If you are going to spend two or three days you might think about renting a two-bedroom house at Sea Ranch. This is across the Gualala River from the town of Gualala, on the border of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. You can get oceanfront, oceanview, oceanmeadow, hillside, or forest properties.

Most of them have a fireplace and hot tub. There are many trails around the property, both on the bluffs and in the forests.

While they all have kitchens, of course, there are good restaurants in Gualala. For a romantic dinner we like St. Orres, which is just north of town.

We usually rent from this agency, but there are several you can find by googling...

<<http://www.searanchrentals.com/>>

These are unique.

Oh, weather....

Well winter is rainy season in California. It won't be as cold as Chicago, of course, and it could be raining. But, we never know. We live on the coast and my husband has been known to be able to play tennis without a shirt on New Year's Day.

Anyway, with a view and a fireplace, Sea Ranch would be very romantic in the rain ;~)

There are many great places to stay and January is a beautiful time of year. Either it is sunny and beautiful or there is a storm. Either way, it is a great way to experience the Coast.

You could do a vacation rental, but if you want to be spoiled a bit, there are many places from Gualala to Fort Bragg you could stay. A few to check out are:

Elk Cove Inn in Elk

Coast Guard House in Pt. Arena

North Coast Country Inn in Gualala

Auberge Mendocino in Little River

Fensalden Inn in Albion

Stanford Inn in Mendocino (a bit larger than a B&B)

Alegria Inn or Joshua Grindle in Mendocino

Atrium in Fort Bragg

All of these have a scrumptuous breakfast and are bigger than just a couple of rooms. There are not too many impersonal hotels in this area, so you really can't go wrong.

Have a great trip!

Well, we're now looking at Joshua Grindle Inn or perhaps Brewery Gulch? any suggestion?

Will the Inn proprietors be able to suggest hiking trails? what about whale watching? and a massage would be great...

and perhaps a hot tub?

Hello. Both places are great! Brewery Gulch is about 2/3 mile south of the village of Mendocino while Joshua Grindle is right in the village. Brewery Gulch is more of an inn, while Joshua Grindle is a classic Bed & Breakfast. It is all personal preference...

Hope this helps.

Hi there. My fiance and I just stayed at The Fensalden Inn, and it was lovely. The owner know the area very well, and can tell you anything you may want or need to know. They, and their Inn, are simply charming, and the breakfasts are quite good. Have fun...