MENDOCINO: WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE? SCENIC SEASIDE TOWN IS A NO-PRESSURE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN SIMPLY RELAX.

Byline: STEVE DULAS Staff Writer

MENDOCINO -- Unless you look closely, little seems to change in this idyllic seaside hamlet 150 miles north of San Francisco.

Mendocino is trapped in time, and seems so familiar -- whether it's your first visit to its headlands or you're strolling for the umpteenth time through the galleries, craft shops and gourmet dining establishments of Main Street.

It may very well be familiar. The two-lane road from the shops to the headlands is the same lonesome lane that Hermie walked to reach Dorothy's beach cottage in ``Summer of '42'' (1971). And Alan Arkin's crew of Soviet submariners helped townspeople scale a church tower here to rescue a stranded boy in ``The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming'' (1966).

The quiet surroundings, the scenery that is alternately bucolic and breathtaking, the charm of the little village, and the abundance of lodging -- from campsites to cozy bed-and-breakfast inns -- combine to make this a popular destination for city-weary travelers.

What's not to like about strolling, shopping and eating in the midst of such natural beauty?

Mendocino began to flourish and evolve as a tourist getaway in the late 1970s, as artists settled in the area and opened galleries and shops. Later, foodies opened acclaimed restaurants -- most notably Cafe Beaujolais.

Many visitors come just for the flowers.

Thanks to the cool oceanside climate, downtown Mendocino is an explosion of color, from the stark white of beds of daisies to brilliant shades of orange, red, purple, yellow and blue flora nearly everywhere you turn.

``We have flowers pretty much from April through November,'' said one shop owner.

The yard of resident Alan Sussex, between Main and Albion streets, is a technicolor riot of flowers, flea-market knick knacks (including a totem pole) and a few cats. The house was originally a gas station.

Access to the yard is limited to Sussex, his invited guests and any cat that happens to stroll in. (Sussex said he makes a weekly trip to Costco in Santa Rosa for $75 worth of cat food to keep the strays well-fed.)

Even though the shops in the village are mostly confined to Main Street, which fronts the bay, and Albion Street behind it, it can take you the better part of a day to poke around Mendocino's myriad offerings.

Some 18 galleries showcase painting, photography, jewelry and glasswork. Jewelry stores, such as Celtic Creations and Old Gold, feature work done by local artisans.

And the shops offer an eclectic mix. There are beads, incense and hippie-era ambience at Rubiyat. Quilts, jewelry, linens -- and the fragrance of exotic soaps -- can be found at a boutique called Sally Mac, where family photos adorn the shelves. And don't miss the brightly glimmering treasures at the Color and Light Stained Glass shop.

After browsing, step into Moody's Internet Cafe, get an espresso or an Italian soda ... and e-mail your photos of the flowers to vacation-starved friends.

Cuisine is another Mendocino art from; there may be more upscale dining establishments here per square foot than in most cities.

At the top of the list are Cafe Beaujolais, the Mendocino Hotel and Cafe Moose. Also prominent are Cafe Mendocino and the Hill House Restaurant. The Bay View Cafe, meanwhile, has a second-story glassed-in deck that overlooks the bay.

Even lunch can be delightful. We opted for elegant simplicity at Fete Tote, a deli-style cafe, and enjoyed a wedge of chicken and mango quesadilla, a small chicken fajita wrap and a couple of pints of fresh Mediterranean broccoli salad.

For dinner, we passed on the Hill House. It was hosting its monthly dinner and murder mystery party, and watching the sunset from the Mendocino headlands took precedence over its 8 p.m. program.

So we ate under a portable heater on the deck of Cafe Mendocino, with its ground-level view of the bay. Amid the bustle on the deck, the house cat meandered from table to table, stopping long enough at each to accept scratches behind the ears.

We enjoyed pasta funghi, free-range chicken with roasted vegetables in a rosemary sauce and rich chocolate cake.

Restaurants in Mendocino announce with pride that their menus feature locally grown produce, locally produced meat and locally harvested seafood.

For more of the same, stop by Mendocino's farmers market, held from noon to 2 p.m. Fridays through October. (Fort Bragg convenes its market over the same hours on Wednesdays.)

After dinner, we hurried to the headlands to claim a spot to watch the sunset. It's a popular pastime here. When we arrived, nearly three dozen cars, all pointing west, were in three dirt parking lots.

Some visitors, cameras in hand, scurried forward to capture the scene as the sky changed from blue to pink to brilliant red and orange.

As the darkness slowly grew, the first flashes of light from the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, about three miles to the north, were visible.

The headlands are especially alluring in early spring. This is a prime whale-watching spot, as the gentle giants of the ocean make their annual migration from the Pacific to Alaskan waters.

To celebrate the parade of the mighty mammals, the annual Mendocino Coast Whale Festival is held over two weekends in March -- one celebration each in Mendocino and Fort Bragg.

The seven-mile drive from Mendocino to Fort Bragg can take an hour, if you choose. It requires restraint not to pull over at every wide spot in the road to admire the majesty of the crashing waves on the rocky coast and wonder how to get down the bluff to the isolated strip of beach below.

If you're looking for a big, sandy beach to pitch an umbrella, the Mendocino Coast might not be the place for you.

Three of the best beaches in the area for strolling or getting to the water are Van Damme State Beach, a couple of miles south of Mendocino, and Glass Beach and Big River in Fort Bragg.

Van Damme State Beach, right across Highway 1 from Van Damme State Park, is a favorite spot for kayakers and divers. For $50, Lost Coast Kayaking conducts two-hour guided kayak tours into sea caves near the beach.

Fort Bragg-Mendocino Chamber of Commerce: www.mendocinocoast.com; [phone].

MENDOCINO COUNTY EVENTS

WINESONG!: Saturday in Fort Bragg. Wine tasting and charity auction. www.winesong.org; [phone].

PORTUGUESE FESTA: Sept. 16-17 in Fort Bragg. Music, food, parade. www.mendocino.com.

SKUNK TRAIN CELEBRATION: Sept. 22-27 in Fort Bragg. Special routes on steam trains. www.skunktrain.com; [phone].

MAPA Abalone Festival: Oct. 7 in Caspar. Many activities, including an abalone cookoff. www.gomendo.com; [phone].

MENDOCINO WHALE FESTIVAL: March 3-4 at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. Wine tasting, chowder tasting, whale-watching walks and activities at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. www.mendocinocoast.com; [phone].

FORT BRAGG WHALE FESTIVAL: March 17-18. Wine tasting, chowder tasting, a microbrew celebration at Eagles Hall and guided whale-watching walks at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and MacKerricher State Park. www.mendocinocoast.com; [phone].

CAPTION(S):

7 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- 2 - color) Quaint Main Street in Mendocino, above, has been featured in a number of movies. The town is known for its profusion of wildflowers, below, and its outstanding seaside scenery.

(3) ``Summer of '42''

(4 -- 5) Top: Gift shops, art galleries, craft shops and dining spots await strollers on the partly covered sidewalk of Main Street. Above: Van Damme State Beach, south of Mendocino on Highway 1, is popular with kayakers and divers.

(6) Watching a red and gold sunset from the Mendocino headlands is a popular pastime.

(7) The Skunk Train runs daily between Fort Bragg and Willits.

Steve Dulas/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) MENDOCINO COUNTY EVENTS (see text)

(2) Look familiar?