SF Chronicle

In January 1977, Marilyn and I were looking for someplace out of town to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I mentioned this to one of my fellow workers who happened to be familiar with Little River Inn, and gave me your address and phone number. We left Stockton the evening of Jan. 4th and arrived at Highway 128 in the dark of night. DARK is an inadequate description of that night. We drove on a road that was totally strange to us (for at least a thousand miles, we thought) and arrived safely at Highway One. As I said, we were on a strange road in the DARK and every light that we saw we thought we were at the Inn, but finally we saw the bright and friendly lights of the Inn and checked in. As promised we were assigned to none other than Room 118 (sounds familiar) With the exception of two years that due to health reasons we were unable to come. we have been to OUR INN every December to celebrate the New Year and our Anniversary (58th this time).

— Brad and Marilyn Sears

Our love of Little River Inn began Memorial Day 1987. We arrived carrying flowers in our Coolers, for the "On the Front Porch, grand Wedding", of our friends, John Bogue and then to be, Mary Ann Bogue.

Our first winding drive up the narrow tight curves toward Boonville, on through the tall Redwoods, then to Little River Inn was a strain on our old Chev. 454 Station Wagon, with wife shoving her feet through the floorboards, and 2 Carin Terriers barfing!

The beautiful Bogue wedding and banquet was attended by many friends, and the embracing support of Printha, Joan, and Little River Inn staff are a remembrance always!

Tradition set in, and for 21 years now, we have spent a beautiful Memorial Day week- end celebrating with the Bogues, friends, and, Ed’s ever-faithful Seagull on the porch rail, as white ocean waves roll toward the bluffs in the background. And yes, we really appreciate Little River Inn has ocean view rooms designated for people with pets.

As time went on, and we were further spoiled by Little River Inn staff, we began spending more and more of our Xmas’s At Little River Inn, again with Bogue’s. The smell of the decorated Xmas tree, the beauty of the dining room garden flower arrangements: it’s all consuming!

Needless to say, the food in the dining room is to die for! Hint: if you haven’t tried Cynthia’s Granola for breakfast-oh yes, the ole’berry scones, you haven’t lived!

Husbands beware! Don’t let your wife get near the jewelry case charms at the registration desk! You won’t have money to buy gas to get home! Instead, buy several pounds of the delicious Little River Inn coffee beans at the counter.

When you leave, don’t forget to take a delicious apple from the Piano Room. Jeanne buys a bag of McGown apples from their food stand on the way home, and then to her first grade class. She teaches colors red, green, yellow; then they get to eat them.

— Ed and Jeanne Walker

Oh, Little River Inn, a fond wonderful tradition in my and our lives. The tradition started in the mid-seventies. I was introduced to the "Inn" by a good friend, Ray Petersen. We have since been going to the Inn to celebrate New Year's Eve and other significant events in our lives. We, (the Petersen's and us), have only missed coming to Little River for New Year's when a major event happened in our lives, i.e.; divorce, operations, illness, and floods.

We have been going there long enough that when the Inn celebrated its 50th year in business, we were one of the many invited to celebrate the special Anniversary. The rates for food and lodging were scaled back to the late 1930's prices. What a deal for us. And what fun.

When you think of Little River Inn, many fond, very funny memories come to mind. Don't forget we are "the original table number one".

You can't talk about Little River Inn and not mention Joanie and Printha. Joanie has been our "go to" person for all these years. She is number 1. Printha always has a "what can I do for you" attitude and is just plain fun. In the history of Little River Inn these two must be recognized.

One of my favorite memories is the day in the late seventies, when Ray, our spouses and I, flew up to Little River for lunch. Ray was the pilot. We landed at the airport to find no one there to rent us the depilated station wagon. Ray called the Inn, got Duke on the phone, who in turn left the Bar and came and got us. We had a great abalone lunch. Duke took us back to the airport, again leaving the Bar, with patrons present, simply telling them, "I'll be back shortly and don't take anything". Now Duke is gone hopefully in a better place. But we sure had fun with that cantankerous little friend.

My next favorite memory was when I was able to take my wife, Lynne, to the Inn several years back, She LOVES the Inn!

