We enjoyed a glorious Thanksgiving dinner in the tiny but exquisite north coast town of Westport hosted by our friends who are two of only 60 year-round residents.
Highway One north to Westport on the “lip of the continent” can be a little scary. At least going north you are in the inside lane hugging some of the last dirt before everything drops off into the Pacific Ocean. Coming back south you are in the outside lane sometimes with no guardrail and it’s a long way down into a very cold blue surf. We made it!
On our way home we decided to spend “Black Friday” in Fort Bragg. Far from a mad scramble to buy as much stuff as possible at the least expensive price, the day unfolded in an entirely different way. No danger of being homogenized or cookie cuttered in Fort Bragg where the only “Big Box” store is Safeway.
We are familiar with Fort Bragg and always start each visit there with a trip to the Headlands, an old school coffee house that is the perfect place to sit and decide what comes next. After fortifying ourselves with strong coffee and almond bear claws (that came all the way from the Costeaux Bakery in Healdsburg) we were ready to make our move. Just outside the coffee shop is a big public kiosk that is always plastered with layers of posted flyers. For a relatively small town there sure is a lot happening. There are announcements for what’s going on in music, art, politics and personal services. I really can’t envision such an outpouring of cultural riches appearing at any ordinary suburban outpost. Fort Bragg is different.
One flyer reads, “Report Killer Whales — we have limited information on southern resident killer whales when they are outside the Puget Sound areas. Please report your sightings- 1-866-672-2638.” We heard a story while we were in town about a pod of dolphins that were being stalked by killer whales when one dolphin jumped right out of the water and onto the back of a boat to find safety.
Live music is everywhere. “Hairball Music by DJ DLT” at the Little River Inn. “Big Sticky Mess” funky live music at Piaci Pub. Duralee Brown sings and plays at Cucina Verona. Jazz “Jam and Swing Dance” with the Mendocino Coast Jazz Society at Tall Guy Brewery; also at Tall Guy on alternate nights is Open Mike and Karaoke. Nina Gerber is doing a fundraiser at Newport Ranch. Fort Bragg Community Concert Series running May through December. By the way, a great way to find out what is happening musically is always available online through the “Set List” at the Mendocino Voice news website.
The visual arts are also well represented. You can find Holiday Crafts and Food at the North Coast Artists Gallery. “Makers and Bakers” will be at the Caspar Community Center. The First Annual Fosse Dance Show “Unity” will be playing soon at Cotton Auditorium.
You can gain knowledge by taking a “Mushroom Education” class at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Learn about the forest by riding an ATV through the woods with the Redwood Forrest Foundation. Learn disaster preparedness at Meadow Farm. Take Yoga with Deborah. Sign-up for an “Elderberry Workshop for Winter Wellness” with Evolution Wellness. Personal Services on offer include Home Health Care Personal Assistants, “Window Wizard” window cleaning, or a dip into astrology, dream work and psychic readings with “Kama Loka” — home visits and remote readings available. Heart breaking is the flyer from “Men’s Victory Home: It’s not too late, call for help, 707-541-0978.”
On the political end a faux recruitment poster for I.C.E. declares: “Cowards, Losers! Thugs! Separate Families!, Beat Up Seniors!- No Credit? No Morals? We Want You!” There is an invitation illustrated by a picture of a crown with an “X” over it (no kings) to “Join the Fort Bragg Solidarity Crawl this holiday season to support local businesses that have pledged to make Fort Bragg safe for immigrants. Look for signs like this to see who took the pledge.”
On a lighter note we always like meandering on the two main downtown business streets. We love looking into the shop windows. Brick and mortar retail has been hit hard by online competition. This leaves downtown areas with lots of vacancies. This is sad in many ways. But one of the positive outcomes is the proliferation of small quirky shops able to find low rents in a downscale market. These people put a lot of really interesting things in their windows. There is much here to ponder. A Barbie Doll with a small Chinese vase stuck on her neck where her head used to be shares space with a wild haired mannequin wearing a lobster hat. At the tattoo parlor a porcelain statue of two fetching young women, one applying a tattoo the other receiving it, look cheerfully out at passersby. Beautiful murals adorn many outdoor walls, some fresh and bright and others softening into pastel shades from years in salt laden air.
Fort Bragg has not one but two used bookstores and both have good sections on local history. The people behind the counters are knowledgeable and they actually love books. Any request is seriously considered and usually you will be personally escorted to the section of the store where your requested book or subject might be found. I have developed a special interest in the Noyo fisheries. There are a surprising number of more or less self-published books written by local fisher people and their relatives. It turns out these are hot items in high demand. When I find a new one to add to my collection I am very glad. On Black Friday I found “Trolling on the Edge: the Story of a Noyo Fisherman” by Jeanne Duncan. This book is full of very specific descriptions of what happens on a fishing boat — a real find.
When we start to run out of steam we head for Laurel’s Café near the Skunk Train station on Laurel Street where we down bowls of homemade clam chowder and indulge our sweet tooth with fresh lemon meringue or banana cream pie. Sometimes we leave downtown behind for a while and go down to Noyo Harbor for sweet Lobster Bisque at Princess Seafood.
Fortified, we climb back up out of the harbor. A quick stop at “Little Cup” on Redwood Street is always rewarding. The owner is constantly changing her space, which is filled with old toys, ephemera, hand printing presses and clay. Right next-door is the Larry Spring Museum, which defies description. Let’s just say that if you are a curious person you have to put a visit to this uncanny museum on your bucket list. Larry was clearly a very curious person and one who never stopped exploring this crazy world we live in. I like the bumper sticker we got there, “You may think that life on this planet is expensive but it includes one free trip around the sun every year.”
Before leaving we have to have a beer at Tall Man Brewing, a new kid on the block for downtown Fort Bragg, but a huge presence in keeping things in town vital. Often there is live music. But even when there isn’t it is a pleasure to sit and watch the world go by through his plate glass windows. Owner, Patrick Broderick (a “tall man” at six feet eight inches) is often on hand to pour your beer. Families may be seen playing board games together while huddles of football watching men sit at the long tables. Everyone is welcome just like an authentic British pub.
So if you’re taking a trip to the coast make sure that Fort Bragg is one of the places you hit. There is always something to see, drink, eat, hear, enjoy or think about there. Also if you’re from a warmer clime the temperature there is never too far from 70 degrees in one direction or the other. On a scorching inland day the people in Fort Bragg are enjoying a cool breeze that is not just nice, but a refreshing break.
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