
Photo: Thewellman, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
The California Western Railroad ran between Fort Bragg and Willits before the collapse of Tunnel No. 1 halted end-to-end rail traffic; 2 hour half-trips from the Willits depot to the Northspur junction and back and 1 hour excursions from the Fort Bragg depot to the Glen Blair junction and back still run during the summer. Nicknamed the "Skunk Train" because it ran on gasoline engines (rather than diesel), with the corresponding odor of long-chain hydrocarbons washing over most of the town center when it would open the throttle to build momentum for departure. While the railroad attempts to finance the tunnel's reconstruction, rentals of "railbikes" are offered allowing patrons to pedal (with electric assist) 3.5 miles along the track from the Fort Bragg depot and back in guided groups safely.
The California Western Railroad, AKA Mendocino Railway, popularly called the Skunk Train, is a rail freight and heritage railroad transport railway in Mendocino County, California, United States, running from the railroad's headquarters in the coastal town of Fort Bragg to the interchange with the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at Willits.
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Artifacts and pictures telling the history of the forest products industry on the Mendocino Coast.
A large collection of scientific experiments, wooden animals, geological samples, paintings, writings, and personal objects collected by Larry Spring, a creative thinker and inventor who died in 2009.
A well-known site in Fort Bragg, the former town dump; the beach is covered in old pieces of colored glass that have been worn smooth by the waves. Arriving at or near low tide is recommended for maximum visibility of the sea glass.
Catch a full symphony performance at the beautiful Cotton Auditorium or one of the many regular opus concerts at various venues both indoor and outdoor (like the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens). With regular guest conductors and musicians from the greater Bay Area contributing to the vast and storied local talent you're sure to have a wonderful experience. $25 for the full concerto with several themed selections (and often a free pre-show guest lecture), typically 1-2 hours.
Todd's Point Pedestrian & Bike Trail
Very convenient place to do some whale watching or just stroll along the bluffs and watch boats travel in and out of the harbor.
One of only a handful of public gardens with ocean frontage in addition to more 47 acres of manicured gardens, fern-ringed ponds, intimate pocket gardens, coastal pine forests, and wildflower-strewn bluffs at the ocean’s edge. The mild maritime climate of the Mendocino Coast offers ideal growing conditions for rhododendrons, heaths and heathers, dahlias, heritage roses, succulents, conifers, and many other plants. The gardens host an annual Festival of Lights in November.