Well it's been well over thirty years that I have enjoyed the Inn and we will continue to do so for hopefully a long time to come.

— Dennis Amantite

Our Tradition at Little River Inn is one of our most cherished events of every year - we start talking about "next year" as soon as we are headed home from the previous year (always insisting that we'll stay more nights next time around!)! Tersilla and I first stayed at the Little River Inn in the early to mid-nineties while we were dating. We got married in 1995 and started our annual tradition to the Inn in 1997 - always around "T's" birthday in March.

After trying various rooms, all of which we loved, of course, we ended up settling on Coombs Cottage in 2000 and have stayed there every year since (with one painful exception, when we decided to go to Santa Fe, NM, but that's another story!).

Anyhow, of course we love the room, its deck, the view, the service, the food, the Whale Watch bar, the golf (especially the Red Seal Ale on draft in the pro shop!) and everything else one would expect.... but more than any of that, we love the people and the "vibe" at the Little River Inn! The atmosphere is that of a close family hosting out-of-town friends - warm, welcoming and a tremendous amount of fun!!

Here's to continuing Our Tradition for many decades to come!! Thanks to all of you at the Inn for making it such a special part of our lives!!

— Clay and Tersilla Gregory

It all started in 1992 when Gary and I had the idea of spending a long November weekend at Little River Inn - right before Thanksgiving and before all the hussle and bussle of the holidays. We asked our close neighbors, Andie and Dennis Guanci, if they would like to join us and to our delight, they said yes!

In the last 16 years of enjoying this same weekend with the Guanci's, we have extended our stay by a day or two, never wanting to leave once we arrived. There is something magical about Little River Inn. Some of us play golf, some take long walks at Van Damme State Park or enjoy time at the wonderful spa but we always make time to sit at the bar catching up on the local news with Susan and enjoying breakfast with Cynthia who always has a funny story to tell! We have become friends with Printha and Steve who have guided us into Mendocino and Ft. Bragg for musicals and plays. Everyone at Little River Inn makes us feel like part of their family.

Through the years, Gary and I travel to Little River Inn as often as we can get away, making Little River Inn our destination of choice!

— Nancy and Gary Coelho

We started a holiday tradition when our son was young to go away for Thanksgiving, rather than having to pick and choose between extended family invitations. That way we would not seem to favor one family over the other, and we could start a new tradition and enjoy a vacation at the same time. We have been staying at Little River Inn every Thanksgiving now for over twelve years. We have been eating our holiday meal there for almost twenty!

It all started when we stayed at another inn up in the Mendocino area.

There were only a few choices for the Thanksgiving meal back then and we were lucky to have been booked for dinner at Little River Inn. The meal was memorable, the setting lovely, and the warmth of the staff very apparent from that first visit. The view of the sunset from the inn porch was spectacular!

We realized that the inn was very lovely and extremely well priced for the amenities( we coveted the tennis courts, as our son played USTA junior tennis.) We inquired into possibly staying there the next year, but the inn was booked solid for the next year's holiday season. This was true for several seasons- but I just kept trying and -finally!- we had a room. Over the years we have stayed in different kinds of rooms- the original building's front attic room, the modern inn room, a luxury suite and the very lovely rose garden cottage room. All are lovely and priced right for their amenities. Besides using the tennis courts, my son has graduated to golfing (badly) on the inn's nine hole course, and practicing putting and driving at the inn driving range. We have also hiked the path from the inn through the Van Damm park to the Pygmy forest and back many times. We used to always double back to the Philo area to taste wines on Friday, and Saturday night we would go up to Fort Bragg to see the latest Star Trek movie. Now Fridays are always spent on the golf course- I get to drive the golf cart!

Even though our son is grown up and on his own, we all still look forward to our time together at the Little River Inn. My son still gets excited when he thinks about Thanksgiving dinner, especially. We can't wait for him to start his own family so that we can see our own grandchildren playing tennis and having fun at the Little River Inn!

— Kenji and Nancy Togami

1983… the year of Michael Jackson’s "Thriller"… the last episode of "Mash"… and our group’s first getaway to Little River Inn. One couple in our collection of friends and neighbors so fell in love with Little River Inn that they worked for months putting together our first visit to this place we too have come to love. In August of that year, we trekked up through the wine country and redwoods to experience the Mendocino coast and see what they were so excited about.

