There are lots of fun reasons to visit the City of Fort Bragg during the Whale Festival, March 17 & 18. If you’re a runner, or simply enjoy walking in a spectacular setting, sign up now for the 28^th Annual Whale Run and Walk on March 17 — and make the Atrium Bed & Breakfast Inn your home base. We’ll power you up with a hearty complimentary breakfast before you take off, and at the end of the day you can relax with us at our evening social hour with refreshments and freshly baked cookies. When it’s time to turn in, you’ll sleep like a baby in one of our quiet, comfy rooms.

The run/walk takes place on Fort Bragg’s scenic Haul Road along the beautiful Mendocino Coast. Here are the basics:

What:
10K Run
5K Run
5K Competitive Walk
5K Fun Walk
Kiddies Race (Ages 4-5: ¼-mile run & ages 6-10: ½-mile run)

When: Saturday, March 17

Where: Skunk Train parking lot, west end of Laurel Street, Fort Bragg

Start Times: Competitive Race Starts at 8:00 am.  Kiddies Race starts at 7:40 am

Registration/More Information: To register on line, click here.

This important occasion takes place at 10 am at the Guest House Museum, 343 N. Main in Fort Bragg, a California Point of Historical Interest — just a few blocks away from the Atrium Bed & Breakfast Inn. Start your morning with our gourmet breakfast, and then join us as we witness a history-making event that helps protect the beautiful coast we all love.

A National Treasure At Your Doorstep
In 2000, President Clinton proclaimed most of our state’s exposed reefs, offshore rocks, pinnacles and islands (more than 20,000 in all) “The California Coastal National Monument”.

Staying at the Atrium, you’ll be right in the heart of the newly designated Gateway, minutes away (by foot, bicycle, car, kayak, even horseback) from this national coastal treasure.

Book now, witness history, and start exploring!

Each year, an estimated 20,000 Gray Whale migrate past Fort Bragg from the Bering Sea to the warm lagoons of Mexico to give birth.  The migration begins in December and tails off in April as the new mothers and their calves work their way slowly north, hugging the coastline to better protect the babies from killer whales.

When you come for a visit, we’ll help you arrange a whale watching cruise out of Noyo Harbor. Or tell you the best spots to view them from shore.

In Fort Bragg this month you can enjoy three major crab feeds. All are fundraisers and all promise lots of food — in addition to crab. Best of all, they will take place within a few blocks — easy walking distance — from the Atrium Bed and Breakfast. Here are the details:

January 20, 2012: Cioppino Dinner — A Benefit For Mendocino Coast Clinic

Tomatoes, onions, garlic & seasonings are blended during a long simmer. Fresh Dungeness crab caught off the North coast fills the pot. T

he Cioppino Dinner is served family-style with Café Beaujolais’ artisan bread for dipping, tossed salad, plenty of bibs & extra napkins. Dessert & locally roasted Thanksgiving Coffee are included. Treat yourself to North Coast Brewing Company beer & Mendocino County wines in the Crabby Bar.

Silent auction and raffle prizes. Three seatings: 4:30, 6:00 & 8:00 p.m. $35/adult; $15 kids 12-6; under 6 – on us.

Pentecost Hall at the corners of Stewart & Spruce Streets, Fort Bragg. 707-961-3463

January 21, 2012: Crab Cake Cook-Off & Wine Tasting Competition — A Benefit For Mendocino Coast Clinics Succulent Crab Cakes and select wines from America’s greenest wine region — a winning combination.

Taste handcrafted crab cakes prepared by Mendocino chefs while sipping Mendocino wines. Participants in the competition compete for the Professional Judges’ Awards bestowed by renowned food, wine and travel writers, while vying for your vote for the Peoples’ Choice Awards.

Bid on specialty wines, lodging, artwork, spa packages, and more in the silent auction. Raffle prizes, too. 12:00pm – 3:00pm.

Under the big white tent, corner Main and Spruce, Fort Bragg. 707-961-3463

January 28, 2012: Crab Feed By Fort Bragg Rotary And Mendocino Coast Sports Foundation Fresh locally caught cracked crab is brought to your table along with salad, salad dressing, French bread, coffee or tea.

Beer (some local brewed medal winners), wine from local area wineries and soft drinks are also available for additional charge. There are also hot dogs for the kids.

All proceeds go to local Rotary projects and the Timberwolf Stadium project.

Advance Tickets can be purchased locally at Sport Dodge, Pyorre Insurance Agency, Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, Harvest Market or Curves of Fort Bragg. 12 – 6 pm. $40 per person advance, $45 at the door.

Fort Bragg Firehouse, 141 Main Street. Call 707-964-2402 for reservations.

Todd Point Gateway to California Coastal National Monument

It’s official, and we’re excited! The Bureau of Land Management has designated the City of Fort Bragg as the “Fort Bragg-Mendocino Gateway” for the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM).

