Robb Report, July 2007
Solitary Refinement

During Prohibition, bootleggers used caves in the cliffs that line the coast of California's Mendocino County to stash liquor. Today, the area retains the qualities that attracted those smugglers: isolation and privacy. And the Heritage House inn, set on 37 acres stretching along those cliffs, offers an elegant way to venture beyond the beaten paths of Napa Valley's crowded wine country.

Roads leading to the Heritage House from the Bay Area are scenic but long and winding, and a car trip from the San Francisco or Oakland airports can require around four hours. However, the nearby Little River Airport has a runway, built as an emergency landing strip during World War II, that can accommodate jets as large as Gulfstreams.

The inn, which opened in the late 1940s, recently was given a contemporary redesign by its new manager, General Hotel Management. Outside the main building, which houses a dining room and lounge, detached suites dot a hillside that leads to the bluffs. The suites contain telephones and televisions, items that once were lacking. The new interior design combines such rustic touches as feather beds and wood-burning fireplaces with wireless Internet and preloaded iPods that plug into a desktop unit with Bose stereo speakers. All rooms have Jacuzzi tubs, many with ocean views.

Away from the inn, you can explore the region's many hiking trails, venture into the hamlet of Mendocino, or visit the botanical gardens in nearby Fort Bragg. The area's coastal vineyards are well known for their Pinot Noir, and along the highway south of the inn, you will find several that offer tours and tastings.

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