Little did we know this weekend getaway, a chance to be with friends, put jobs, chores and parenting on hold for a few days and experience true relaxation would be so addictive. Over the years Little River Inn has been for us a place to reconnect, enjoy, and remember how precious life really is. Some are no longer with us; yet in August before our Saturday evening dinner, we all raise our glass and remember... they are still with us here at Little River Inn. Over the years one thing we know; if it’s August, it's Little River Inn. From the continually improving 18 hole course with its wildlife and wonderful views… to the inn, bar and restaurant staff that feel like family… to Abby Rose the inn cat in charge… and drifting off to sleep to the faint sound of the buoy bell off shore, you might say of our group from San Jose, a Little River runs through it.

— David and Michele Dearborn

In 1989 I decided to call my high school girlfriend who I had not seen except once at our 25th reunion. I had met her sister earlier that year and her sister told me Pat was divorced and living in North Carolina. I said I was also divorced and she offered me Pat’s telephone number.

I called Pat and during the conversation offered to fly her out to California over the Christmas & New Year holidays for a personal reunion. After a few days she decided to accept and I needed to make plans to entertain her while here. Pat agreed to come out between Christmas & New Years and a few days after. I made plans to go to a New Years dance in Sacramento where I lived and needed something to do after that. Our last date had been New Year’s 1959, 30 years before. I had had occation to stay at Little River Inn the year before when taking my mother on a tour of the coast & wine country. I called the Inn and described my needs and the lady I was talking too said "just let me take care of this, you won’t be disappointed".

Pat came out and we attended the dance and then off we went to Mendocino and the Little River Inn. We arrived late and found an envelope on the office door with a key and directions to Van Damme House which I had never seen before. When I opened the door to our room (Van Damme South) I exclaimed " I think she’s going to be impressed". She was impressed enough she married me shortly after and we have been coming back to Little River Inn and rooms in Van Damme House ever since, always over Christmas, last year being our 20th return. We cannot even imagine celebrating Christmas anywhere else.

— Dennis and Pat Hall

Sylvia and I started dating in the summer of 1975. She was a school teacher. It seemed to me that the school session from Labor Day until Thanksgiving was just too long. I persuaded her to take a long weekend in the middle of October. I made a reservation at the Little River Inn for three nights for the third weekend in October. (I do not recall how I selected Little River Inn).

We arrived very late Friday night, as we drove from Willits to Fort Bragg rather than from Cloverdale. We also were freezing. My car had been damaged in an accident hence we had a rental car whose heating system was beyond our talents. As I recall, there was no one at the front desk except a note, a map, and a key to Room 16. I still carry a picture of us on the deck with a reflection of the ocean from the windows in our room.

We made reservations for 1976. Elaine Moore entered our names into her Forever Book. Somewhere along the line, room 16 became room 116, the interior was redone, but it is still #16 to us. During the past eight years we have shifted the visit to mid-week in October, as we both had retired.. We have acquired many dear friends at Little River Inn. We get together with Elaine each year, even though she has not worked at Little River Inn for many years. We had the pleasure of frequently meeting Ole during the early years as well as an occasional meeting with Cora. So many wonderful memories.

— Sylvia and Roy

As we sit on our deck, looking over the beautiful property and watch the waves crashing on the rocks, we wait with great anticipation for whale spouts to appear. Look, there’s one!

We were high school sweethearts, and after not seeing each other for 18 years our paths met again. When we needed to escape together we came to the Mendocino Coast and the Little River Inn. After many years of returning here, we were married in 1990 at the church overlooking the headlands in Mendocino and honeymooned at the Inn.

We have been coming back every January since then and sometimes twice a year.

We’ve experienced the first snow in 20yrs, storms that were wild and 75 degree weather in January. You just never know!

Our love for the office cats used to result in tempting, especially old Maggie, to come to our room for some cheese and warm fire.

The wonderful staff have become like family, especially Printha, Pat and Joan. This is our favorite home away from home.

We plan to grow old returning here, escaping, to this magical place.

