CANNA-CURIOUS
Whether seeking to reconnect, ramp up wellness, boost creativity or chill in an ancient grove of redwoods, cannabis-related tourism is on the uptick. Like the wine enthusiast hooked on VIP vineyard tours, estate tastings, wine education and food and beverage pairings, cannabis lovers want experiences that are equally alluring, especially when paired with luxury offerings that differentiate a destination. If this is your next adventure, Mendocino is calling.
HOSPITALITY/FOOD & BEVERAGE
From a cannabis-forward stay at the sleek Madrones paired with a micro-dosed seven-course meal at the Brambles, to a private 20-acre camp tucked deep in the ancient redwoods, Mendocino has a diverse line-up of options for canna-curious travelers. You can slip into the stars via a private deck and spa at the MacCallum House, set in the village of Mendocino. Here the “Everything But the Bud” package includes all the accoutrements for imbibing – along with delivery service – and the freedom to enjoy in an elevated hot tub. In Hopland, The Thatcher Hotel steps up with a contemporary minimalist décor and plenty of cannabis opportunities. Next door, you can pop into the MendoCann dispensary for a selection of top-grade locally-grown green, including the popular Super Loud Farms Watermelon Mimosa then pack it back for a smoke in the Thatcher’s alfresco lounge, paired with classic craft Penicillin cocktail and wash the day away.
Tucked in Philo, surrounded by vineyards and towering redwoods, the Madrones and Brambles hit the sweet spot when it comes to a canna-cation with a culinary slant. The new Cannabis Tasting & Tour Weekends include a private tour of the legacy five-acre Sugar Hill farm, lodging and a cannabis-forward repast curated by San Francisco chef Bronson Macomber of Plato Verde Social Club. www.themadrones.com, www.maccallumhouse.com, www.thatcherhotel.com
If wide, open spaces are a must-have, pack the posse to Yokayo Ranch, set on 40 gracious acres outside of Ukiah. Here a cannabis-forward private retreat awaits, with the slogan “leave all judgments at the door – unwind, reset and reconnect.” Three types of lodgings – a 1950s Main House, Bunk House and Pool Cabanas – make for a comfortable stay for 29 friends and family. Ideal if you love the great outdoors, the property includes the working Yokayo Roots Farm, a salt water pool, hot tub, firepit and kitchen, and plenty of room to smoke and saunter. www.yokayoranch.com
If you’re seeking a full out rendezvous with Mother Nature head north to Willits and command the 20-acre Emerald Triangle’s Cannabis Friendly Tent Camping site, complete with a pond and leveled tent site via Hipcamp. Ideal for an extended family reconnect or “hiking-while-high” forest bathing enthusiasts, the 160-acre property is owned by legacy cannabis homesteaders and stewards of the land. For a firsthand experience with local cannabis farmers. You can also pop over to the Sunday farmer’s market in Laytonville for top-shelf bud. www.hipcamp.com
For a vintage vibe backed with farm animals, your top choice is Little River’s The Andiron Seaside Inn & Cabins, offering a retro-chic hideaway on the edge of the sea. The cannabis-friendly compound is stocked with resident goats, chickens and 11 classic cabins set on five acres of meadows and rambling woods. Built in 1959, guest cottages are appointed with a unique interior focused on vintage, salvaged, rehabbed and recycled. From old Viewmasters to 1950s fabrics, it’s a trip back in time. Here, you can enjoy a smoke-friendly setting including the alfresco bar in the woods. www.theandiron.com
EXPERIENCES
How else can you toke and travel in Mendocino County? How about a “Puff & Paint” session or getting “baked fresh daily” at Fort Bragg’s The Bakery Dispensary, featuring artisanal cannabis products presented in bakery-style display cases. In Ukiah, you can tap into the Plantshop for a stash of local sun-grown herb or a medicated yoga session every week for selfcare Saturday. On site, a spacious half-acre Consumption Lounge provides a safe and communal environment for imbibing. If the urge suits, slip into the Puff & Paint sessions every Wednesday at 4:20 PM. Nearby, the Compassionate Heart – original home of the $5 pre-roll – offers a standout selection of local green, along with a playful outdoor smoke lounge. For a collective high, check out Kure Wellness, with three outposts, offering a hip, shaded smoke lounge and locally sourced product.
Farther north, Willits is home to the Cannabis Culture Museum, offering 50+ years of insight and ephemera on the ancient use of marijuana as medicine, hemp culture, cannabis counter culture and more (by appointment). For a few more offbeat treks you can visit Loot and Lore, set in a whimsical historic Mendocino water tower, which offers tarot and astrology readings, enchanted crystals, candles and classes in Holographic Sound Meditation. Spark Smoke Shop, located in in the village of Mendocino, offers a stunning assortment of handcrafted glass blown water pipes, bubblers, jewelry, and art.
If you’re on the wellness trek, Mendocino offers plenty of options like DIY forest- and vineyard- bathing, specialized CBD massage at Sweetwater Spa in Mendocino, followed by a soak in one of the classic wooden tubs or a trek to Fort Bragg’s Dragonfly Wellness — a pioneer in cannabis education and holistic herbal remedies. Here, you can tap into product guidance, massage and classwork involving art and yoga. Located in the most southern tip of Mendocino County, Gualala’s High Tides offers up full service “compassionate cannabis care” with a focus on all things Emerald Triangle.
Other key regional romps include a visit to the Bohemian Chemist in wine-centric Anderson Valley. This is the luxury stop with a bespoke line-up of notions and potions set in a vintage Art Deco apothocary. Focused on sun-grown cannabis, edibles and tinctures – with a well-appointed Oak Terrace consumption lounge and two adjacent wine tasting venues – stock pile Bohemian Chemist’s signature house products, as well as other small craft brands like Professor Snooks. www.thebohemianchemist.com
GREEN LIGHT
What Napa was to wine, Mendocino is to California cannabis. Two new tours take you behind the emerald curtain for an inside look into the legacy cultivation and offer a solid schooling on what makes this region’s green so spectacular. Start the day just north of Sonoma County in Hopland, where Northern California Cannabis Tour’s Mendocino Experience kicks off with a four+ hour guided tour. Tours start with a dispensary warm up, before heading deep into the Redwood Valley for a personal tour of a fully-operating sun-grown cannabis farm and heirloom cultivation nursery. Meet the master grower and enjoy an afternoon of bud-tasting by the koi ponds while wandering among the crops for the ultimate Instagram post. The day wraps with an optional visit to a alfresco cannabis lounge, private wine tasting or deep dive into the ancient redwood groves Mendocino is renowned for. Note: this is a guided self-drive tour; designated driver recommended. www.mendocinoexperience.com; $420.00/2 people.
From Mendocino’s interior to the sharp contrast of Anderson Valley, a wine region sporting top-shelf Pinot Noir, sparkling and dry Alsatian-style wines, Emerald Farm Tours offers a different slice of nirvana. Tuck in for the Mendocino County Cannabis Trail, starting with a luxury Mercedes Sprinter bus arriving deep in the Mendocino redwoods for a hillside “weed walk” with a host grower, followed by a box lunch in the forest. Next, visit a cannabis manufacturer followed by an intimate wine tasting flight at Bee Hunter Wines. The full day (6+ hour) tour concludes with a 4:20 PM “Smoke Sesh” before departing back to San Francisco Bay Area. Gift bag, coffee, and munchies included. www.emeraldfarmtours.com; $695.00/per person.
