The 420 on Cannabis tours in mellow Mendocino
Tiptoe through grass, wildflowers and stop for hops and buds as you tour of Mendocino’s fertile cannabis farms. It time for some sensory summer fun.
Let's face it many pandemic isolated folks have been smoking the stuff so now it's a good time to see where some of it is grown.
Long known as an outpost for rugged individualism, edge-pushing vintners and off-grid farmers, this stretch of turf just two hours north of San Francisco is the ideal place to reboot your travels.
There lots of room to roam (2.4 million acres to be exact), 24 state and national parks, new cannabis tours and beer trek on tap, the time for an urban escape is now.
What the Napa Valley is to wine, Mendocino is to California cannabis. Long a clandestine culture, today the region’s robust operations offer a modern, regulated slant saluting the long-time farmers who cultivated a brand based on hard work and creativity. And according to a recent article in the LA Times, cannabis is a multi-billion dollar business in California now.
Trip out and smell the grass
Largely due to the region’s unique terroir – blending soil, sun, topography and weather – Mendocino’s cannabis and CBD products are a world-wide medicinal and recreational product. Coupled with Trinity and Humboldt counties, this Northern California outpost represents the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. Start the day just north of Marin County in Hopland, where Northern California Cannabis Tour’s Mendocino Experience kicks off with a four+ hour guided tour.
Doobie dos
It kicks off at MendoCann dispensary. Then you go deep into the Redwood Valley for a personal tour of an impressive licensed and fully-operating sun-grown cannabis farm and heirloom cultivation nursery.
There you will meet the master grower and enjoy an afternoon of bud-tasting by the koi ponds. The day wraps with an optional visit to an alfresco cannabis lounge, private wine tasting or deep dive into the ancient redwood groves. The tour costs $420 for two people. Go to www.mendocinoexperience.com for more information.
Wine and Alice B. Toklas-type snacks
The Anderson Valley sports top-shelf Pinot Noir, sparkling and dry Alsatian-style wines, Emerald Farm Tours offer a different slice of nirvana. Tuck behind the green curtain for a day of exploration on the “Mendocino County Cannabis Trail.”
This sojourn begins on a luxury Mercedes Sprinter bus from Marin County that dives deep in the Mendocino redwoods for a hillside “weed walk” with a host grower. Following a box lunch in the forest you go to a cannabis edibles manufacturer in Philo. Then there’s an intimate wine tasting flight at Bee Hunter Wines.
The tour lasts around six hours and ends with a “Smoke Sesh” before departing back to the Bay Area. Gift bag, coffee, and munchies included for $420 a person. Go to www.emeraldfarmtours.com; $420.00/per person.
Chemist, apothecary, spa
Other key stops include the Bohemian Chemist, in Philo, a vintage Art Deco apothecary and spa offering a bespoke line up of notions and potions. You can get a facial here if you desire.
Hops stops
Anderson Valley Brewing Company, all signs point to Mendocino. Kick off a visit via scenic Highway 101 in the gateway town of Hopland. Lending to the town’s original mission, growing and drying hops for beer, this hamlet of 920 is home to Hopland Tap, where California’s first brewpub opened following prohibition.
Northern exposure hits a high note 13 miles north in Ukiah, home to the nation’s first organic brewery -- Ukiah Brewing Company.
Brewmaster Scott Jones crafts a lively list of ales and lager with a seasonal slant. Pull up for 12+ brews on tap, including the potent Boch – Doppleboch Emancipator, wheaty Willits Wit or Orr Springs IPA. The The restaurant offers a solid menu with a variety of venison, bison and boar burgers. There is also a tasty charcuterie and a three pigs pizza. Organic, vegan dishes and a full bar round out the romp.
For much more information about magical Mendocino go to www.visitmendocino.com.
