IN THE PRESS
46 Years of Stories Worth Telling
From 1980 to today, writers, travelers, journalists and creators have discovered something different at the Stanford Inn.
For more than four decades, the Stanford Inn has attracted the curiosity of writers, editors, travelers, photographers and storytellers from around the world.
Some came for the beauty of the Mendocino Coast. Others discovered Ravens Restaurant and our plant-based approach to food. Some were drawn to our gardens, sustainability practices and connection to the natural world. Others came to paddle Big River, travel with a beloved dog, slow down, reconnect—or simply experience a different way of being.
Over the years, those visits have become stories in newspapers and magazines, travel publications and guidebooks, broadcasts and videos, blogs and podcasts—and, more recently, the work of a new generation of digital creators.
Together, they tell another part of the Stanford Inn story.
Four Decades. Countless Discoveries.
Long before “eco-resort,” “plant-based travel” and “wellness retreat” became familiar phrases, Joan and Jeff Stanford were creating something different on a hillside overlooking Big River and the Mendocino Coast.
As the Stanford Inn evolved, so did the stories being told about it.
Explore some of those stories through the decades.
THE 1980s
The Beginning
In 1980, Joan and Jeff Stanford began transforming what was then Big River Lodge. Within a few years, travel writers were discovering both the Inn and another Stanford creation at the bottom of the hill—Catch A Canoe.
1986 | LOS ANGELES TIMES
Mendocino: For the Most Part, This New England-Style Village on the California Coast Remains Unspoiled by Visitors
One of the earliest major newspaper stories we’ve rediscovered.
The Los Angeles Times explored Mendocino and singled out Stanford Inn by the Sea for its privacy, service and extraordinary setting. The article also sent adventurous visitors down the hill to Catch-a-Canoe to experience Big River.
Read the 1986 Los Angeles Times story →
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-23-tr-12274-story.html
1989 | LOS ANGELES TIMES
Windswept Mendocino Shows New England Past
Three years later, the Los Angeles Times returned.
This wonderful snapshot of early Stanford Inn history introduces Joan and Jeff Stanford by name, talks about paddling Big River and refers to the property as “Stanford Inn By the Sea/Big River Lodge.”
Even the Stanfords’ cats, dogs, horses and llamas make an appearance.
Read the 1989 Los Angeles Times story →
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-04-tr-2405-story.html
THE 1990s
A Different Kind of Inn
During the 1990s, Stanford Inn continued to evolve. The gardens expanded. Sustainability became increasingly woven into daily life. Catch A Canoe connected visitors with Big River. And Ravens Restaurant added an entirely new dimension to the Stanford Inn experience.
The wider world was beginning to notice that this was more than a beautiful place to stay.
1992 | AAA
Four Diamond Recognition Begins
In 1992, Stanford Inn began what would become a remarkable continuous history of AAA Four Diamond recognition.
It was an early acknowledgement that the deeply personal, unconventional place Joan and Jeff were creating could also meet exacting standards of hospitality.
1998 | FODOR’S
California’s Best Bed & Breakfasts
Travel writer Daniel Mangin first visited Stanford Inn on a press trip in 1998 while covering the property for Fodor’s California’s Best Bed & Breakfasts.
More than a quarter-century later, he would return to write about the Inn again.
Read Daniel Mangin’s Stanford Inn retrospective →
https://dannymangin.com/places-activities/stanford-inn-by-the-sea/
THE 2000s
The World Takes Notice
By the new century, many of the ideas that had quietly shaped Stanford Inn for years—organic gardening, environmental responsibility, welcoming animals and creating opportunities for renewal—were becoming stories in their own right.
2003 | STEPPIN’ OUT MAGAZINE
Nurturing Energies at Mendocino Stanford Inn
An early feature looked beyond accommodations to explore the nurturing environment Joan and Jeff had created and the role creativity played in the Stanford Inn experience.
Rediscover the story →
https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelsthrutimeandspace/14956837516/
2005 | THE WASHINGTON POST
Details: Calif. Coast Drive
The Washington Post introduced its readers to a romantic Mendocino inn with an organic garden, spa, llamas and sweeping views—a wonderful snapshot of Stanford Inn at the midpoint of its first 25 years.
Read the Washington Post story →
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/2005/08/28/details-calif-coast-drive/3d02f8ff-4a7b-454f-93cf-63a39b641d8c/
2005 | WILDCARE
Local Heroes — Stanford Inn by the Sea
Not all recognition was about travel.