— Melanie and Terry Taylor

Our love affair with Little River Inn began a little over 20 years ago when we came over to the coast to celebrate one of our wedding anniversaries. We had reservations to stay at another establishment in Mendocino proper, but beyond that we had not made any plans for dinner. So we took a little drive the first evening heading south of Mendocino on hwy.1 to look for a nice place to eat dinner. We were coming up the hill from Van Damn State Beach and that is when we laid our eyes for the first time on Little River Inn. The lights were just coming on around the Inn (At that time the Inn used to have the lantern lights on all of the fence post out front and all along the front of the lawn area to the north of the driveway), and it looked so magical and inviting, we were drawn up into the driveway. We got out of our car went inside and said we did not have reservations for dinner, but the kind person said that was no problem they could seat us and so began the love affair. The dining room at that time had a fireplace where the french doors are now, and there was a fire burning in it. We had the most delicious mouthwatering meal, it was all just so perfect. We decided right then and there that from this point on, any time we come over to the Mendocino area we would stay here. We have seen a lot of changes throughout the years, But the one thing that never changed to this day, is the warm, loving hospitality that everyone working at the Inn shows us, it is like coming home to family. We try to come over as often as we can. Once we park our car we do not feel the need to go anywhere else. It is just pure rest and relaxation. We really do love The Little River Inn, and all of the fine people who make it special for us. See you soon!

— Mike and Donna McCarthy

In the fall of 2001 Doug and Marsha were married. Doug and Marsha spent most of their honeymoon at the Inn and the colliding of the Asche and Huckabay family traditions took place. The Inn hasn’t been the same since. The huge extended family gatherings began.

We convinced the whole Asche family to go up around St. Patrick’s Day and see the whales. We reserved most of the lower floor of the annex and enjoyed wonderful whale watching and family time. Everyone loved it so the next year it had spread to extended Asche family and much of the Huckabay family as well. Because of the sheer number of people we had all the first floor of the middle annex building and some of the upper floor as well. We decided to have a chili cook off so everyone brought crock pots of chili, chips, salsa and the works. We even had prizes for the best chili. The weather was a little cold and even during the event we had a hail storm come through that covered the deck with white. But the Asches, et. al., are a hearty crew and weathered the storm to enjoy not only scads of chili, but the engagement announcement of Chris and Tailor.

Since then, our first grand child, James was born to Chris and Tailor, my daughter Kate married Charlie, someone she had known of since high school and my son Brendan, who had his unforgettable 4th birthday at the Mallory Farm House, is now a grad student studying electrical engineering. As for Marsha and Doug, they continue to visit several times a year. The annual weekend before Thanksgiving is still their favorite time. Now, however, they share that time with Doug’s parents Bob and Margaret since the kid’s schedules are to complicated to coordinate that close to the holidays.

There are so many more stories, we could go on and on, but in summary, we have celebrated (engagements, Easter egg hunts, Thanksgiving, birthdays, honeymoons, anniversaries) relaxed, explored, and experienced the beautiful Little River Inn with our family and many friends (some we brought and some we made while we were there.)

Thank you for sharing your lovely family home and for making and keeping Little River Inn a place where traditions can be made and continued.

— Doug and Marsha Asche

Our Tradition started in 1986. People talk about falling in love - for us, it was a "freefall" on Sept. 30, 1986 (a day we continue to celebrate even now!) It made perfect sense in those early days to find a special retreat - a haven - far away from the fast-paced culture of the early dot-com/technology start-ups in the Bay Area where we lived.

Little River Inn was that place. Our first stay was in the Inn itself, upstairs in a small, gabled room. We decided we needed to return - twice a year. Room 33 (then) in the Annex, 2nd floor became our regular hideaway in the Spring and Fall, just as the vineyards we drove past were turning their various hues of gold, red and brown.

What is it about Little River Inn? The Inn itself is a bastion of history (my grandmother used to visit it regularly as a young bride), and despite its upscale accommodations, it meshes with its surroundings to become a natural sanctuary - a civilized place on the rugged and beautiful northern coast.

It provides distance from our regular lives.

It promotes communing with nature through walks along the beach or headlands, relaxing on our deck watching and listening to the waves, scouting for whales.

