Moments & Places of Quiet

Where the BGI staff go to just hang out and relax

A quiet moment’s respite from the world and all its worries, overlooking Mendocino Bay…

So many people come to Mendocino looking to escape from the hectic pace of their regular lives, pull the plug on their anxiety-inducing digital connection and just simply BE for a little while. If that’s you, and you find yourself needing a little hideaway from the world, a quiet place to just chill, read on! 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…

Claudia, Breakfast Server:

If I’m looking for a break to meditate and refill my energy stores, I definitely go out for a good hike on any of our beautiful trails and surround myself with Mother Nature. Good Life Café is also one of my favorite spots for a little slightly more social scene – I love getting a cup of coffee there and relaxing while I people watch. And if I want to chill with friends, we’re hitting up Angelina’s Bar & Grill in Fort Bragg for drinks and dancing!

Doug, Handyman:

I’ve always thought Trillium Café looked like a good spot to hang out for a while with a friend or two, at least I think it would be if I ever hung out anywhere besides my back deck. There’s something so perfect about having a quiet little corner all to myself, especially when it’s sunny!

Guy, Proprietor:

My favorite place for a moment of peace and quiet is at the top of the vineyard, where Sarah & I got married. I look forward to weekends when I get to take a chair or a blanket up there with a good book in tow and read for a bit with the patchwork of the Anderson Valley spread out below.

*Book a private tasting with Fathers+Daughters Cellars, and you might get to go up to this same spot yourself!

Perfection. Photo courtesy of Guy

Jesse, Breakfast Server & Front Desk:

I’ve always loved hanging out at Piaci’s Pub & Pizzeria. The pizza is always fantastic, and the atmosphere is always great. You can’t go wrong at Piaci’s!

Kurt, Front Desk:

Lately, I’ve been really enjoying spending free moments at the Waiting Room at Café Beaujolais. They make really good lattes, and they have a great garden area to sit outside for a bit and just enjoy the morning. The ambience inside is relaxing too – very chill!

Laura, General Manager:

I have a hard time pinpointing just one spot as my favorite place to go away and be quiet. I have so many sweet memories of peaceful moments filling up my soul in so many sweet corners along the coast – watching a whale breach while sitting on the bluffs at the Point Cabrillo Light Station, contemplating the stunning old growth redwoods of Montgomery Woods, smiling at the agitated ebb and flow of snowy plovers along the edge of the surf at 10 Mile Beach. Rather than any one place or moment then, I guess I have to say that my favorite is just taking time to pause, be still for a moment, and observe all the beautiful details of the world around me. Opening my eyes to those details and simply appreciating them for what they are inevitably washes away the random cares and worries hanging over me.

Trees that give you pause…

Raquel, Head Housekeeper:

Sometimes, my husband and I go out for a walk along the Coastal Trail near Glass Beach. I like sharing these peaceful moments with him, breathing the clean ocean air together and contemplating the beauty of the sea and the sunset.

Rebekah, Front Desk:

Well, being the beachy lover that I am, Big River is kind of my go-to. It is all things pretty, ever-changing, always complete with a community member sighting and a dash of the outside energy that happy tourists bring. Oh! And there is usually a seal or two popping up to take a friendly peek at the dogs running along the sand. If I’m looking for a chill spot to meet up with friends, I like the Noyo Harbor Inn’s patio or Princess Seafood’s new spot overlooking the harbor entrance. Of course, the Brickery is pretty sweet too, with the loveliest gardens – it’s a charming place to share a pizza that you would normally otherwise want to eat all by yourself!

The ever-changing face of Big River Beach

Sarah Rowe, Assistant Manager:

Abalone Point! On Highway 1 north of the hamlet of Westport, right across from the turn for Branscomb road, it’s a bit of a ways out there, but you usually have it pretty much all to yourself. It’s a super mellow spot that has been on my list of favorites since I was a teenager. At low tide, you can walk way out on the rocks and spend a little meditative time with the sea lions. Come to think of it, I haven’t been there in years! I’m overdue for a visit…

I also have a soft spot in my heart for Buckhorn Cove. It’s so perfectly secluded, and I love exploring the little rocky island just off shore.

A secluded sunrise meander in Buckhorn Cove

Sarah Schoeneman, Proprietress:

Portuguese Beach. I love that it is a little bit of a trek to get down to, which means that there are fewer people down there. It’s always different too – people arrange and rearrange the washed-up logs and driftwood in interesting little structures, and the ebb and flow of the waves reveals a little more or a little less of the cave at the western end.

Stephen, Chef:

I imagine pretty much everyone always claims the beach at sunset as their perfect moment of peaceful calm. I know it’s one of my favorites, for sure! I live right in the middle of Mendocino, just a couple of easy blocks away from the stairs behind the Presbyterian Church that lead down to Big River Beach, so I’ve got super easy access to my own sunset on the beach pretty much any evening I need it.

Zoe, Wine Hour Attendant:

I’ll never tell my secret place… just kidding! I do love stealing quiet moments at Caspar Beach. It’s a peaceful little cove, and there’s a stream running through it to the ocean and ever-intriguing remains of what I believe was a building and/or bridge from long ago. There’s also a nature trail across the road that takes you up a hill, where you can get different views of the water.

Now, it’s your turn! Come find your own perfect spot to simply be and relax along with us in Mendocino.

Little details at sunset on Caspar Beach

Words & pictures by Laura Hockett