Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Westport Hotel & Old Abalone Pub
INN
( 877-964-3688;
www.westporthotel.us
; Hwy 1; r $150-225; )
Westport Hotel & Old Abalone Pub is quiet enough to have a motto which brags 'You've
finally found nowhere.' The rooms are bright and beautiful - feather duvets, hardwood
furniture, simple patterns - and enjoy excellent views. The classy historic
pub
downstairs
is the only option for dinner, so be thankful it's a delicious sampling of whimsical Califor-
nia fusions (like turduken sausage and buttermilk potatoes and rock shrimp mac and
cheese) and hearty, expertly presented pub food.
Howard Creek Ranch
RANCH
( 707-964-6725;
www.howardcreekranch.com
; 40501 N Hwy 1; r $90-198, cabins $105-198; )
Howard Creek Ranch, sitting on 60 stunning acres of forest and farmland abutting the wil-
derness, has accommodations in an 1880s farmhouse or a few cabins including a carriage
barn, whose way-cool redwood rooms have been expertly handcrafted by the owner. Rates
include full breakfast. Bring hiking boots, not high heels.
ALONG HIGHWAY 101
To get into the most remote and wild parts of the North Coast on the quick, eschew wind-
ing Hwy 1 for inland Hwy 101, which runs north from San Francisco as a freeway, then as
a two- or four-lane highway north of Sonoma County, occasionally pausing under the
traffic lights of small towns.
Know that escaping the Bay Area at rush hour (weekdays between 4pm and 7pm) ain't
easy. You might sit bumper-to-bumper through Santa Rosa or Willits, where trucks bound
for the coast turn onto Hwy 20.
Although Hwy 101 may not look as enticing as the coastal route, it's faster and less
winding, leaving you time along the way to detour into Sonoma and Mendocino counties'
wine regions (Mendocino claims to be the greenest wine region in the country), explore
pastoral Anderson Valley, splash about Clear Lake or soak at hot-springs resorts outside
Ukiah - time well spent indeed!
