- Introducing our amazing Sous Chef Tori Menna
- KW Saltwater Grill
- Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
- A-mushrooming we shall go
- The Mendocino Café – Staple of the Village
- Introducing Zoe King & The Waiting Room
- Moments & Places of Quiet
- There’s a new cook in the kitchen
- The Caspar Pub House
- The arches of Mendocino
- La Estrella
- Kayaking the Albion River
- Toasting 20 Years with Bubbles and Caviar
- We’re 20 years old
- Husch Vineyards
- Portuguese Beach
- Out come the wildflowers
- Casa del Sol
- Sweet Mendocino
- Glass Beach
- Farm to Pizza
- Point Cabrillo Light Station
- Navarro River Beach
- Gowan’s Heirloom Ciders
- Lula Cellars
- Goodlife Café & Bakery
- A day trip through the Anderson Valley
- A good night for soup
- Fathers + Daughters Cellars at the Brewery Gulch Inn
- Meyer Family Cellars
- A hiker’s weekend
- Buckhorn Cove
- The art of the freeform vacation
- Old Smith Ranch Preserve
- Super Tortas!
- Revisiting the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
- Chamberlain Creek Waterfall
- The Forest History Trail
- To refresh yourself with the sea
- Wandering in the woods
- Time to relax
- The art of slowly savoring
- Sunset in Mendocino
- Stunningly wild
- Half a day in the Anderson Valley
- Russian Gulch State Park
- Patterson’s Pub
- Tahto Wines
- Fog Eater Café
- Dahlias and begonias and fuschias, oh my
- For a truly superior sandwich
- Morning glory on Big River
- Coro Mendocino
- B Bryan Preserve
- Pelican Bluffs
- Just you and the ocean
- Mendocino Shoeworks
- Independence Day
- A Great Day for Wine
- Affogato at Frankie’s
- A Different Kind of Beachside Stroll
- The Brickery at Cafe Beaujolais
- A Sunny Summer Lunch
- Fathers + Daughters
- When the Weather won't Cooperate
- Romance in Mendocino
- Spring Fun
- Forest Bathing in Action
- Ramen Nights
- Riding the Rails
- Noyo Headlands Park
- Fortunate Farm
- Overtime Brewing Company
- A little day trip south
- A quiet day in the rain
- One of our most iconic landmarks
- Spring Ranch
- It’s time for whales
- What is shinrin yoku?
- Foodie Fun!
- Barn Talk
- Bubbles & Caviar
- Bring on the flowers
- The Portable Painter
- Passion for the Beat
- For Love of the Sea
- An evening stroll
- Simply Delicious
- Crab Time
- A Festival of Lights
- Hollywood's Favorite Backlot
- Button Love
- A Stroll Amongst Giants
- That Golden Glow
- Just like walking on water
- Storm Chasers
A-mushrooming we shall go!
Activities, Experiences, Food, Hiking, Outdoors | November 12, 2021
A revisit of a previous blog post, because it’s really just THAT GOOD! It’s mushrooming season here on the Mendocino Coast!
A darling little duo, even if they weren’t edible.
In case you weren’t aware, mushroom season has begun! We’ve had several good bouts of rain lately, and the forest floor has begun to burst with fungi of all shapes and sizes. Just go on a walk right now through almost any of the local trails like Russian Gulch or Van Damme, and you’ll see what I mean. It’s such an interesting, beautiful array of colors and forms! Now, while it wouldn’t be a good idea to eat most of the mushrooms you’ll see out and about on your walk, there are quite a few that are tasty enough to draw the passionately enthusiastic foragers amongst us out into the woods every chance they get this time of year.
Ready for a woodland adventure!
A few of us here at the inn decided to join in the spirit of the season and see if we could discover some edible mushrooms of our own this past week. We met up at the inn, chatting excitedly as we pulled wicker baskets out of our trunks and laced up our boots, ready to dive into the wet and muddy woods. We hopped the split rail fence surrounding the inn’s parking lot and headed out into the part of Jackson Demonstration Forest that abuts our property.
A perfectly charming scene. (sadly, not edible)
This one was violet!! (but not edible…)
And this one had such lovely, violet gills. (also not edible)
As soon as we entered the first stand of trees, our eyes were glued to the ground, casting about in search of fungi – and there were SO MANY mushrooms! They were everywhere. Little bright red balls popping out from under dead leaves, miniscule caramel-colored caps sprouting from a bed of fern-like moss, violet-tinged beauties with wavy edges, a darling white-fringed trio tucked beneath the nodding branches of some woodland bush… Our guide Carrie, who grew up foraging with her family here on the coast, started showing us the various distinguishing parts of the mushrooms we were seeing. Nothing so far was actually edible, but she still took the opportunity to explain the differences between the many fungi at our feet. Was the stalk solid or hollow? Did it break cleanly, or was it fibrous? What did the gills on the underside of the cap look like? Was the cap slimy or dry? What color(s) were the cap and gills? She pointed out the spreading matt of mycelium just underneath the surface of the ground that the mushrooms we saw were sprouting from.
