Mendocino, California

When we decided to travel down US Route 101 for a bit, I had no idea we’d wander into a tiny, beautiful, seaside village called Mendocino, California. A peaceful gem, Mendocino was my first true respite on this trip (from the painful realities I’d witnessed in the States). Mendocino’s quiet mist awakened us. The sunshine warmed us. We hiked through wild, dry grasses. We felt the ground shake when roaring waves crashed into Mendocino’s tall cliffs. Pelican colonies casually watched it all. Over and over again. We could walk everywhere in this eclectic little hamlet, this small outcropping of a town currently filled with artists, environmentalists, and forward-thinkers. And, incredibly, two eateries—the Fog Eater Cafe and the Stanford Inn—were exceptional vegan (+ gf) food experiences. I didn’t want to leave this small community and the natural beauty. Had the weather remained in perpetual late summer, I’m not sure I could have.