Our next stop after Bodega Bay was the town of Mendocino. I’d heard some really nice things about the town and was excited to visit. The actual drive was set to be less than 3 hours, so I had some detours in mind.
Our first stop was right before the Russian River. I took a turn off Highway 1 onto Goat Rock Road making several stops at places like Blind Beach.
A then drove south finding some parking to the trail to the summit of Peaked Hill. Needless to say, the views were beautiful.
Loved the views of the shoreline.
I like to mix in interesting places when we travel and there happened to be a place I read about in Sea Ranch. Right off Highway 1 is a sign directing one to the Sea Ranch Chapel.
A non-denominational chapel dedicated to the memory of local artist Kirk Ditzler, it is designed to be a “serene refuge” for meditation and prayer. There were several people inside the building, so I didn’t want to bother them.
You can find some photos of the interior here.
We made a short fuel stop in Gualala and then the Missus went to check out this lovely little book store.
Right at the Rollerville Junction, we once again did a detour off the Shoreline Highway. This time up Lighthouse Road. We took a quick look at the Point Arena Lighthouse.
Before heading back down the road and parking at the beginning of the Point Arena – Stornetta Trail.
It’s a lovely coastal trail.
We only went until we could view the shore and rocks before heading on our way.
JJ did have time to stop and smell the flowers though.
From there it was just an hour to the town of Mendocino. We were instantly charmed by the village.
The Victorian style houses instantly took us to the East Coast.
In need of lunch, we stopped by a little shop steps away from where we were staying. You know why we “had” to stop here, right?
Yep, that’s right, it’s Frankie’s! Frankie’s is mainly a pizza and ice cream shop; but they also have salads and falafel…and even piadina.
There’s some patio seating, which was great on a nice sunny day.
The Missus and I really weren’t feeling like pizza, so we got Frankie’s Falafel and the Mediterranean Piadina.
The portion size for the Falafel Salad was quite generous.
This dish is actually Vegan. The exterior of the falafel wasn’t crisp enough, nor was the interior nice and creamy. We did both love the Tahini Dressing though. Nice and earthy, with a good acidic kick. The hummus was passable.
Both the Missus and I enjoyed the Piadina, which, while not being close to what we’d had in Malta, was quite refreshing.
The pita was crisp; the Tahini, like the salad was very refreshing; the Parmesan Cheese adding that salty-milky component. Crisp spinach, with olives and sun dried tomatoes as “hidden” surprises.
And while there wasn’t a “rainbow from Frankie” signifying his approval (we miss you F), this was a decent lunch.
Frankie’s
44951 Ukiah St.
Mendocino, CA 95460
Glad the lunch wasn’t too much food as it was now time to explore a bit before checking in.
Thanks for stopping by!