Ooey gooey Witch’s Butter, which some foragers use to make jelly candies.
After another stop to learn about the edible, gelatinous Witch’s Butter growing from an old stump, we turned aside from the rough utility road we had been following and made our way out into the pathless woods. This was new ground for all of us, our guide Carrie included, so we weren’t sure what we would be able to find (or even if we would find anything at all!), but we were out on an adventure.
Check out these beautiful Artist’s Conchs. Hard and woody, they were definitely not on our list of fungi to nibble on, but they were still cool.
Like little kids, we investigated “shrumps” to see what hidden mushrooms were bursting their way out through the layers of fallen leaves. We admired an old fir snag covered in moss and the shelf-like Artist’s Conch. We discussed the health benefits of Usnea, or the Old Man’s Beard lichen streaming down from many of the branches around us. We happily nibbled on the lovely, white Toothed Jellies that were abundant everywhere we turned. We oohed and aahed over the spindly fingers of bright orange Coral Mushroom just beginning to grow in a sheltered grove.
Wow. Take a look at this beautiful Pig’s Ear mushroom we found nestled on the forest floor.
We had been winding around salal bushes and through low hanging branches of tan bark oak for a little while, when suddenly the first gal in our group let out a delighted shriek and stood pointing down until the others of us caught up. She had found a Pig’s Ear! Part of the highly-prized Chanterelle family of mushrooms, Pig’s Ears can be quite delicious when younger… but are often riddled with maggots when they get too big. Yuck. This particular specimen was on the bigger side, and none of us particularly wanted to deal with maggots, so after passing it around and admiring its delicate details, we decided to let it remain a part of the forest floor. It was still exciting though! Our first big edible find.
Discussing the different parts and merits of the Pig’s Ear.
This tiny little guy (not edible) was intriguingly woody yet still incredibly delicate.
From here we decided to circle back around to the utility road. After what seemed an hour of picking our way through veritable thickets of salal and climbing over more downed logs that we could remember, we were all starting to feel hungry and wishing we had brought more water. Once we finally crossed the path of the utility road though and made our way into the more open woods on the other side, we were once again lost in the wonder of even MORE mushrooms. Seriously, they were everywhere. At one point, we were engrossed in discovering how big an emerging patch of orange Coral Mushrooms was going to be (too small to gather), only to realize that we had sat down on several beautiful little White Coral Mushrooms (also too young yet). AND we were right next to what may or may not have been a river of Candy Caps. So many mushrooms.
An adorable baby white Coral Mushroom. We decided to let it grow another week or two before coming back to harvest it.
We finally emerged from the woods in the meadow across from the inn’s entrance. We hadn’t found enough edibles to fill our baskets, but we were happy. We had been on an adventure. We had learned a little more about the wonders of the woods. We had gotten a little taste of the joy that inspires the passionate enthusiasm of the dedicated mushroom forager, and we were ready for more!
Who’s ready to join us on our next adventure????
Our small but very excited foraging group: Zoe, Carrie, and Laura.
Go on a Mushroom Foraging expedition with Carrie when you’re at the inn this winter. Make sure to wear good boots and clothes that you are ok getting wet/dirty/grubby. Pack a snack and plenty of water.
~ Words and pictures by Laura Hockett
Choose Your Next Read
Introducing our amazing Sous Chef Tori Menna
The Inn has been extra blessed this year with the addition of Sous Chef Tori Menna, she made a complete package for us when we transitioned to our new Executive Chef, and we are continually impressed by her artistry…
KW Saltwater Grill
We love enticing our guests into taking a shot at something new on the coast. We are proud to say, they did not disappoint…
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
I can’t help but picture garden gnomes and fairies flitting about their branches and nestling in the soft petals of the blooms.
A-mushrooming we shall go
…We had gotten a little taste of the joy that inspires the passionate enthusiasm of the dedicated mushroom forager. And we were ready for more!
The Mendocino Café – Staple of the Village
We ordered the classic Stout-Braised Pot Roast, made with Covelo beef, carrots, mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and horseradish cream. Scrumptious bits of beef and vegetables in their own juices were beyond comforting on this autumn day.
