Oregon Trail - Empty Nest Roadsters in Mendocino

Bride at Little River Inn
Honeymoon April, 1986


After hauling Inga's domestic sundries and haulin' ass cross country, it was time for a little vacation.

We had reservations for two nights at the Little River Inn outside the picturesque and now tourist-dominant town of Mendocino, perched atop sea cliffs.  We had stayed at the Inn one night on our honeymoon trip in April, 1986.  This time we were planning on a two night stay with no travel for a pleasant change of pace.  Our room looked out onto Van Dammes Cove.

From my field days in university geology departments, it was well known that there were fair-weather professors and academics that attracted foul-weather.  You hesitated to sign up for a field trip with a confirmed foul-weather professor.  I always considered myself a strong fair-weather field guy, so I was crest-fallen to find rain in Oregon earlier on our trip.  But I was back to my innate talent and charm with meteorological manifestations once we hit California.  In Mendocino the weather was perfect, and many of the locals thanked me profuisely. A late morning breakfast and then 3 miles back to Mendocino for a day of exploration.  We hiked along the sea arches and cliffs at the edge of town and then flitted into the shops peddling kaleidoscopes, and exotic yarn, art galleries, organic food stores and exquisite trinkets to catch and dazzle the eye. 



Typical Mendocino Home



We were mostly window shoppers and left mid-day for a stoll along the beach where Little River cuts through the cliffs and enters the Pacific.  After a while of basking on the sand in a most un-Texas like sunny sky - and I say that in a good way, no oppressive heat and thick air humidity as we have now grown accustomed.  We went back to Mendocino for lunch and a visit to the wine shop offering tastings from Breggo Vinyards of Mendocino County.  We picked up several bottles and a set of two stemware glasses for use that evening on the west-facing porch of our room.  After dinner, we retired to our porch chairs in sweaters, a bottle of Pinot Gris, some cheese from Marin County and a clear sunset over the Pacific.  Omar Kiyyam had it about right: "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou." 

Lust in the Yarn Shoppe



Angel Trumpet Flower

An afternoon when the tide swept our cares away




Fishing boat in Van Dammes Cove at Dusk
View from our Room

 









The Morning View from our Little River Room
A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou completes the picture