I would never pass up a chance to go to Boonville! Highway 28 is my choice!

Why Boonville? Look it up to learn. It's quite a place!

Time wise they are both the same. I usually recommend taking one route each way. 128 has wine country along the way as well as redwoods. Route 20 is windier, but shorter and you go through Willits (a cute small town) and Hopland (more wine country). Route 20 is through the redwoods as well and is beautiful.

Why choose? Enjoy both!

Unfortunately, we will only be going one way - to Mendocino from Napa, and then south from Mendocino down Route 1 to Carmel, so we will have to choose either 128 or 20!

Altho' the extreme weather (rains, flooding, slides, trees down over roads) we're having now should have abated by early April, be sure to check road conditions prior to setting out on either route. I have to disagree with Discover re: Hwy. 20 being more curvy, as it's the only route where I DON'T experience motion sickness. I do think that going thru the Anderson Valley on Hwy. 128 is the more scenic of the 2 routes. A third choice that we often take back into Sonoma Co. from Mendo is Hwy. 1. If weather or poor road conditions aren't an issue, the ocean scenery is fabulous and there will be plenty of places to stop along the way. Of course, if you'll be heading back to Cloverdale, which is at the far northern end of Sonoma Co., then the 2 routes you're considering would be the best.

We make this drive frequently and much prefer 128.

We feel that it is more direct. Hwy 20 takes you from Willits over to Ft. Bragg and then you head back South to Mendocino. We find 128 to be a pleasant drive - windy at the beginning and end and enjoyable thru wine country and the redwoods.

128. All the way.

Me too

Hwy 20 is more mountainous and also is twisty and windy.

I would recommend 128 to an American, but to someone accustomed to driving on the left side, choose 128, hands down. It's just twisty at either end of 101 - 1 stretch, but you get a long break in between.

If the reference about Boonville doesn't bring you to "Boontling", you haven't got far enough.

DaviesUK «Mendocino down Route 1 to Carmel»

Please visit the page of DRIVING DIRECTIONS at http://geocities.com/touringsfo/ for help from The City.

>>but to someone accustomed to driving on the left side, choose 128, hands down.<<

Is this because there is a steep drop off the side of the right hand lane on Route 20 and not on Route 128, or for some other reason?

Thanks!

No, it's because there are many more "blind" curves where you don't see oncoming cars. And many people still try to pass on them on 20. I'm just assuming that there are many more chances for you to encounter this, and possibly subconsciously react the opposite that you should. And I am remembering other threads here where there was consensus that people who are used to driving on the left shouldn't take either of these roads at night.

Then maybe because of the quality of life aspect. You'll be taking scores of curves on Hwy 1 (not typically blind, though) and if you add up the curves and the stress from the above dynamics, you'll likely be drained. Lastly, I don't find the advantages of Hwy 20 mentioned in other comments to out--- well, I just don't see any advantages. Locals want you to see Willits, but once you've seen Cloverdale... (Nothing wrong with either.)

Truth in advertising: I took 20 one night, and it seemed interminable.