Art with Joan Stanford Archives - Stanford Inn, Restaurant & Spa

Jeff & Joan Stanford: A MONTH OF CELEBRATION

“May is the month of expectations, the month of wishes, the month of hopes.” Emily Bronte May ushers in celebrations: Mothers’ Day, Memorial Day, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, end of [...]

Christine Gustafson2026-05-16T15:16:47-07:00May 16th, 2026|

Joan & Jeff Stanford: HUMAN TO HUMAN CONNECTION

Sometimes we don’t realize how important we are to some guests. We have been innkeeping long enough to remember when guests made reservations by phone. Of course, this was [...]

Christine Gustafson2025-06-01T14:10:27-07:00June 1st, 2025|

Joan Stanford: THE CREATIVE IMPERATIVE

Play is essential. I discovered its value playing with images cut from magazines, paints, pens, glue, words, found objects - art "stuff" - and collaging without worrying about outcomes, [...]

Christine Gustafson2024-03-21T00:22:41-07:00March 21st, 2024|

Pandemic Reflections: Lean into Art with Joan Stanford

The pandemic has been disorienting – every day is weird but rarely stimulating and for most, not satisfactory at all. Tapping into creativity is a great way to step [...]

Christine Gustafson2021-10-23T21:12:53-07:00March 4th, 2021|

Mendocino sits atop beautiful ocean bluffs surrounded on three sides by Mendocino Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bluffs comprise the Mendocino Headlands and offer walking trails that afford incredible views of the ocean and the lovingly restored 1850’s New England style Victorians which now house restaurants, specialty shops, galleries and provide lodging for Mendocino artists.

The Mendocino Art Center serves area artists as well as artists throughout the United States. All this is the nature of Mendocino, located about 150 miles north of San Francisco on Highway 1.

Besides the natural beauty, visitors to Mendocino will find a variety of things to see and do.

Hikers and mountain bikers enjoy bluff-top excursions to view seabirds, the seasonal gray whale migration and spring wildflowers. Nearby Big River Beach is ideal for family picnics and Big River is an ecological treasure which is easily explored by canoe or kayak which can be rented at Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, too! Montgomery Woods up Comptche Ukiah Road offers virgin redwood groves with the tallest living tree in the world.Redwoods and Douglas Firs dominate the Russian Gulch State Park as well as other nearby State Parks including Van Damme and Hendy Woods. Many of these parks allow dogs on their trails. And at MacKerricher State Park Lari Shea offer horseback riding along the beach.

Mendocino is an ideal destination for LGBTQIA+ travelers and the Stanford Inn & resort provides welcoming lodging, massage and plant-based dining. Mendocino is truly a special destination – it is the “wine country coast” with Anderson Valley wineries within only twenty minutes drive and Sonoma’s fine wineries just an hour south.