It fosters togetherness as we warm ourselves by a crackling fire, sipping a glass of our favorite Anderson Valley wine.

It helps us to get "outside" of ourselves, somehow, together.

Little River Inn, and now, specifically, the Mallory House, provide the respite and renewal we need to reconnect and remind ourselves why we said "I do" over 20 years ago.

— Kris and Dave Backus

The 1st time we discovered the delights of the Little River Inn, friends introduced us to its charm as we moved to Northern CA as a newly married couple. In those days there were no phones or T.V.’s in our rooms. On a couples’ weekend we all stayed in rooms with fireplaces and views of the ocean, and found it so relaxing. We agreed that we slept great because of the sound of the waves. The guys would golf, the gals would shop, and we’d all hook up for a drink in the Whale Watcher’s bar before dinner.

In 1990 along came son Eddie, and at 5 mos. we brought him to the Little River Inn along with Grandma and Grandpa. The big guys golfed, the women shopped, and we all relaxed and had a marvelous time.

Our New Year’s tradition at Little River started in 1994, when we received a call in the summer that someone had cancelled and we’d cleared a waiting list. Hutch and I both worked for Sears at the time, and with the holiday rush and after Christmas sales, we really looked forward to New Year’s as a mini vacation-- a time to recuperate, recharge our batteries and reconnect. We learned to reserve our room for the next New Year’s at the end of each annual stay.

When Eddie was young we booked an early dinner seating in the dining room so we’d be out before the real revelers. The food and service is always wonderful, the room’s beautiful, and everyone’s in such good spirits, complete with party hats. Our pictures from New Year’s Eve provided many of the family pictures for the following year’s holiday wishes.

Once back in our room we get comfortable and watch the ball drop in Times Square. At midnight the three of us kiss and toast the New Year with champagne and Martinelli’s. New Year’s Day we always order room service so we can watch the Rose Parade. Later we make sure we’re back in the room for the Rose Bowl game. In the 90’s, there was a cat that visited the guest rooms, which thrilled Eddie, or sometimes the cat could be found napping in the piano room. The cat would look so cozy, just as we always felt at the inn. We always asked for the room on the end; at sunset we could watch deer grazing right outside our room.

As Eddie grew, we entertained ourselves with longer walks on the beach in the day time and played board games at night. The Inn "grew up" along with us, as they installed T.V. and a video lending library, which became a plus for us with a child. One of our favorite trips, the power was out for part of the time. Since the Inn has its own generator, we enjoyed a candle lit dinner, delicious as always. We played board games by flashlight, and we cherish those memories.

There is much to do nearby. We always go into Mendocino one or two days, and every other year we go north to Fort Bragg. We walk in Van Damme State Park unless it’s raining, and we’ve visited the Rhododendron Botanical Garden. Of course the guys usually try to golf and Eddie and I sometimes lob and chase tennis balls back and forth just for laughs on the LRI’s courts, when no one else wants to play seriously.

Eddie’s 18 now, and two years ago we changed rooms so that he could have his own bed, an upgrade from a cot. This year we watched DVD’s rather than VHS tapes, but not too much has really changed.

The friendly staff always welcomes us back and we feel like it’s our home away from home after all these years. This year in conversation with one of the staff we realized we’re coming full circle; we joked about some day Eddie having a room with his own family, and we would be there as the grandparents.

The Inn has "love" in its phone number and at its core, it’s always been about family. For us, our love is complete because of family, and we look forward to many more celebrations and sharing our New Year’s traditions at the Little River Inn.

— Bernadette and Hutch Gibb

Our very first trip to Little River Inn was in 1977. We were on a road trip with our two sons. The boys were enthralled with all the deer on the property, but even more so with the 3-prong forks in the dining room! After that one-night stay, we knew this was a place we wanted to return to – just the two of us!!!

It took two years and a major move from Southern California to the Sacramento area but in 1979 we began our tradition of getting away, just the two of us, at Little River Inn. It’s hard to believe that this year will be the 30th anniversary of that tradition. Although a lot has changed in our lives and at the Inn, our annual stay there is still a highlight of every year.

