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Pool with a tropical atmosphere |
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We first stayed at the Stanford Inn in 1989, and it
was wonderful. The inn is nestled into an enchanted slope
about a mile south of Mendocino on California's Highway 1,
right next to where the Big River flows into the sea. The
rooms all have views of the ocean, the town, and beautiful
gardens of organically grown vegetables, fruit trees and flowers.
We have been back a few times in the intervening sixteen years,
and each time we have found a sense of peace and ordered calm
that is incredibly restorative. 2006 will mark the twenty-fifth
year that Joan and Jeff Stanford have been operating this
haven on California's northern coast.
That would be enough, but there's more. In fact, there's
always something new. "We do a project every year,"
says Jeff. This year, the project is state-of-the-art wireless
Internet access that is routed through a local DSL to the
Mendocino Internet Node, a project created for the Mendocino
Public School System by NASA and the Autodesk Foundation in
1993. We found that the in-room wireless network exceeded
the connection speeds of just about every place in America
where we have logged on. This achievement is all the more
remarkable when one considers that the north coast is still
a pretty wild place. For instance, the nearest reliable cellular
service is in Ft. Bragg, about ten miles north.
We had planned to spend three nights at the Inn,and
then make our way on up the coast to Arcata. But there must
be something in the Mendocino air, since we have often found
a way to stay one more day. This trip was no exception. I
am not sure what it is -- the incredibly comfortable bed,
the cozy in-room fireplace, the impeccable service, the friendly
and attentive staff, the delectable goodies served each afternoon
at tea, the walks in the garden, or the tropical Eden hot
tub and pool, but the Stanford Inn exceeds our expectations
every single time.
One somewhat unusual and very nice feature of the Stanford
Inn is that dogs and cats of every persuasion are welcome
and appreciated. Even the raccoons we caught sight of most
evenings seemed comfortable and relaxed. The Stanford Inn
staff has also established a refuge for llamas, water fowl,
and horses. A diverse collection of these critters can be
found on walks around the grounds.
Much of the organic food that is served at the Ravens
Restaurant is grown on the property, and guests are welcome
to wander around and marvel at the variety of plants growing
in the gardens. The cost of nightly lodging includes breakfast
(awesome French toast among other unusual and delicious creations)
and the use of touring bicycles. "Catch-a-Canoe",
located at the Big River dock, also rents high-end mountain
bikes and an impressive variety of canoes, kayaks, and boats
for cruises up the wild and beautiful Big River. While we
didn't do it this year, in the past we have rented canoes,
ridden the tidal surge up the river, and then turned around
and floated back down to the inn.
The price of lodging is comparable to many high-end
hotels around the world, but the experience is priceless.
The Stanford Inn remains our favorite place to get away and
relax in a very special kind of luxury.