WildCare featured Stanford Inn as a Local Hero, recognizing a business whose environmental values and commitment to sustainability extended beyond the guest experience.
Read the WildCare feature →
https://discoverwildcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2005WC-NewsV9-3-featuring-Sequoia.pdf
2008 | SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE / SFGATE
Stanford Inn by the Sea
San Francisco Chronicle feature writer Meredith May explored the rooms and gardens, restaurant, animals and wellness experiences that had grown into the Stanford Inn of the new century.
It remains one of the most detailed portraits of the Inn from this period.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle / SFGATE story →
https://www.sfgate.com/thingstodo/article/stanford-inn-by-the-sea-3287902.php
THE 2010s
Plants, Planet & Possibility
During the 2010s, something interesting happened.
Ideas Joan and Jeff had been exploring for decades—plant-based eating, organic growing, sustainability, wellness, creativity and our relationship with animals—were moving into the cultural mainstream.
A new generation of writers began discovering Stanford Inn through those lenses.
2010 | SUNSET
Best Dog-Friendly Vacations
Long before traveling with a beloved animal became a hospitality trend, animals were simply part of life at Stanford Inn.
Sunset celebrated that philosophy in its guide to exceptional dog-friendly vacations.
Read the Sunset story →
https://sunset.com/travel/dog-friendly-vacations
2013 | VEGNEWS
The Ultimate Vegan Getaway: The Stanford Inn
VegNews co-founder Colleen Holland discovered far more than a place to spend the night.
Her feature explored the gardens, accommodations, wellness experiences and Ravens Restaurant, presenting Stanford Inn to a rapidly growing plant-based audience.
Read the VegNews story →
https://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?catId=4&pageId=2890
2017 | SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH
Grounded in Nature
Spirituality & Health included Stanford Inn among places where connection with nature could become part of the wellness experience, highlighting Living Well programs and Ravens.
Read “Grounded in Nature” →
https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/2017/02/01/grounded-nature
2017 | SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH
An Inn Where the Guests Come Third
Sometimes a writer discovers the philosophy behind a place.
This feature explored one of Stanford Inn’s most unexpected principles:
Animals first. Staff second. Guests third.
It also introduced readers to Joan Stanford’s Play Shop and her belief in creativity, exploration and play.
Read “An Inn Where the Guests Come Third” →
https://www.magzter.com/stories/Health/Spirituality-Health/An-Inn-Where-the-Guests-Come-Third
2019 | LOS ANGELES TIMES
Discover an Idyllic Resort and Tasty Vegan Food on a Weekend Trip to Mendocino
Thirty-three years after its first Stanford Inn story, the Los Angeles Times returned.
This time, writer Dorothy O’Donnell experienced a very different Stanford Inn—exploring Ravens, the Inn’s plant-based philosophy and Catch A Canoe.
Read the Los Angeles Times story →
https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2019-10-24/mendocino-stanford-inn-vegan-resort
THE 2020s
A New Generation Discovers Stanford Inn
More than forty years after Joan and Jeff arrived in Mendocino, the stories haven’t stopped.
Traditional travel journalism now lives alongside blogs, video, social media and the work of independent creators. They arrive through different doors—but often discover the same remarkable place.
2020 | THE WASHINGTON POST
Vacationing While Vegan? Here’s a Quick Guide.
The Washington Post turned to Stanford Inn while exploring the growing world of vegan travel, identifying the Inn as an entirely plant-based resort and talking with Jeff Stanford.
Read the Washington Post story →
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/vacationing-while-vegan-heres-a-quick-guide/2020/02/19/950834cc-49ea-11ea-b4d9-29cc419287eb_story.html
2021 | RUN PLANT BASED
Visiting Stanford Inn by the Sea
Independent creator Christine of Run Plant Based documented a personal Stanford Inn visit through words and photographs—bringing the Inn to a community interested in plant-based living, travel and traveling with pets.
Experience the visit →
https://runplantbased.com/2021/09/visiting-stanford-inn-by-the-sea/
2022 | RUN THE ATLAS
Mendocino — Staying on an Organic Farm!
Stanford Inn moved from the written travelogue to the travel vlog when Run The Atlas brought viewers along for a Mendocino stay.
Instead of simply reading about the experience, a new generation could come along for the journey.
Watch the Stanford Inn travel vlog →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lp3s5CObRE
2023 | SFGATE
I Went to Mendocino for World-Class Vegan Food and Discovered My New Favorite Inn
Sometimes the headline tells the whole story.
