Directions & Check-in

No matter where you are coming from, though the drive time to the Rendezvous can be lengthy, the directions for getting here are quite simple.

From the Bay Area and the 101 corridor:

Drive time from San Francisco is about 3½ hours.

Take Hwy 101 north to Cloverdale. Take the exit for "Hwy 128 West--Fort Bragg/Mendocino." At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn left, go up the hill, and bear right onto 128. This will eventually take you to Hwy 1 north (128 will end and you'll be on 1 north). The first traffic light you'll come to will be in Mendocino. The next one, about ten miles later, will be at the intersection of Hwy 20 in Fort Bragg. From this light, keep heading north and go two miles. You'll cross the Skunk Train railroad tracks, and then see the Rendezvous roughly a block later on the left (west, ocean) side of Main Street. The logo above is a photograph of our sign out front.

For a taste of Mendocino back country, the Rendezvous webster recommends the county road from Ukiah to Mendocino, Orr Springs Road, detailed below.

You can also take Hwy 101 north to Willits, where you pick up Hwy 20 west (see below). Some people prefer this route because you stay on 101 longer. From Cloverdale, it's 77 miles to Fort Bragg. From Willits, it's 33 miles. However, on average, the drive time is 20-30 minutes longer by continuing on to Willits because Hwy 128 cuts a diagonal up to the coast. Also, Hwy 128 is more scenic.

From the Sacramento Area:

Drive time from Sacramento is a bit over 4 hours.

Take I-5 north to Williams. From Williams take Hwy 20 west. Approaching Ukiah, watch for an "exit" on the right which will take you onto 101 north/20 west. At the north end of Willits, you have to make a left turn to stay on 20 west. Hwy 20 will end at Hwy 1. Make a right, heading north. Go two miles. You'll cross the Skunk Train railroad tracks, and then see the Rendezvous roughly a block later on the left (west, ocean) side of Main Street. The logo above is a photograph of our sign out front.

The Rendezvous webster chimes in with this: For a real adventure (without leaving paved roads) try Orr Springs Road from Ukiah, a windy, old-timey road that passes through one of California's least-visited Redwood treasures, Montgomery Woods State Reserve. When Highway 20 gets to Highway 101, proceed straight past the Willits exit and head south briefly on Highway 101 toward Ukiah. (Travellers from the Bay Area join the adventure here.) Leave Highway 101 at the north end of Ukiah, North State Street exit, and turn north on State. Drive about half a mile over an overpass, then left (west) on Orr Springs Road. Your narrow but well-paved road winds up and over the Coast Range -- look back for the views from the top -- then down a deep redwoody cleft along a glorious stream (Orr Creek), up and over another spur of the Coast Range, down to Comptche where you bear right, up again to the ridge above Big River, across the Pygmy forest, and down to emerge just south of Mendocino at Highway One. Head north (right), and in a mile you'll encounter the only traffic light between Cloverdale and Fort Bragg (Mendocino Little Lake Road). Twelve more miles, and you're here! Old-timers pick this route instead of Highway 20 because there are no RVs or lumber trucks on this back road. They claim it's quicker, and it's surely the most scenic approach to the Mendocino coast from south or east, and only adds fifteen minutes to the trip (not counting time for Ooohs and Aaahs.) You'll think it's still 1930!

From the Eureka Area:

Drive time from Eureka is about 2½ hours.

There are two ways to get here, about equal in time.

1. Take Hwy 101 south to Willits. Make a right turn on Hwy 20 west. Hwy 20 will end at Hwy 1. Make a right, heading north. Go two miles. You'll cross the Skunk Train railroad tracks, and then see the Rendezvous roughly a block later on the left (west, ocean) side of Main Street. The Rendezvous logo above is a photograph of our sign out front.
2. Take Hwy 101 south to Leggett. At Leggett, turn west (right) and follow Hwy 1 out to the coast just below Cape Vizcaino, then south to Fort Bragg. We are about a block and a half south of the first traffic light on the right (west, ocean) side of Main Street. The logo above is a photograph of our sign out front.

By Air

For those of you flying into the area from either Seattle or Los Angeles, you may be interested to know that you will soon be able to fly into Santa Rosa. Horizon Air will commence air service at the Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport (STS) on March 20, 2007 with two flights Sunday through Friday (one flight on Saturdays) to and from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and one flight daily to and from Seattle (SEA). Reservations and tickets are available by visiting www.horizonair.com or calling 1-800-547-9308.

Check-in:

The quickest and easiest way to check in is to park on the street out front and come in the front door. If you are staying upstairs in the house, this is also the shortest route to getting your bags up to your room. Then, you can leave your car parked where it is, or you can park it in our private lot in the rear, accessed by the alley behind the Rendezvous. If you are staying in the cottage, do the front door check-in, then pull around back to the parking lot to unload your bags. In any event, you will not have a key to the front door, but to the back door entrance to the guest parlor.

Check-in time is after 2 P.M. If you arrive during dinner time, when our staff is dedicated to restaurant work, we may give you a greeting letter with your room key, which will explain how to settle in.

If you are planning on arriving on a day when the restaurant is closed, we may leave your key for you if we expect to be out running errands. We will leave it in an envelope with your name on it, tacked right next to the front door. It, too, will have a letter that will let you know how to access your room.

We ask that you pay at the time of check-in. This makes check-out easier for you, as you can leave the key in your room or on the hostess stand in the downstairs hall when you are ready to leave.

Please let us know at check-in (or--better--when booking) if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies as far as breakfast is concerned. This way, we can make every effort to accommodate you. If we are not notified ahead of time, we may not be able to serve you properly at breakfast.