Introducing Zoe King & The Waiting Room
Attention espresso lovers visiting Mendocino, this is the place to get the dreamy espresso, perfectly foamed latte, or frothy cappuccino. Drum roll please…
Moments & Places of Quiet
…We asked the staff at the inn where they liked to go to hang out and relax, and here is what they had to share…
There’s a new cook in the kitchen
…if you read that and thought, “Wait, does a brand-spanking-new employee file mean that the Brewery Gulch Inn has a new chef?” you would be absolutely correct!…
The Caspar Pub House
The newest restaurant on the coast, with the best British fare on the Mendocino coast. Guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds!
The arches of Mendocino
…A couple of months ago, Tom had mentioned how much he loved the natural rock arches around the headlands, and out of that comment had blossomed this plan for an early morning stroll to go admire them together…
La Estrella
“Estrellaaaaaa...” Guy staged whispered as he walked through the office to his desk. It was lunchtime, and he was oh so subtly trying to convince me to go get tacos with him…
Kayaking the Albion River
A fabulous day viewing the legendary houseboats on the Albion River…
Toasting 20 Years with Bubbles and Caviar
…an anniversary like the big 2-0 deserves all the fun and fancy toasts and celebrations we can fit in. So read on, and then go to Goldeneye and raise a glass of their delightful bubbles along with us as we cheer for another equally wonderful 20 years to come…
We’re 20 years old
…it was sort of a special moment when we looked at the calendar and realized, “Wow! The inn is turning 20 this year! We’ve been doing this for a while!”…
Husch Vineyards
…We were in the mood for something fairly casual and friendly, homey even, so we picked up the phone and called Husch Vineyards to see if they could fit us in for a tasting…
Out come the wildflowers
…The wind may still have been brisk, the seas still rough, the skies still frequently filled with full and dripping clouds, but at last the bright breath of spring was beginning to make its presence known – truly news to make us glad…
Casa del Sol
…So what are you waiting for? Go now and enjoy your own taste of this wonderful little gem of a spot down in Noyo Harbor. It’s totally worth it!
Sweet Mendocino
…since we’re already dreaming, we thought we’d share all the lovely things that have been floating through our brains… Read on, read on, and maybe you’ll find something sweet that you can’t live without either!…
Glass Beach
…I am, of course, talking about Glass Beach, that charming stretch of little rocky coves up in Fort Bragg that nearly every single first time visitor asks directions to, eager to scratch another well-known destination off their list…
Farm to Pizza
…After a split second of staring at the screen, Guy looked up at James and I. “We’re getting this for lunch, right?” We were quick to agree – this pizza sounded too good to pass up!…
Point Cabrillo Light Station
…when we saw the magnificent way the waves were crashing along the coastline and we realized we had a bit of a break in our day to steal away from the paperwork on our desks, we grabbed our sneakers and made a beeline for good ol’ Point Cabrillo…
Navarro River Beach
It’s a moody evening out here on Navarro Beach. The day started out fairly gray earlier this morning, migrating gradually into sunshiny warmth, and now has reverted back to the lowering mass of clouds so typical to Mendocino winter…
Gowan’s Heirloom Ciders
…We tasted 6 ciders altogether. They were all delicious, filling our mouths with the flavors and feelings of happy holidays and cheery harvest time…
Lula Cellars
…We rose from our stools at the barrel and stretched our legs, commenting to Kim how hard it was to choose which wines we wanted to purchase and take home. “That’s what I love about working here,” he said. “All the wines are good!”…
Goodlife Café & Bakery
…I lingered over each bite and sip. The latte was comforting and creamy. And my snack… well…it was fantastic!…
A day trip through the Anderson Valley
…Why should we want to go spend the day in the Anderson Valley? … we’re itching to get out and experience some of the newest additions to all that the Anderson Valley has to offer…
A good night for soup
…This was what we needed. Good soup. Good company. Beautiful evening in a beautiful place. Café Beaujolais had done it again, and everything was just right…
Fathers + Daughters Cellars at the Brewery Gulch Inn
…the next time you find yourself dreaming of a little escape to Mendocino, book a stay with us and set up your own private tasting with Guy and Sarah of Fathers + Daughters Cellars…
Meyer Family Cellars
…Being so darn toasty, we relished the instant cool that washed over us as we crossed the threshold of our destination – the invitingly cheery Mendocino tasting room of Meyer Family Cellars…
A hiker’s weekend
…So we thought we’d put together a weekend itinerary for these intrepid wanders, a little sampling of some of our favorite trails, both more and less well known, stretching out for longer miles and beautifully condensed into shorter bites of exploration…
Buckhorn Cove
…One more slow gaze around the entire cove, my heart filling up to the brim with the peaceful calm of the place, and I at last turned back to my car and the day ahead, ready to face the world…
The art of the freeform vacation
…more often than not I find myself ever so gently trying to convince guests that they should leave themselves a little more leeway in their vacation, a little more space to breathe and let what I like to call the “Mendo chill” take over and guide their stay…
Old Smith Ranch Preserve
…This was just what I needed. A short break from the rest of the world. A quiet trail inviting me to step away from work and bills and deadlines of any and all sorts. A chance to explore and gain fresh perspective. A sweet little escape…
Super Tortas!