When we made it into Elaine’s "Forever Book", we knew we’d become true same-time-next-year regulars. Elaine has long since retired and the hand-kept reservation book has been replaced by up-to-date technology, but when life gets hectic and way too busy (as it sometimes does!) we often look knowingly at each other and say "We need a Little River Experience!!!"

Our first annual trips were always the last weekend in October, but when we became empty-nesters, we began to travel more widely in the fall, so we changed our trip to the same week every April. No matter what else our travel plans for the year include, we always protect that very special time to spend together at LRI. It refreshes our marriage, our spirits, and reminds us that, whether we are doing something exciting, or just doing nothing but sitting on the deck, the important thing is that we have each other to do it with!

Thank you for giving us the wonderful place where we’ve created so many cherished memories.

— Dave and Linda Haakenson

Charlie and I were married in 1939 — the same year the Inn opened. At that time visits to the area were spent at my father’s family home in Elk. The men would often stop at Ole’s (never call it "the Inn" then) for a drink and visit. When the Cooney home was sold, we began to stay at the Inn. In those days we stayed in the little cottages behind the main building. We paid eleven dollars per night for lodging and could enjoy abalone anytime we wished. We spent many holidays and family occasions at Little River. Bud Kamb, a local realtor and regular Inn visitor, always referred to it as "our home away from home." We moved from cottages to annex to #114, the elegant new units, finally settling on our favorite room #102, adjacent to the main building. We remember the ivy coming into the bar area, the fireplace in the dining room, the primitive golf course, little landscaping, our friend Elaine Moore at the reception desk. We celebrated our fiftieth anniversary with all of our family in the small dining area. We, over the years, became good friends with Ole and Cora, sharing happy times and sad times.

Traditionally, we began celebrating birthdays at Little River, and then St. Patrick’s Day--- about fifteen years ago we included Thanksgiving. When Charlie died in 2002, I have continued to enjoy these wonderful occasions with my children, Richard and Christine.

It is wonderful to see my family as happy to be at Little River as we were and to see second and third generations of Ole and Cora Hervilla’s managing the Inn with the same gracious hospitality which we have enjoyed there many years. The continuity of Inn personnel is such a joy — Pat, Joan, Printha, Sue, Cynthia, Carol, and of course the excellent team of Susan and Mel McKinney, Dan and Daphne Hervilla and their families. At nearly ninety years old, I still look forward to my visits to Little River Inn. Thank you all for so many happy memories.

— Jeanne Strohm

My wife (Connie) and I had a tradition of camping each New Year's Eve at the Van Damme State Park, located right down the road from Little River Inn.

The year is 1978 and we were on our usual New Years Eve camping trip down the hill from the Inn. The weather was cold, there was a driving rain and us in our small camper. Connie looked out the rain-smeared window, pointed up the hill toward the Inn and said: "Next year we stay up there".

Thus started our New Year's Eve tradition at the Little River Inn and the tradition continues some 30 years later, always in the same room (134) bayside upstairs. The sunset views are awesome. We had to miss a couple of years due to family illness, but we still continue to look forward to our time at Little River Inn every New Year's Eve.

Connie loves Ole's Swedish hotcakes, olallieberry cobbler and a stroll through the town of Mendocino. I look forward to playing at least 9 holes on the golf course with it's spectacular views of the ocean. Cocktails at the Whale Watch bar with bartender Sue always precede a delightful New Year's Eve dinner. Party favors, fun atmosphere, excellent service and exceptional fare always make for a delightful dining experience.

— Ed and Connie Fischer

We have been coming to the Little River Inn two times a year for approximately ten years[we can't quite remember]. We have booked the "same time next year" for an October and an April trip, often hitting the time changes at each visit. We came to Little River Inn the first time as a thank you from my husband's place of employment after 20 years. We stayed in the main buildings the first time but moved on to the Van Damme units and eventually our favorite...Coombs Cottage. It became our home away from home...our little quiet nest away from work and raising three kids. Friends would say what do you do up there? ....we would answer "nothing"....we just sit on our porch, watch the waves...perhaps sip a little bubbly & talk and enjoy each other's uninterrupted company. What could be better? Of course we wander into town for a stroll down main street , dine in the fine little restaurants....pore over the books in the bookstore...take a little road trip to Fort Bragg.......but eventually we return to "our" cottage each afternoon to do "nothing." What a treat! We have since discovered "Electra" as another hideaway....love the window seat for reading! Mendocino has helped us mark birthdays & anniversaries, even if we don't celebrate on the actual dates. As we drive away each time...we say "when are we coming back?" Thank you for providing a quiet haven in our hectic lives that we look forward to each year x 2!

