Family Vacation Archives - Stanford Inn, Restaurant & Spa

Joan & Jeff Stanford: CARING INNKEEPERS

We just returned from an extended vacation/holiday (our first in 45 years since beginning innkeeping here). We drove to Vancouver, B.C. to visit family, ferrying to Bowen Island for a [...]

Christine Gustafson2025-09-06T14:52:00-07:00September 6th, 2025|

Jeff & Joan Stanford: AN APRIL WELCOME

Last week, during Spring Break, we hosted families enjoying time together. Some of our best reviews are from children. They leave us drawings and notes that we treasure. They [...]

Christine Gustafson2025-04-16T12:20:43-07:00April 16th, 2025|

Jeff & Joan Message: Meet Pepper

Welcome Pepper! As you know, at the Stanford Inn we love all animals, but especially our dogs, cats, and all the amazing pets our guests bring to the resort. [...]

Christine Gustafson2023-08-12T13:50:32-07:00August 12th, 2023|

Jeff & Joan Message: Mendocino Coast Family Vacation

Summer is wonderful here at the resort. We get a kick seeing couples, especially those with their families, walking through our gardens (and visiting the llamas, donkeys and horses!), [...]

Christine Gustafson2023-07-09T00:04:59-07:00July 9th, 2023|

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.