It is the Cinderella of California, the less-recognized sister to the state's more glamorous starlets. Except in Mendocino County, the slipper is always in place and the clock never strikes midnight. For Mendocino is perpetually beautiful. And no matter where one is – be it on the coast, driving through the redwoods or at a winery or brewpub – it's a ball all the time.

According to Ron LaValley, expert birder and talented photographer, most of the shorebirds have passed through by now, but you can still see and hear guillemots singing and courting in the mornings. Ron says he thinks some of them are on eggs in their burrows.

Redwood Trail in Fern Canyon, Van Damme State Park

Fort Bragg, California is your destination to see explore redwoods. If you’re looking for Northern California Redwoods, you’ll find more ways to experience them in Fort Bragg, California and Mendocino County than anyplace else on earth.

Fresh, organic ingredients and fertile vineyards make Mendocino County an enchanting holiday escape for food and wine lovers. Known for its dramatic scenery, this North California enclave runs the gamut from farmlands, rocky ocean cliffs and ancient giant redwood forests to winding roads, friendly, oh-so-charming local towns and, of course, the vineyards that add flavor to any visit.

Before I begin to tell you about the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, I have an important message for all of my canine friends:   “YOU ARE NOT GOIN’ TO BELIEVE THIS PLACE!!!!   

Tomorrow, May 7,  is National Public Gardens Day and there is no place better to be than Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the only public gardens in the U.S. with coastal access. Best of all its free. Additionally, the Gardens will honor two very special people and one extraordinary organization who have given so much to support Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.

The Mendocino Coast Audubon pelagic trip from Fort Bragg on Sun, 16 May, still has some spaces available.  This 7+ hour trip is for both beginners and seasoned birders.  Not only do they look for seabirds (and now and again a rare individual is seen), but its a good chance to see marine mammals including a whale or two.

 Yorkville Cellars’ tasting room and estate vineyards are located on highway 128 at mile marker 40.4, in the tiny village of Yorkville, about halfway between Cloverdale and Boonville, in beautiful Mendocino County, California.