…Super Tortas is delightfully unrefined, as any good hole in the wall should be, but what they lack in polish they more than make up for in finished product – they may look small, but they sure do deliver big, in more ways than one!…
Revisiting the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
…We were slowly making our way along the meandering grassy paths of the perennial garden… oohing and aahing over every burst of color, every interesting texture of leaf, every variation in size and form…
Chamberlain Creek Waterfall
…It felt almost like the kind of place where a fairy or a woodland nymph would hide away from the noise of humankind – tucked away and nestled into the heart of the forest…
The Forest History Trail
…And so I meandered along the trail, enjoying every breath of free and wild air, forgetting the world outside these lovely trees…
To refresh yourself with the sea
Do you find yourself craving a glimpse of waves, the freedom to wander paths and trails along ocean-side bluff tops, and that tickle in your nostrils of the sweetly golden air of sunset as day sinks down beyond the boundless expanse of the sea?…
Wandering in the woods
…One recent Saturday morning saw us heading into the Jackson Demonstration Forest from a trailhead a few miles up Little Lake Road…
The art of slowly savoring
…how do you express that ineffable sense of peace and rest that steals over you as you simply slow down and savor the experience of dining at the Harbor House Inn?
Stunningly wild
Wow, just wow.” We stared up at the trees standing off the steeply twisting trail ahead.
Half a day in the Anderson Valley
A few months ago, we had an amazing day meandering our way down the Anderson Valley.
Patterson’s Pub
…“It looks like this is everyone else’s favorite pub too!” we heard rolling back from the leader to the last man pushing through the curtain…
Fog Eater Café
…We had been dreaming of the day we would finally be able to get a taste of their fabled food… and we just this week found our way through their door…
Dahlias and begonias and fuschias, oh my
…We were slowly making our way along the meandering grassy paths of the perennial garden…
For a truly superior sandwich
…The gal in our group who ordered the Ultimate Club was so in love with her lunch
Morning glory on Big River
…in the back of our minds we carried away that wonderful hour of morning glory, and it suffused the rest of the day with peace…
Coro Mendocino
…This was our first experience with Coro, and we were excited to get to see what it was all about…
B Bryan Preserve
…What a personal, beautiful opportunity to get to know some of the most iconic and majestic creatures of the African landscape…
Pelican Bluffs
…we had logged roughly 3 miles of meandering through what may have become our new favorite. Seriously. We’re going back with a picnic soon!
Just you and the ocean
…We were already familiar with some of these tiny trails, but others were brand new to us – so we went out and explored!…
Mendocino Shoeworks
…A true-blue, old-fashioned crafter of the finest of footwear. That’s what Jason Clapp is…
Independence Day
…this is one of the most popular weekends of the year, with rooms getting snagged a good couple of months ahead of time…
A Great Day for Wine
…The highlight of the week…was the long, leisurely day that we spent meandering down the Anderson Valley…
Affogato at Frankie’s
…We looked at each other and laughed out loud, knowing that we were just going to have to get another…
A Different Kind of Beachside Stroll
“We started doing these rides on the beach 23 years ago, and I absolutely love it… I can’t imagine doing anything better with my life." -Tobi Ross
The Brickery at Cafe Beaujolais
For about a year now, we’ve been hearing glowing reviews of the pizza that Café Beaujolais started making last May at their Brickery. “Creative!” “Delicious!” “You’ve GOT to try it out.” And finally, this past weekend, we did just that…
A Sunny Summer Lunch
…out on the sheltered back deck of the Noyo Harbor Inn, all we got was a gentle breeze ruffling our hair as the sunshine warmed our backs and the Noyo River rolled quietly by...
Fathers + Daughters
When we were expecting our daughter Ella in 2012… we embarked on the adventure that would eventually become Fathers + Daughters Cellars.
When the Weather won't Cooperate
…We sighed in contentment, for despite (or perhaps because of) the rain we had managed to have what could quite practically be called a near-perfect day…
Romance in Mendocino
…We were chatting recently with several local friends about this romance that fills the air, and we came up with a list of the best places to get into the spirit of things…
Spring Fun
…We thought we’d let you know about some of our favorite activities and events that are going on this spring, activities and events that you are definitely going to want to add to your itinerary!
