The harsh rocky beaches, whale watching, and vegetarian restaurants run by relaxed hippies: Mendocino in California offers a journey back in time.
which connects the Hamburg FC St. Pauli and pop singer Michael Holm? A hit from the 1960s ‘Mendocino’. The fans of the Hamburg football club transformed the hit song into a battle cry for the Cup. Mendocino residents would be very surprised by the enthusiastic audience.
Their lives in this small town in Northern California are so peaceful that it seems like time has stood still. Birds can still be heard in gardens, dogs roam the streets completely undisturbed and unharmed, and people have time to talk to their neighbors over the garden fence.
Mendocino is a small town on the west coast of the United States, located in the heart of Mendocino County. The area of 10,000 square kilometers is home to only 86,000 inhabitants, or only nine people per square kilometer. Mendocino County was founded around 1850. It is said that it was named after Cape Mendocino, who in turn was named after Antoni de Mendoza, the first viceroy of New Spain. Several American Indian tribes once lived in the area, but were all exterminated by white settlers in the 19th century.
Headband and braid
Before reaching Mendocino, tourists pass by countless farms, which all share one thing: a somewhat morbid charm. Mobile homes often stand on estates instead of houses, chickens scratch the sand, and goats on a leash pull the grass with their pointed lips in the meadows. Residents, often not very young, still wear headbands and braids, regardless of whether they are men or women. Mendocino was a stronghold of the hippie – and apparently still is. It’s no surprise that ‘East of Eden’ was filmed here: Where else could James Dean lean so coldly against the dilapidated fence of the farm?
Mendocino itself has about 800 inhabitants and is actually not a village, but a residential area with houses spaced apart from each other. Just by the sea there is a group of neat wooden houses with colorful Victorian gardens along several streets that, with a little good will, could be considered a small town. Mendocino is known as an art colony and in the summer months it attracts countless excursionists looking at souvenir shops. In addition to ceramics and paintings, there are items for sale, including fluffy hippie-style dresses, leather bracelets and pot holders with peace signs.
Peace attracts tourists
What attracted hippies in the 1960s – peace, deep forests, vineyards and an indented coast with hidden beaches – also attracts tourists. And so in recent decades, several beautiful hotels have settled in remote parts of Northern California, offering refuge to the city’s residents seeking peace and quiet. Especially since the city is located on the Pacific Coast Highway, which – sometimes connected to the famous 101 highway – goes north along the Pacific from Southern California.
Agate Cove Inn is a particularly nice example. Eight out of ten lovingly furnished rooms of this 25-year-old hotel are located in houses located in a two-hectare garden. From there, the ocean is visible almost everywhere, and with a little luck, you could even spot whales. But even just watching the bird reserves across the street is a pleasure in itself. It’s perfect with homemade muffins.
The Howard Creek ranch is also located directly on the ocean. This historic farm in Mendocino County covers 60 acres and boasts beaches and mountains in the hinterland. The inn owners, Charles and Sally Grigg, have been running the farm for more than 20 years and have already won prizes for their garden. On their website, they advertise a ‘German masseuse’ – which arouses the interest of visitors from Germany – and an extensive breakfast on the ranch.
Even dogs don’t get meat
Jeff Stanford, who runs the Stanford Inn, is of German descent at least. It also runs a beautiful garden of wild plants, fruits and vegetables. Homemade greens are used in the hotel’s vegetarian cuisine; The locals also enjoy citrus polenta in a gourmet restaurant and whole wheat flour pancakes with berries for dessert.
There is no meat in any form; The very thought of it enraged Jeff. ‘Even my dogs only eat cereal,’ he says. ‘And they’re fine, aren’t they?’ The two retrievers who keep trotting behind him look at him somewhat reproachfully. But wine is served, as everywhere in Mendocino County.
The climate of the region resembles warm Germany, which makes it perfect for growing vineyards. Although the neighboring Napa Valley is a well-known name, few people know about wine from Mendocino. The region boasts seven wine-growing areas, and the most famous is Fetzer. At night, temperatures in Mendocino County can drop to low double digits, even in summer. This often leads to thick fog along the coast in the morning. However, during the day the sun warms the air to a good 30 degrees Celsius, and Syrah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and even Riesling and Gewürztraminer succeed. Most winemakers – about 85 percent – in the Mendocina hills produce biodynamics.
Favorite dish: phylloxera
The Lolonis Winery, for example, has been operating without chemicals on its 410 acres for more than 50 years, making it the oldest organic winery in the United States. The family business uses five million ladybugs in its vineyards every year, whose favorite food is phylloxera, to control pests. The eldest son, Phillip Lolonis, a handsome descendant of Irish-Greek immigrants, is the exact opposite of hippie. It stands in its vineyards with muscular leaves.
He also played in Germany – although not for St. Pauli. ‘In Wolfsburg! But I was too bad to become a professional,’ he says, tossing his dark hair from his face and winking. Mendocino and football really seem to have some connection.
