Postcards from Mendocino + Sonoma
Road trip up the Northern California coast
Hello from Weed Country! I’m on a weed-cation road trip along the California coast exploring adorable towns and must-visit stops along the Cannabis Trail this week. Since I’m not in the kitchen, I’m sending you a few postcards from the road rather than the usual recipe this week.
Now is the ideal time to go see the wildflower superbloom. California native wildflowers are POPPING in brilliant shades of yellow and purple all along the coast. Last month, I was at Anza Borrego National Park admiring the teeniest-tiniest desert flowers, and this week, I’m dancing in shoulder-height fields of wild mustard, radish, and arugula flowers.
The endless flower fields and a microdose of shrooms inspired this Flower Rave “Flores de Mayo” collaboration with Dear Flor and Darling Chuck. Come dance in the flowers with us!
Travel Destinations:
Monte Rio
Mendocino
Fort Bragg / Newport
Anderson Valley
Petaluma
Saturday, May 11 | Los Angeles | Tickets $20 per person
Postcards from Mendocino
I’m reminded that rest is important. I get so wrapped up in whatever I’m doing that I forget to stop and allow myself time to rest. Empty brain time for my mind to let go of its day-to-day responsibilities and stretch my thoughts like taffy.
This porch nook looks out over the valley of a magnificent forest along the Russian River. It quickly became my favorite spot for morning coffee and a j, to afternoon naps and reading in the sunshine.
Lightwave Coffee & Kitchen, a coffee shop down the street that’s adjacent to a community garden and skateboard park.
Nimble & Finn, handmade ice cream in nearby Guerneville.
The road less traveled. Driving up the windy coast along Highway 1 is a breathtakingly beautiful experience. Quaint sea towns are dotted along the rugged, wind-whipped coastline.
Listen to elders. In the town of Mendocino, stop by Sol de Mendocino – a stop along the C*nn*bis Trail – to learn about the life and legacy of c*nn*bis activist Pebbles Trippet.
Dragonfly Wellness in Fort Bragg hosts monthly educational workshops, farmer’s market and artisan events, and has a free library of information and resources inside the shop.
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has an adorable cafe and beautiful gardens with coastal plants and blossoms I’ve never seen before. Rhododendrons were going off like flower fireworks at end of April/early May.
Cowlick’s Ice Cream makes a candy cap mushroom ice cream! Tastes like maple syrup.
The Bakery is a purveyor of fine c*nn*bis products, not an actual bakery. I was disappointed there were no cookies or brownies, but this is a great stop to pick up provisions. I got a box of Lagunitas Cloudberry low-dose drinks to enjoy with dinner.
Lessons from the past. I was invited to stay at The Inn at Newport Ranch, a beautiful luxury 10-room inn that’s also a land preserve and working cattle ranch. The grounds encompass 2,000 acres stretching from the coastline up several ridgelines of dense redwood forest filled with wild black bears. A former logging town, this place boasts some of the most spectacular views in the world connected by hiking trails and marked by sitting benches in unexpected places.
I gifted a pack of Grow It From Home seeds to the chef for their culinary ranch garden. I hope they’ll plant a few seeds this season. The cherry on top of my sundae? I saw a galaxy of stars sparkling against the pitch-black night. That’s something I rarely get to see.
Blanche the Puseek. I drove through Anderson Valley and decided to stop at The Madrones to visit The Bohemian Chemist and my favorite innkeeper, Blanche the puseek.
“Meow? Me-ow!” Blanche came running into the garden to enthusiastically greet me with a chorus of chatty meows and ankle rubs.
Read my story for Thrillist “Pack Your Bags for a Stoner’s Weekend in Weed and Wine Country”
I’ve died and am living a real live-action version of Snow White, aren’t I? I got to invite a few friends for a private tour and lunch at Sonoma Hills Farm. They use the same growing principles for c*nn*bis as the vegetables they grow for high-end chefs. For some, it was their first visit to a c*nn*b*s farm!
Mochi the donkey likes w**d. This is Tony Bourdain, a Highland cow.
XOXO, Christina W.