Mesmerized in Mendocino

SO PERFECT, IT SHOULD BE OUTLAWED!

Imagine the perfect afternoon. Resting in a comfy chair on top of a verdant cliff overlooking the grand Pacific Ocean. A gentle breeze caresses your forehead as you clutch a glass of fine twelve-year-old Balvenie, wondering what it is you’ve done to deserve all of this. Below, an unspoiled stretch of Northern Californian coast frames a series of sharp rocks, so flawlessly aligned as if created by an AI generator. In front, just above the coastline, the view ahead is cut short by a curtain of rolling fog. Just above it, the soft afternoon sun provides precisely the right amount of warmth, making you cuddle like a cold lizard on a hot rock. Behind your back, surrounded by a grove of Californian old growth, a small and exclusive wooden inn, eight rooms in total, overlooks the estate, like a relaxed, time-worn shepherd overseeing his flock.

The setting was so perfect, in fact, I nearly forgot to mention it came complete with a two-star Michelin restaurant – vying for a third.

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Big Sir!

TO THE HIPPIE HIDEAWAY, PASS THROUGH THE US ARMY FIRST

Yep. That’s right. To get to Big Sur – the mother of all Hippie hideaways – you do need to pass through a US army base – Fort Hunter Liggett, to be exact. The big sign at the entrance says that by passing through the gate you agree to a vehicle search (and a body search) at any time and without a warrant. Scary stuff. Still, if you do brave it through, you’d find one of America’s most un-American roads, and a view so striking you’d forget the military warnings.

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