The Lawson & Marshall Team

With the onset of summer, many of you who live in the crowded Bay Area will be looking North to take a vacation or even a weekend drive. With that in mind, I would like to invite you to Mendocino County, one of the most beautiful treasures of Northern California. As you wind your way up Highway 101, the rolling hills move closer and the trees change to forests. Oak trees are beginning to leaf out, and tall firs border green meadows breaking the terrain like patchwork on a quilt. The Russian river, swollen with the recent rains, rushes past your window as you wind your way through the canyon north of Cloverdale. You can catch a glimpse of the remnants of the railroad looking across the river and it briefly brings you back to a time before there were cars and trains were the main source of transportation. Vineyards greet you as you break out of the Russian River Valley just south of Hopland. Home of Fetzer Winery, the small town of Hopland is the perfect tourist stop with the small shops providing everything from wine tasting to Subway sandwiches. There is even a Bocce ball court if you’d care to try a new sport. Ukiah is only 20 minutes ahead, (though I must caution the weekend driver that the speed limit on the stretch between Hopland and Ukiah is 55, and is famous for it’s CHP revenue raising program). As you come down the hill into Ukiah, you look across a valley 9 miles long and 4 miles wide. And yes, A river runs through it. The town of Ukiah is the county seat and boasts a population of less then 15,000, but it also boasts of several unique and fine places to eat. At the north end of the Airport there is BeBop’s, a retro 50’s diner complete with music. Further up on the main drag, State Street, is the Mutt Hutt, (Ukiahans like to keep their names simple), that specializes in lite vegetarian meals. There is also the exotic Himalayan Café, the fine cuisine of Patrona’s, and the most conventional Starr’s. All of which will not disappoint. Now that you made the drive, and had something to eat, the next part of the trip is the adventure…..which will be the topic for my next blog. Hope I gave you enough to get you interested. Com’on Up!