Driving up the Northern California coast one can’t help but be amazed at the beautiful landscape when the red wood forest meets the ocean and the sharp cliffs make way to beautiful blue waves making it feel like the mountains and the sea are merging together.
The Brewery Gulch Inn in Mendocino is one of those local wonders that fits perfectly into the environment and makes every visitor feel welcomed and a part of nature.
The location of Brewery Gulch is part of the original 10 acre farmstead of Mendocino pioneer, Homer Barton and offers spectacular views out over Smuggler’s Cove. It also borders 48,000 acres of unoccupied meadows and redwoods of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest which means peace and tranquility are pretty much a guarantee. Visitors are engulfed in the redwood forest while at the same time having an amazing view of the ocean.
From the beginning, the inn was planned and built with careful consideration for the environment. The ponds that were part of the wetlands restoration are kept clean with a system of natural rock filtration that requires no chemical additives. Native grasses and wildflowers grow throughout the wetlands and secluded benches offer views of the ponds and the Pacific Ocean.
The Inn seems like it’s taken out of a storybook with wood all around and a beautiful family feel. Most of the logs used to build the inn were eco-salvaged from the mud of the Big River close by. They had been in the water for 100-150 years, deeply embedded in the silt and beautifully colored by the effect of mineralization. The 10 spacious and well-appointed guest rooms are spread on three levels and feature views of the ocean framed by spruce and pines.
There’s a spotting scope on the deck that visitors can use to spot a distant whale in the water or one of the many types of birds around the property. There’s even a bird feeder outside that attracts a variety of birds for the ornithology connoisseurs.
The Inn has a new partnership with the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, offering birders the chance to becomefamiliar with and seek out the local species that live in and around the property and help guests discover the hundreds of bird species around them and better connect with the natural world and with other birdwatchers during their stay.
Breakfast at the Inn starts with hot coffee and tea paired with baked goods that the chef prepares daily. Guests can enjoy it in the main dining area, on the deck, or even in their rooms for those sleepy breakfasts in bed.
Wine hour and dinner come with a surprise every night. There is no set menu to order from, the chef prepares the meals according to what’s available during the season and even the weather outside. So you can expect a seafood chowder on gloomy cold days and something lighter on bright sunny days.
For those looking for an extra level of privacy and coziness the Beach Trail Cottage is the new addition to the BGI inventory. It’s about a mile south of the Inn located on a quiet country lane just minutes away from Brewery Gulch Inn & Spa.
Beach Trail Cottage is a two-story fully remodeled 150-year-old home with fine linens, a full kitchen, and an upper-floor master bedroom providing white water views down the coast and looking out over Van Damme State Beach.
Sitting in perfect proximity to Van Damme State Beach, the cottage is bordered by its own private trail leading to the headlands. Visitors can enjoy the sandy beach, curious sea lions, spotted harbor seals, hunting ospreys, and many tidepools within steps from the cottage door.