SFGATE writer Kristin Scharkey arrived interested in Stanford Inn’s plant-based food and left having discovered the Inn itself.
Read the SFGATE story →
https://www.sfgate.com/shopping/article/stanford-inn-mendocino-17815899.php
2024 | WE BLOG THE WORLD
A Winter Escape to Mendocino’s Stanford Inn
Travel writer and photographer Renee Blodgett offered readers an intimate winter visit, exploring the Inn through family travel, food, sustainability and the quiet beauty of Mendocino in the off-season.
Read the story →
https://weblogtheworld.com/lodging-3/a-winter-escape-to-mendocinos-stanford-inn
2024 | BRI SEA TRAVEL
The Ultimate Eco-Resort / Wellness Experience in Mendocino
Travel creator Brianna Seaberg explored Stanford Inn through yet another lens: wellness and environmentally conscious travel.
Experience Bri Sea Travel’s visit →
https://www.briseatravel.com/blog/stanford-inn-mendocino
2024–2025 | CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER
Readers’ Choice Awards
A new generation of travelers continued to recognize Stanford Inn, with Condé Nast Traveler identifying the property as a Readers’ Choice Awards recipient in both 2024 and 2025.
Explore Stanford Inn at Condé Nast Traveler →
https://www.cntraveler.com/hotels/mendocino/the-stanford-inn-by-the-sea
2025 | SFGATE
This Coastal California Inn Might Just Change Your Life
One of the most extensive recent profiles of Stanford Inn looked beyond the idea of a Mendocino getaway to explore Joan and Jeff, the Inn’s evolution and the philosophy behind it.
Forty-five years after Big River Lodge entered their lives, the story had become not simply where people stayed, but what they sometimes discovered while they were there.
2025 | WORLD OF VEGAN
Stanford Inn Vegan Resort: A California Eco-Luxury Getaway
World of Vegan founder Michelle Cehn introduced Stanford Inn to today’s global plant-based community, bringing together food, sustainability, luxury and the Mendocino experience.
Explore the World of Vegan feature →
2025 | VEGNEWS
Put This Northern California Inn on Your Bucket List if You Love Vegan Food
More than a decade after calling Stanford Inn the “Ultimate Vegan Getaway,” VegNews returned to the story—this time looking at Stanford Inn as a pioneer in plant-based hospitality.
2026 | ROSEVILLE TODAY
Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino Offers a Peaceful Northern California Coastal Escape
Travel writer Todd Schofield explores the many experiences that have grown together at Stanford Inn—from Ravens and plant-based dining to wellness, sustainability, the Inn’s animals and outdoor adventures on Big River.
His story finds something at the heart of the Stanford Inn experience: a place that invites visitors to slow down, reconnect and experience a different rhythm of life.
Read the Roseville Today story →
2026 | @ATRAVELADVISOR
A New Generation of Storytellers
In June 2026, California travel creator Amanda of @atraveladvisor shared a hosted Stanford Inn stay with her social audience.
Her visit included wellness, Ravens and time at the Inn—and a personal thank-you to Joan and Jeff.
Forty-six years after the Stanford Inn story began, it was traveling through a medium that didn’t exist when Joan and Jeff first arrived.
See @atraveladvisor’s Stanford Inn experience →
And the Story Continues…
From newspaper travel sections and guidebooks to magazines, blogs, YouTube and Instagram, the way stories are told has changed enormously since 1980.
The reasons people tell stories about Stanford Inn are remarkably familiar.
Place. Nature. Food. Animals. Creativity. Sustainability. Connection. And the possibility of experiencing life a little differently.
After 46 years, new storytellers are still arriving.
EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE
These are only some of the stories told about Stanford Inn.
Our growing Media Archive brings together newspaper and magazine features, travel stories, guidebooks, food and sustainability coverage, videos, blogs and digital creators spanning more than four decades.
Explore the Complete Stanford Inn Media Archive →
HELP US REDISCOVER A STORY
Forty-six years is a long time—and not everything from those years exists online.
Somewhere there may still be an old magazine tucked onto a bookshelf, a newspaper clipping saved in a drawer, a guidebook from a memorable California trip, or photographs from a visit many years ago.
If you wrote about Stanford Inn, Stanford Inn by the Sea, Big River Lodge, Ravens Restaurant, Catch A Canoe, Joan Stanford or Jeff Stanford—or have an article, photograph, magazine, guidebook or clipping that belongs in this history—we would love to hear from you.