I loved this historic spot! They have tons of brochures for different parks and things in the area…read moreto look at. It also is the Mendocino Headlands Visitor center, and it has so many cool historical info and a lovely view. 10/10 must visit to learn more about Mendocino and surrounding areas!

We've been to Mendocino many times and somehow never stepped into the Ford House. This time we…read morepopped in: it's a modest Victorian House looking out at the bluffs that today functions as a visitors center. Displays here highlight the town's history & the Ford family's involvement in early shipping and forestry, when schooners carried redwood up and down the coast, mainly for building in the booming city of San Francisco. The museum has family household items and tools of the trade, including saws, hammers and my personal favorite: a classic hundred year old letter in a Victorian scrawl written by a master shipbuilder. A visitor's center volunteer shared some local color and history. A standout for us was the sizable diorama of Mendocino that filled an entire room. (I am a sucker for a good diorama.) Public restrooms are just outside next to the visitors center. Worth a visit.

Like most people I suspect, Jamie W. and I came upon this little house quite by accident since we…read morewere making our way to the headlands from the town center off the main thoroughfare. I was immediately struck by the bright teal color contrasting with the faded red of the steps (see my photo). We knew it wasn't your standard clapboard, "Murder She Wrote" cottage, and yet we were wondering how the owner violated the all-white, Cape Cod-style conformity of the rest of the homes. As it turns out, it's a Taoist temple built by the first Chinese settlers in the early 1850's. In fact, it's the oldest Taoist temple in the state. The temple is dedicated to the Chinese god of war, and the outside of the building has a sign that says from (right to left) "mo dai miu", translates to mean "Temple to the Military God". It's open on weekends but only between May and October. For the rest of the year, you have to turn into a lookie-loo like me and unapologetically peep through the windows. They don't mind....I think.

A true jewel of Mendocino -- a well preserved piece of Chinese American history tucked away in a…read moregorgeous seaside town. We met the Temple's curator who gave us a 30 minute talk on the space her ancestors and their community built in the 1800s. This is a lovingly cared for historic site that helped deepen our understanding of Asian Americans' profound impact on the shaping of our country's culture. I highly recommend a visit to this incredible site.

This place hands down was my favorite shop in downtown Mendocino. They have a quality, affordable…read morecollection of local art work that includes everything from pottery to scarves to furniture, paintings and more. There were some gorgeous preserved leaves mounted in Shadowboxes that were lovely as well as some sand paintings by another local artist. It was nice to see works done in some non-typical media. This place is actually huge too-it goes far back and there is an upstairs that is quite large as well. If you want unique pieces or want to just browse and get ideas for future home decorating this is the place to go. I took down some artist names for future reference and my experience here in this gallery is one of my standouts from my day in the town of Mendocino

An artist friend recommended that we visit this gallery. We are so glad we did. The caliber of…read morethe artwork is exceptional. We both agreed that bar none, this was the best gallery we have ever been to EVER. The artwork is museum worthy. If you visit make sure to also go upstairs. I guarantee you will be amazed at the craftsmanship and imagination that went into each piece of art and furniture.

For a few years, my Dad was an artist in residence here during the summer months. He revived their…read moreprintmaking studio, created new work, collaborated with artists that worked in other mediums, and taught classes. I visited him each summer. It's just a couple hours from San Francisco. Of all the places my Dad visited and taught at around the world, Mendocino was his favorite place. It's a magical place perched above the cliffs facing the Pacific Ocean, just beyond the Headlands. There's a courtyard that connects each studio, the gallery at one end. There's paintings, pottery, photography, lithographs, glass sculptures, etc. During these times, the art center is closed but you can view current artists' work on their website. Some pieces are available for purchase. You can even see a little bit of its magic through the screen.

No heat, no power, old squeaky beds and sheets. Really disappointed. They really need to upgrade…read more Never again.

Met two artists while stopping by to purchase some local artists' work. What a wonderful way to…read moresupport local artists & their creativity.

I have visited this gallery twice and each time purchased beautiful and unique art for my home…read more It's sunny and beautifully set up to showcase a variety of artists who work in many different materials-metal, paint, ceramics and photography. It is always staffed by one of the artists whose work is displayed in the gallery. No hard sell-just education, service and a smile. Definitely visit this gallery for fabulous art when you're in Mendocino. It feels good to support a co-op too.

Mad creative, superb craftsmanship, and a great businessman.read more

After researching wedding rings, my partner and I selected Chris to make our rings. We worked…read morethrough all of the details by email and phone, including selecting the style, diamonds, metals and so forth. It was all done long distance so we were a little nervous, but when we received the rings we were blown away! He did a wonderful job on them and they are really something special. His craftsmanship is top notch. We dropped by his shop the day of our wedding to meet him in person and have him polish our rings. We can't say enough about how happy we are that we chose Chris to make this very significant symbol of our special day.

Beautiful collection, but.... We recently bought a print, ordered a custom frame, and had it…read moreshipped. It just arrived and the frame is not the one we chose. Similar tone, but with a rough and dominating texture we would never have selected in a million years. Clashes with the refined print, compromising the entire piece. Perhaps the one we chose was unavailable and they substituted something else. Perhaps this seemed to them like a good solution rather than losing the sale entirely, as we live out of town and couldn't easily come in to make another selection, but we're crushed. We would much rather have received the print alone, with a refund for the frame that couldn't be provided.

This is a light, airy gallery which features local artists of exceptional talent. We appreciated…read morethe staff knowing as much as they did about the artists featured in their gallery. Being closed on Wednesday caught us off guard but that is on us since their hours are posted on the door. Recommend stopping by on your visit to Mendocino.

Nice people doing a good job. Excellent service-- efficient and helpful! And someone has done a…read moregreat job with the landscaping out front.

Recently, a driver hit the gas instead of the brake and crashed through the P.O. wall. They're…read morecarrying on anyway. As to locals being cool to visitors, depends on who you meet. Most of us enjoy meeting visitors and tourists, but we have our grumps, too. As to homeless people, we have plen-ee! This place and its cops are semi-permissive. The post office here, BTW, is the most popular meet-your-neighbors spot in town. So, welcome friends. Tourism is our main industry. Peace and beauty are our main products on offer.

We had a blast on the Russian River Railbikes. This was something that I have been wanting to do…read moreand we were so glad that we went this weekend! The railbikes seat up to 4 people. Russian River Railbikes is part of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to maintain, restore and run historically significant railroad equipment from the San Francisco Bay area. The guides are all volunteers from the Golden Gate Railroad Museum. The guides were friendly, helpful, and informative. You will get somewhat of a workout, although this is not strenuous. This is an activity that you can really do at any age and they are kid friendly. One of the guides stated that they have had someone in a car seat before (they have seat belts on them similar to a car) and a couple in their 80's has gone multiple times and they arrange ahead of time to have two guides on the railbike to help with pedaling. This truly is a great adventure for all ages! It's about 1 1/2 or two hours total and you will pass by a vineyard and farm. You will also go through a tunnel and stop half way where you will get out and stretch your legs. You can relax at a shaded table, dip your toes in the Russian River, or view a collapsed tunnel at this half way point. You will also have the option when you book this to purchase lunch ahead of time that you can enjoy at the half way point if you would like. It's recommended that you wear comfortable clothes, wear sunscreen, and bring any water and snacks with you on the railbike. We each brought a water bottle that came in very handy. You will have plenty of time afterwards to explore Cloverdale. An all around great experience that I highly recommend!

Cool experience. Not many places can you ride a rail bike w 3 other people. Views were nice,…read moreweather accommodating and the vineyards were incredible.