I recently fell upon a magical little eco-resort in Northern California called Stanford Inn by the Sea. A hotel and resort dedicated to sustainable practices and vegan eating and living located on Northern California’s Mendocino Coast, the magic begins as you enter its parking lot where you are suddenly surrounded by gardens and grounds which ooze flowers and herbs on all sides. The entrance, lobby area and grounds are a cross between a New England cottage B&B and a hillside resort somewhere in the American west.
The resort sits atop a meadow overlooking Mendocino Bay and they are proud to call themselves the only vegan resort in the United States. They specialize in romantic and healthy getaways although it’s also a great place for business meetings, weddings and group retreats. Started by Jeff Stanford and his wife Joan, they and their staff are dedicated to making you feel revitalized.
The rooms and suites are scattered around the main building which houses the lobby area, a small gym, the lobby, the lounge, and the restaurant. All have outside decks where you can sit, relax and take in the surrounding vegetation and beautiful flowers.
Their delicious Raven’s Restaurant, which specializes in vegan dishes and touts award-winning dishes, will leave you wondering why all the fuss about eating meat. Inspired by Stanford’s certified organic gardens, the food is prepared mindfully and consciously and it shows through the preparation of all their dishes. (see our separate blog post write-up on Ravens Restaurant). We absolutely loved the food and the experience!!
Below is the master sous chef Gabrielle Tabar who came out to say hello.
In the lobby area, you can purchase local wines, funky hats, health and spiritually conscious books, jams, jellies and other gifts, including plush toys for kids.
Below is an outside deck view off the suite during my stay.
One bedroom suites offer large wood burning fireplaces, 27″ televisions with VCR’s, DVD’s; compact stereo systems; wet bars supplied with bottled water and juice drinks; coffee makers; a sofa bed; decks; Mendocino Bay and Mendocino village views. The bedroom has its own television and a king size bed. They have various sizes, ranging from one bedrooms to suites varying by size and amenities.
Slightly larger rooms and baths distinguish these accommodations from those of Big River. Some have wood burning fireplaces and others have wood burning stoves. The guest rooms and suites are all paneled in pine and redwood, which makes you feel closer to nature without even leaving your room. And, the lounge area is also incredibly revitalizing and relaxing, with a fireplace and couches.
The views are incredibly picturesque regardless of where you are in the resort.
And, of course there’s a spa where you can get massages which I didn’t have time to try. They also have an inside pool, sauna and jacuzzi, which I relaxed in for over an hour.
For nearby adventure tours, hikes and other nearby activities, they provide access to equipment at Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, as well as massage therapists led by Dee Brater and organic foods, fair trade coffees and teas. One other important thing to note: the resort is known for being pet-friendly and there’s even a small seating section outside the main dining room where you can bring your pet with you to dinner.
The Stanford Inn’s History of Reform & The Founders’ Philosophy:
The husband and wife team started modestly moving into a 375 square foot guest room, doing most of the work themselves from housekeeping to installing fireplaces when they bought the place to renovate. In just two years they had two children and were waking each morning to serve their guests breakfast. Says Joan of their remodeling process in the early 1980’s. “Transformation takes place here physical, emotional and spiritual. While we were transforming the buildings and the landscaping, it was as if we had opened up a vein of
co-creative potential. It is a manifesting process.” Jeff is not an ordinary environmentalist. He had mixed feelings regarding the creation of the new Big River State Park in spite of being involved in the effort. “It’s unfortunate that rather than insure healthy, sustainable logging practices, we are forced to remove land from forestry altogether to preserve it.” He argues that it is irresponsible to damage a forest’s biodiversity and over-log. “Taking land out of production here puts incredible pressure on other timber areas.”
Over the years, the Stanfords have worked to develop fulltime jobs rather than the part time jobs characteristic of a seasonal resort area. The creation of their California Certified Organic Farm created full time jobs and now supplies the Inn’s restaurant, The Ravens, the area’s only organic vegetarian/vegan restaurant, creating more jobs.
“We get a lot of people who come to work here because we are vegetarian, organic. They believe this is a Shangri La. It isn’t. It is hard work,” Jeff explained when asked why some people “don’t make it.” “When I began experiencing earth energies, I read a variety of books including Dorothy MacClean’s description of working with angels at Findhorn, Scotland. Our angels, if you want to call them that, are not etheric, they are hard workers: ‘buff,’ if you know what I mean. They’re tough and those who work with them need to be tough, too.
Staff often becomes part of the family and Jeff and Joan encourage them to develop interests and aptitudes and to finish school and go on to college. For years they have worked formally and informally with the schools. Joan works in the schools addressing issues of self esteem and peer counseling. The inn provides work experiences, training in everything from cooking to bike mechanics. Students have come to work to fulfill requirements for graduation or simply for money and some have stayed. One began working as a gardener when he was fifteen. Eventually, Jeff made him manager of the new & Bicycles, too! He helped grow the business, became an expert bike mechanic, and worked in the community to raise money for a skate park which unfortunately has yet to be constructed.
The Stanfords look at their operation as a garden or farm. They understand the energies they experience to be nurturing and they believe they must reciprocate by nurturing not only the gardens, but the people with whom they work and the community. They provide meeting rooms at no charge for local non profits and public agencies such as the school district; canoes for local schools’ recreational and educational programs; and their gardens for the local 4-H club where the kids learn propagation, planting, and composting from the staff.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
