on somewhat winding and remote roads, so be prepared with your navigation, gas, and motion sickness needs…
- Hwy 128, which leaves Hwy 101 North at Cloverdale and passes through Boonville
- You could stop in Boonville at one of the many cute places there, or in Philo for a delicious meal at Jumbo’s Win-Win.
- Hwy 20, which leaves Hwy 101 North at Willits and passes through the redwoods
- Fewer places to stop, may be shorter or longer than 128 depending on destination. The windy part is overall shorter, but perhaps more intense than on 128.
- If coming from Sacramento, this route will likely expose you to less traffic.
A few places we like in the area for activities & food, if you have the time:
Food & shops
- Fog Eater Café - possibly our favorite restaurant in the world
- The Waiting Room - good coffee, pastries and drinks at any time of day
- Wingspan Coffee - very cute coffee nook tucked behind Folklore
- Folklore - beautifully curated local gift shop
Activities
- Mendocino Headlands - best sunset spot in town
- Jughandle State Natural Preserve - beach and trails, try the “ecological staircase”
- Spring Ranch Nature Preserve - great spot to get a walk in before heading south on hwy 1.
- Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens - expansive, extremely well cared-for gardens
- Point Cabrillo Lighthouse - if you are into that kinda thing, it’s top notch
- Jackson State Demo Forest - for mountain biking and forest trails, park here
- Mendo-Comptche Road Bike Ride - Top 10 of “Jay’s Best Rides”… iykyk