We’ve always known this section of the breathtaking California coast is unique, and the Gateway designation is further proof. Redwoods, rivers, spectacular coastal vistas, great restaurants, shopping and more — we’re located right in the heart of it all, here in Fort Bragg!

Come make us your own cozy, comfy home for a “Gateway Get-Away”. And don’t forget to book soon for the 2012 Whale Festival in March. Our inn books early for this fun filled event.

Holiday Lights at Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

A vision just as sweet as sugar plums is a place where you can find holiday presents without the crowds, traffic and parking problems. Of course, the destination is Fort Bragg. And just two blocks from downtown is the Atrium Bed and Breakfast Inn. Not only do we have unique shops nearby with friendly locals, but at the end of the day, there are plenty of holiday events to light up your night. Shop Fort Bragg, from basics to boutiques.

Before shopping: tag along with a staff mycologist (mushroom expert) for a Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens mushroom walk. Or join the Audubon Society for some birding.

Mushroom Merchant Eric Schramm Smoothered in Candy Cap Mushrooms

We have been enjoying a wondering string of beautiful, sunny days here on the coast, which, of course, visitors and locals enjoy.

But we also look forward to a little rain, which causes the mushrooms to breakthrough in abundance this time of year. The forests near Fort Bragg are home to more than 3,000 types of mushrooms, 500 of which are edible.

Along with a new crop of mushrooms comes the  Mendocino County’s annual 10-day Wine & Mushroom Festival, Friday, November 4th through Sunday, November 13. It’s not to late to book a room.

Here a few planned events:

• Mushroom Hunt Horseback Rides:  Ricochet Ridge Ranch offers a private four-hour horseback riding experience into the magnificent Redwood Forests. No previous horseback experience required. Children aged six and older are welcome to join us. $175.00. 707-964-7669; Toll Free: 888-873-5777.

•Mushroom Madness Foray and Cooking Class: Assaggiare Mendocino presents mushrooms with a local perspective. Start with wild mushroom identification, followed by a cooking class and lunch with Julia Conway, local chef and owner. November 5, 2011 – 10:00am – 3:00pm. $40.00/person or $70.00/couple, reservations required. 707-961-9787.

• Liquid Fusion Kayak Mushroom Paddles: Explore the Noyo River and discover the magic of fall on a three hour mushroom paddle. Learn the basics of mushroom identification with a hands-on, pre-paddle mushroom lesson and then tour the calm waters of the Noyo River. Reservations are required.  Rain or shine. November 5 at 10 am; November 6 at 11 am; November 12 at 11 am. $75/person; 707-962-1623.

“Sundays” is a series of ten-minute webisodes with a new installment airing each week on the Internet and on local access television. According to Naylor, it’s a continuing story about “a hodgepodge of characters with intertwining lives in a small coastal town.”

A number of cast members have impressive theater, TV and motion picture experience, and some are local residents.

You’re invited to meet the cast and crew at a premier, red carpet screening. Here are the details:

“SUNDAYS” WEB SERIES PREMIER

Sunday, November 6th

10:30am – 1:30pm

Coast Cinemas, 135 S. Franklin, Fort Bragg

Tickets are available at Coast Cinema: $10 per person. Space is limited to just over 100, so early purchase is recommended.

To learn more about “Sundays”, visit http://sundaystheseries.com

There are three options: a 5k run/walk, 5k competitive walk, and a10k run — all through scenic courses that take participants across the beautiful Noyo River through towering Redwoods.

Early registration is $25 for adults and $15 for ages 19 and younger. For those who register October 23-29, the cost is $30, (still $15 for ages 19 and under). Registration includes a t-shirt while supplies last.

Registration forms are available at the following: Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, The Outdoor Store, Company Store and Mendocino Coast Hospital lobby. Also online at www. MCDH.ORG/NoyoRun, and www.TheSchedule.com (search keywords: Noyo River Run).

For more information call 707-961-4670.

Dr. Don, the MCDH Telemedicine Robot, will be on display

This special section of the California coast is often called “The Healing Coast” because of its vibrant community of complimentary health practitioners, organic food providers, a raw food cooking school, and our Mendocino Coast District Hospital. What better way to showcase this well deserved designation than to present a community-wide health and wellness fair?

Out of town visitors are welcome!

On Saturday, October 15, 2011, Mendocino Coast District Hospital holds its 5^th Annual Health & Wellness Fair from 11 am to 2 pm on the hospital campus.

The Fair will feature booths, information and health screenings from hospital departments as well as booths and health information presented by local complementary healthcare practitioners, health clubs and wellness related businesses.

Flu Shots will be available for a nominal fee.  The hospital is located at 700 River Drive in Fort Bragg.

Local businesses will present healthy foods throughout the Fair, and a variety of children’s activities will be provided, including a bounce house, horse-drawn wagon rides, fire truck and ambulance tours, and face painting.