Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lake Mendocino
Amid rolling hills, 5 miles northeast of Ukiah, this tranquil 1822-acre artificial lake fills a
valley, once the ancestral home of the Pomo people. On the lake's north side,
Pomo Visit-
or Center
( 707-467-4200)
is modeled after a Pomo roundhouse, with exhibits on tribal
culture and the dam. The center was closed indefinitely for upgrades at the time of update,
but was still offering information via phone about camping.
Coyote Dam, 3500ft long and 160ft high, marks the lake's southwest corner; the lake's
eastern part is a 689-acre protected wildlife habitat. The
Army Corps of Engineers
(
www.spn.usace.army.mil/mendocino
; 1160 Lake Mendocino Dr; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri)
built the
dam, manages the lake and provides recreation information. Its office is inconveniently
located on the lower lake.
most with hot showers and primitive boat-in sites ($8).
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Talmage Rd; 8am-6pm)
used to be a state mental hospital. Since 1976 it has been a lush,
quiet 488-acre Chinese-Buddhist community. Don't miss the temple hall, which really
does have 10,000 Buddhas. As this is a place of worship, please be respectful of those who
use the grounds for meditating. Stay for lunch in the vegetarian Chinese
restaurant
(4951
Bodhi Way; mains $8-12;
noon-3pm;
)
.
Willits
Twenty miles north of Ukiah, Willits mixes NorCal dropouts with loggers and ranchers
(the high school has a bull-riding team). Lamp posts of the main drag are decorated with
bucking broncos and cowboys, but the heart of the place is just as boho. Though ranching,
timber and manufacturing may be its mainstays, tie-dye is de rigueur. For visitors, Willits'
greatest claim to fame is the eastern terminus of the Skunk Train. Fort Bragg is 35 miles
away on the coast; allow an hour to navigate twisty Hwy 20.
