On July 23rd of 2012, Sarah and I welcomed the newest member of our family, little Ella Mac Pacurar. Born 3 1/2 weeks early, Ella weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. She has the good fortune to have THREE godparents: Sallie McConnell and Tom Costello as her godmother and godfather, and Theresa Harrelson as her fairy godmother:)

My first few years in Mendocino, I lived at the inn. I loved living at the inn. People always asked me if it was hard to seperate my work from my leisure, it wasn’t. Guests were always respectful, the inn seldom intruded on my private time. And I really enjoyed getting to know the guests.

But the economy intruded and it made more sense to put the suite of rooms I was living in back into service. I started to look for a place to hang my hat nearby.

Friends of mine that I met up here invited me to rent the one-bedroom apartment above the garage on their ranch in Albion. Within 6 months of moving there, I met Sarah, we were married and soon after, we moved into a little 2 bedroom cottage on another part of the ranch.

This little cottage was at one time the milking barn. We are very lucky to be fortunate enough to live here. We have a huge rolling lawn with a great view of the ocean. In addition to having two baths inside, it also has an outdoor shower for those warm days when the thermometer reaches 60

I miss living at the inn, but Sarah and I love our little cottage. And with a new addition to the family due in August, I think the guests at the inn will appreciate the fact that we no longer live near their rooms.

The view of the Big River from the cabin

Unloading the wall that Barry built

As handy as I get

Moving the wall into place

Bolted down and ready for action

Barry is a very handy guy. He has a little cabin in the woods that he has gradually rebuilt from it’s very run down state when he aquired it. His latest project was to create a mudroom. He built the new exterior wall at his house out here on the coast and recruited a few friends to help him with the wall raising (and of course, subsequent barbecue).

Two of our many mule deer that frequent our meadow in the mornings and the evenings.



A California quail in the brush off the back deck.




An Acorn Woodpecker that finally chased the squirrel off of one of the feeders.



A Scrub Jay waiting for his turn at the feeder.

Stellar Jay, the bully of the neighborhood.

One of the turkeys looking for reception. They really are kind of dumb.

From all the traveling I have done over the years, I have learned that at a hotel, like elsewhere in life, the details make or break the experience. The poolman that remembers your name year after year, the hotel staff that remembers what kind of pillows you like, the welcome you receive when you first arrive.

One of the best things about owning the inn is the chance to put this experience into practice. And I’m lucky to work with a manager and staff that have the same orientation and commitment. We try to note guest preferences such as the guest that likes a backboard on his side of the bed, or the guest that needs scent-free amenities, so that whenever the guest visits, they feel at home.

One of the greatest compliments a guest can pay to our staff is to tell us that as soon as they cross the threshold, they can relax because they know the details have been taken care of.

What makes this building instantly recognizable to anyone that has visited Mendocino is the visually arresting statue situated on top of the building’s cupola. Entitled Time and the Maiden, this beautiful sculpture was carved by Mason and local lumber mill employee, Erick Jensen, from a single block of redwood.

In his beach shack on the Big River, Erick labored over this piece in his spare time. The statue depicts Father Time, the Hourglass of Transience, the Weeping Maiden, the Anointment of Her Hair, the Acacia Branch and the Sacred Urn, the Sundered Column and the Book of Light — all symbols within the Masonic Order.

The Savings Bank of Mendocino purchased this building, deeding retention of the meeting hall and kitchen to the Masons, and has preserved and maintained it ever since.

Owning an inn that provides fuel for these romantic fires in a setting as beautiful as Mendocino, I thought it might be a good idea to become a licensed minister. I asked my wife’s uncle (who married us in 2010) if he could point me in the right direction. Thanks to his guidance, I am now a minister in the Universal Life Church.

So far this year, I have married five couples and I have three more ceremonies to perform between now and June. I really enjoy creating a ceremony for each couple. So…if you are thinking of running away together…:)

Well, if you can tear yourself away from our huge DVD collection (by huge, I mean almost 600!), our enormous fireplace in the Great Room, and the pastries our chef has out during the day, there are some other things you can do in the Mendocino area on a rainy day.

You can go for a hike on one of the nearby forest trails. Unless it is a heavy downpour, the tree canopy provides a fairly good shield (plus in each room, we have a two-person umbrella hanging in the closet).

As strange as it may sound, I love the Triangle Tatoo Museum in Fort Bragg (and so do many guests that have been). Mr. G and Madame Chinchilla are absolutely fascinating. Admission is free and the experience is priceless.

Estates Gallery Books (covered in a previous blog post) is a great place to visit on a rainy day. A warren of rooms and cubbies stacked floor-to-ceiling with current and ancient books, it is a book-lovers paradise.

The Kelley House Museum in Mendocino provides a great window into Mendocino’s past. The docents give edge-of-your-seat descriptions of life during the heyday of logging on the North Coast.

The Anderson Valley has more than 25 wineries producing world-class Pinots and Alsatian varietals located in and around this valley just 35 minutes from the inn. Small, intimate tasting rooms and the absence, in most cases, of tasting fees, make this an ideal rainy day place to visit.

Ask any innkeeper in the area for more ideas, we are usually well-versed as this is a question we get a lot in the winter:)