The WINE WRITER: George Medovoy

ALBION, On the Mendocino Coast - About 150 years ago, this is where the stagecoach stopped.

Today, the only relic of those rough-and-ready times is the original tavern room-brothel, now part of Fensalden, a cozy, eight-room bed-and-breakfast inn on the tree-lined bluffs overlooking the Mendocino coast.

One can only imagine what long-distance travel was like back then because Highway 1 didn't exist, and the only way to reach the coast was along bumpy, backcountry roads, which have since disappeared.

But the inn holds traces of those bygone days that can spur the imagination…

My own evocative voyage began in Fensalden's Great Room, around a big antique table with other guests to enjoy innkeeper Lyn Hamby's delicious gourmet breakfasts, which she spices up with wonderful tales.

The Great Room was originally located on the north end of the property, but workers moved it to the present site about 30 years ago. As she serves us her tasty Salsa and Cheese Soufflé for breakfast, Lyn -- the great-great granddaughter of the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne -- tells us to angle our heads upward, and sure enough, when we do, we see the unmistakable signs of scatter shot on the original redwood ceiling.

"There may have been a poker table under the ceiling in those days," Lyn chuckles. "Maybe somebody dropped an extra ace or something."

Like a classic Old West movie, tempers would flare - and a poker player might draw his gun and start shooting.

When the stagecoach made its run, this wasn't the only tavern in the neighborhood. In fact, no less than 15 taverns lined a five-mile stretch of road to serve the lumber industry.
These watering holes were very popular, says Lyn, because "lumbering must have been very thirsty work."

And in those early days, one of the "ladies of the night" is said to have been a strange figure named Elzabeth, who is now supposed to occupy the two-room Hawthorne Suite, named for Lyn's famous literary relative.

"The story we heard," says Lyn, "was that Elzabeth made the unforgivable mistake of falling in love with one of her clients, and when he got ready to leave, she got ready to leave.

"They got to the door and he said, 'Wait a minute, sweetheart, this was a business deal. I'm leaving - you're not.' He took off, and they say that she went up to the attic and pined away."

Today, sunlight floods into the Hawthorne Suite to illuminate Lyn's family antiques and a 22-volume-set of Hawthorne's books, copywrited in 1900 and signed by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, Nathaniel's daughter.

And legend has it that Elzabeth is not pining anymore -- but united with the ghost of Nathaniel Hawthorne. "Nathaniel was a bit of a rue in his own day," according to Lyn, "and so what we think happened was that their ghosts…got together."

But in case you're wondering, things really don't get too "ghostly."

"Now Elzabeth does things that are just playful, like taking the candlesticks," Lyn explains.

"They're just gone, and then a day or two later, boom, they're back…right where they're supposed to be. She doesn't hurt anything, she doesn't take anything away for good. She's just a happy camper now."

Accommodations at Fensalden, a Norse name meaning "land of the sea and the mist," include the main house, a water tower suite, and a bungalow. Each room comes with gas or wood burning fireplace, ocean or garden view, private bath, antiques, and a refrigerator with a complimentary bottle of wine upon arrival.

The Hawthorne Suite features a queen-size canopy bed, sitting room with wood burning fireplace, refrigerator, and an ocean view.

When the weather is stormy, you can curl up with a good book and a glass of port, or you can wander into the adjacent Sun Room and try one of the giant puzzles.

Meanwhile, Fensalden's 20-acre grounds are also home to a menagerie of resident animals: three ducks named Ebenezer, David Copperfield, and Lady Jane Gray; twin, mischievous pygmy goats named Nanette and Dominique; and Suki, a playful Golden Retriever you can go for walks with.

Hamby was a registered nurse back East, "but then they changed the rules, and when they didn't let you be a bedside nurse anymore…I left." She came to California in the late 1970's and loved "the freedom of it."

Emerging onto the coast from Highway 128, she knew she was home. "When I saw the ocean," she remembers, "I had to pull over, my eyes just filled up."

She moved many of her family antiques into Fensalden, where now she graciously shares her adopted home with her many visitors...and ghosts.

LYN HAMBY'S "SALSA AND CHEESE SOUFFLE"
Prepare individual soufflé cups as follows:
Spray soufflé dishes with pam and cover bottom with a thick salsa.
Add a large kitchen spoon of grated Jack and Cheddar cheese.
Combine 1 egg per portion, with 1/3-cup skim milk and beat.
Pour over salsa and cheese.
Bake 1 hour in 350F oven.


PLANNING YOUR TRIP:

Fensalden is located on Highway 1 at 33810 Navarro Ridge Road in the hamlet of Albion, about 10 minutes south of the Mendocino village.

Lyn hosts a late-afternoon wine-and-hors d'oeuvres hour for her guests in the Great Room, with its magnificent view of the ever-changing sea.

For reservations, call 800-959-3850 or visit www.fensalden.com. The email address is inn@fensalden.com.

For general information about travel to Mendocino County, call toll free, 866-GoMendo, or visit www.goMendo.com.

Mendocino County Wine
Mendocino County has about 16,000 acres of vineyards in three wine regions: Anderson Valley, Ukiah to Redwood and Potter Valley, Hopland, Sanel and McDowell Valleys.

The county has 37 wineries, while about 25 percent of its vineyards are certified organic - more than in any other county in the United States.

Its wine history goes back to the 1850's, when Italian immigrants planted their first vineyards. Wineries often began as family affairs, like Parducci Cellars.

One of the coolest and most picturesque grape growing regions of Mendocino County is the Anderson Valley, where the Navarro River winds its way from Philo to the ocean. Italian farmers also planted grapes in the warmer Russian River Valley around the same time as their Anderson Valley cousins.

The Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance can be reached at www.mendowine.com.

Crab Tasting
The best place to see crab boats and get fresh crab is Noyo Harbor.

The SkunkTrain
While in Ft. Bragg, don't miss a ride through the redwoods on the Skunk Train (707-964-6371, www.skunktrain.com). I took it to Northspur, where they let you off to stretch under the redwoods while they turn the train around. The vintage 1935 motorcars are a great treat for the entire family.

Botanical Gardens
The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, near Ft. Bragg, offer 47 acres of beauty and serenity by the sea (707-964-4352).

The Village of Mendocino
Mendocino, ten minutes north of Fensalden, looks a lot like a New England village and for that reason has been used in a number of films, including "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming."

I love visiting Mendocino's charming shops, like Sallie Mac on Lansing Street for gifts from Provence and Israel, and Art That Makes You Laugh on Main Street.

Theatre buffs will appreciate the Mendocino Theatre Company, whose 2003 season opens in February with Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (707-937-4477, www.1mtc.org).

The Moosse Café on Kasten Street (yes, that's the correct spelling) is an intimate setting for lunch, including yummy desserts.

A great source of information about Mendocino County is Heidi Haughy Cusick's Mendocino: The Ultimate Wine and Food Lover's Guide, with striking photos by Richard Gillette (Chronicle Books).

 

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