After a few busy weeks, we really needed a relaxing escape. We headed up North for a digital detox at the The Inn At Newport Ranch outside Fort Bragg, near Mendocino. After two days of adventure, relaxation, good food and some of the best views of the Mendocino coast, we felt refreshed and ready to tackle a new week of chaos.
If you follow Whimsy Soul on Instagram, you know that we travel. A lot. While we love sharing all sorts of hotels and destinations for you, we have our secret list of hotels that are our tops favorites, the ones we would go back again and again and again to. It’s not very long, currently only has 4 hotels on it. The Inn At Newport Ranch is one of those 4. I’m just trying to express how much we loved this place.
It hit me on day two, when I was curled up in a chair on the porch during golden hour with Boo, the ranch cat, a drink and a book – I felt so comfortable. Usually, when we travel, there’s that uncomfortableness of not being home, of craving your own bed and your own things. But I felt right at home here. For maybe the first time ever while traveling, I didn’t leave the trip feeling tired. The staff is so welcoming here, and the hotel itself is designed so well that we instantly felt at home.
Robin and I loved taking morning walks with coffee and afternoon walks before happy hour. Did I mention that each night there’s a free happy hour at the ranch? Breakfast is also included, and boy, I can’t rave enough about the food at the ranch. Their chef is probably the best on the Mendocino coast. We had dinner at the ranch one night as well, and our socks were blown off. Coconut soup, homemade beet ravioli, duck bolognese, tres leches cake and wine. We happened to be the only ones at the ranch that night, so we basically had a private dinner. You won’t be able to replicate that experience or food anywhere else in the Fort Bragg area, that’s for sure.
Probably my favorite part of the stay was our morning ATV ride. Robin and I jumped into the back of an ATV with Marnie, one of the lovely staff members, and she took us all over the 2000+ acre property. From along coast (where we shot amazing drone footage, check the video out below), through the cattle fields, under towering Redwoods and up to the peak of the tallest point on the property for a sweeping view of the coast. We lucked out with sunny, warm weather which made it all the more magical. It was a good tone to set the rest of the day, in which we grabbed lunch at Django’s and then headed back to the ranch to sip on local beer by the water on one of their many outdoor benches spotting the coast.
At night, we opened up the outdoor hot tub for a dip under the stars. The clear skies held out for the night and we were able to see Orion and the Big Dipper. Seriously, this place makes you feel like you’re at home and you’ll never want to leave. We already can’t wait to find a time to come back up and visit!
