Mendocino was this charming coastal town with East Coast flavor. People are smitten by the town’s Cape Cod-like architecture. The seaside saltbox look of the 19th-century wood-frame homes are here, explained by the fact the the original settlers were predominantly lumbermen from Maine.
It’s also an artist town, both in terms of the architecture, attitudes and people who live there. And aside from its artistic draw, it’s another beautiful hotspot, sitting at the mouth of the Big River — and at the edge of the one of the most sublime coastlines in California.
Smaller than Florence at less than 1,000 people, the numbers go up significantly in the summer as do the hotel prices.
Apparently the artist appeal started in the 1950s. Painters like Dorr Bothwell, Emmy Lou Packard and Bill Zacha were among the first to settle here. East of Eden was shot here and writers like Alice Walker have also worked in the area.
I love this description of Mendocino in the winter: “In winter, you can meet the community – the fishermen, fourth-generation loggers, first-generation marijuana farmers, apple and sheep ranchers, artists and craftspeople, and innkeepers and shop owners come out of hiding.”
In the morning, we ended up at a quiet, small cafe that served cappacino (they even had soy milk), lattes, espresso and warm pastries, croissants and scones…..looked like it was the only cafe in town. People were reading the paper with their dogs at their feet at one of the five sidewalk tables.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