— Ann and Ray Story

Our tradition began when we got married in 1980 although Richard has been going to Little River since he was a little boy. Our tradition started with the Charlie Strohm annual Birthday Party in late January, which many members of the Strohm family attended. The Van Damme House was the perfect location for this size group. We were able to take long walks up the Fern Canyon, picnic in Russian Gulch, and shop in Mendocino. This gathering changed when Jeanne decided that cooking one Holiday meal was enough, and we changed our gathering to spend Thanksgiving with our extended family at the Little River Inn.

This tradition has had its trials and tribulations, just getting to the Inn. This included, Fog, Floods, Fires, Snow, Slides, and big Wind, with many a detour, which added to the Story. All was worth it, as soon as we saw the smiling faces waiting for us and occasional adult beverage to calm the nerves with Susan at Ole’s bar. Some of the most memorable times include: power outages; I remember trying to put pantyhose on by fire and flash light. This was very entertaining for Richard. AND tree falling; A particularly violent storm that blew down one of the lovely old coast cypress. Which resulted in the removal of a familiar feature the Inn was noted for. But, it produced a splendid bench and a statue of Ole. AND turkey cooking; Mel carting cooked turkeys from his house to the Inn because the kitchen couldn’t handle the amount that was needed for Thanksgiving diners. AND most especially, long talks with Ole about the good old day and 49ers, and he and Mel taking advantage of poor Charlie with the dice cups. The weather has always been the determining fact in whether we relaxed with a book or movie in our favorite cottage number 111 or had a terrific adventure outdoors. But it didn’t matter, it always adds yet a new memory or experience to our visits in Little River.

— Christine and Richard Strohm

A good friend told us about the Little River Inn in such glowing terms that it could not be true.

We planned a “go down the coast vacation” about 1970 starting at the LRI. We booked 2 nights, turned into 3, into 4 and into 5. He was right/it was more than true. We were taken with the surf and the bell buoy sound in the room. We especially liked the chandeliers that you hang in the garden for us at night in the Garden Dining room. And best of all—the great good company of the staff. We felt very much a part of the family and still do, for low, these many years.

The LRI is described as a PARADISE. It is more like at least “FIVE DICE”.

— Ethel and Elzy Echolss

Our ‘Tradition’ with Little River Inn started 15 years ago, as I was preparing to marry my wonderful wife. A bit skeptical, I was offered some advice, from an older married man & friend who said, "You’ve just got to check this place out, -there is no place on earth like it… they have cedar burning fireplaces over the vast ocean, incredible views and incredible restaurant, in a wonderful town."

Having been going through the fast pace of the Bay Area, we were really looking forward to leaving the entire state of California on our honeymoon. We were Hawaii bound for the second week. What we found became completely the opposite of what we thought.

Driving up the coast after a crammed, short engagement and huge wedding just melted and peeled layers off of us. –Finally, some rest. The next day awakening, we barely left the room we had till evening. –It was simply too beautiful there.

We had another night slated in Napa, for the return & subsequent flight to Hawaii, which we promptly called the people & cancelled! Not enough great rest had been had in this wonderful place, and later found… never, ever do you get enough time here! What we found was the two nights, three very long days we could, spent in Mendocino, at Little River Inn were by far better than the additional week and a half spent elsewhere. And we also found that continued trips here kept and encouraged our marriage and others. Going here kept it alive, vibrant, rested and fun.

In the years following… We have referred well over 22 married couples and counting, who’ve actually stayed at Little River Inn. Either they’ve come up with us, or on their own.

Thank you, Little River Inn & the entire staff. The memories are too many and too numerous to even begin to mention here.

— Geoff and Kristine Day