Forest Bathing in Action
…After too short of a pause, we hefted our packs and headed back down the trail, content that we had indeed found the perfect place for putting our forest bathing ideas into action…
Ramen Nights
…sometimes there are things that are so phenomenal that they demand the use of more than just one exclamation point to highlight how truly amazing they are. And Good Life Café’s new pop-up ramen nights qualify, trust us...
Riding the Rails
…are the Skunk Train’s railbikes worth adding to your itinerary during your next visit to Mendocino?…
Noyo Headlands Park
…Of late, we’ve found ourselves starting almost all of our ocean-side strolls at the Noyo Headlands Park trailhead located on the southern section of the Coastal Trail that runs along the western edge of Fort Bragg. Why?…
Fortunate Farm
…Searching for a place in which to further pursue her own dreams of what ag could be, Gowan partnered with her mother Ellen, her step father Jef, and a few other like-minded folks to open Fortunate Farm about five years ago…
Overtime Brewing Company
…So if you ask us where to go for a laid-back lunch and a great glass of beer, we are totally sending you to Overtime Brewing Company up in Fort Bragg. Trust us, it’s worth it.
A little day trip south
…we’ve schemed up a little sightseeing excursion of our own heading south down the Mendocino coast. Nothing crazy, just enough to fit comfortably in a day…
A quiet day in the rain
…It was a moment of true mental and emotional refreshment while the gentle rain refreshed the world outside – just what the doctor ordered.
One of our most iconic landmarks
…once you’ve pondered this darling Presbyterian Church, you’ll know why we think of it as a true local gem, why we love that we get to count it as a vital part of our community…
Spring Ranch
…For those who are in the mood for something away from the crowds though, one walk that continually stands out in our minds is the trail at Spring Ranch…
It’s time for whales
…For the past couple of decades, the greater Mendocino community has been celebrating this annual parade put on by our water-loving neighbors with a full season of Whale Festival events…
What is shinrin yoku?
It is, in essence, steeping oneself in the peaceful presence of nature for medicinal benefits – if that isn’t a modernized, scientific version of Mendocino’s “back to the land” mentality, then we don’t know what is.
Foodie Fun!
Are you looking for the ultimate foodie moment? Have you stopped by Pennyroyal Farms yet to try their farmstead goat and sheep cheeses and their luscious wines?
Barn Talk
“Wait, what am I seeing?” Our guest peers closer at the paintings in the Great Room, eventually walking right up and touching the wooden barns to verify that, yes, it is in fact real wood that creates that 3D effect…
Bubbles & Caviar
…We have been highly looking forward to this moment, and we mean to savor every second of it…
Bring on the flowers
…we find ourselves daydreaming of longer days, of spring, of wildflowers.
The Portable Painter
…Knowing that The Portable Painter is a unique opportunity to experience Mendocino on a different level, we invited Suzi to come give us a class at the inn…
Passion for the Beat
…It was, after all, pretty much impossible not to get up and dance with that infectious Latin beat filling up every square inch of air…
For Love of the Sea
…we moseyed on up to Noyo Harbor this past weekend to chat with joint owners and best friends Wendy Holloway and Captain Heather…
An evening stroll
…We clocked off from our duties one evening, intent on stretching our legs…
Simply Delicious
So delicious. Truly. Ingredients perfectly blended in every bite. Tart. Bright. Crunchy. Delectably deep savor. So piping hot fresh. Mmmmm….
Crab Time
…This crab extravaganza, which used to be called the Crab Festival, will take place January 18-27. It’s going to be 10 glorious days of crab, wine, beer, and more crab…
A Festival of Lights
A favorite local holiday tradition was born 8 years ago when Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens unveiled their very first Festival of Lights extravaganza.
Hollywood's Favorite Backlot
For over 100 years, Mendocino has been a favorite location for Hollywood producers.
Button Love
She is, in fact, totally and completely, no doubt about it, head over heels in love with antique buttons.
A Stroll Amongst Giants
…It has a couple of absolutely breathtaking groves of old growth redwoods that will make you want to just plunk yourself down on the nearest bench or fallen log and stare in wonder…
That Golden Glow
There’s something magical about that golden hour when the sun starts to slowly descend…
Just like walking on water
One of our innkeepers recently tried out the paddle boarding option with a good friend, and they had such a fantastic time she can’t stop raving about it…
Storm Chasers
We positively LOVE being up here in rugged Mendocino when the wind starts to howl and the clouds get particularly thunderous.
NEWSLETTER