The Stanford Inn treats pets as family, even providing bowls, sheets, and treats for them. It also has a fabulous vegan restaurant. Last night we had an excellent dinner and discovered a delicious local wine, Claudia Springs pinot gris. We had a relaxing, lovely day in Mendocino. First, a great vegan breakfast at the inn. I had chickpea crepes filled with vegetables and a sauce of cashew "cheese". Mark had vegan benedict - tempeh instead of eggs, hollandaise made without eggs. Fresh squeezed orange juice and good coffee. In the afternoon we drove to the village of Mendocino, just up the road, and wandered the streets. Mendocino is known as Cabot Cove, Maine in "Murder She Wrote" and we saw the house where Jessica lived in that show. Had lunch on the deck of a little cafe - the weather was perfect.
Mendocino was established in the 1850s and many of the Victorian homes have been restored. One interesting building was built during the Civil War as a Masonic Temple (it's now a bank) and has a carving of "Father Time and the Maiden" on its roof; the carving was done from a single piece of virgin redwood. The symbolism of the carving is from mythology and represents a rite of passage within the Masonic Order.
After lunch and more wandering, we drove to the bluffs, then climbed down to get a closer look at sea palms. These are intriguing plants that grow out of rocks in the ocean, swaying with each new wave that comes in. The Stanford Inn features sea palms in some of their dishes.
We got back to the inn in time for happy hour on the deck: a cosmopolitan with fresh juices for Mark and a glass of pinot gris for me. We worked on our laptops, conversed with dogs, and watched the sun go down over the sea.
Wednesday dinners at the inn feature Indian food and we both had the special, which was a sampler of five items. Yum. Had to get a bottle of that Claudia Springs Pinot Gris to accompany the food. Tuna was already in bed when we returned to the room and it didn't take us long to join her. Nice comfy bed with duvet and upscale linens.
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