The History: Stevenswood sits on a hill in a virgin forest overlooking the sea, the vista framed by trees and meadow. The land is private and sheltered, possessing tranquility with a long and peaceful history.

Two brothers, Robert and William Zimmer, inherited the land in 1982. Together, they created Stevenswood Lodge, envisioning a new kind of hospitality for the northern Mendocino coast - blending the matchless natural beauty of its forest by the sea setting with an elegant and spacious contemporary lodge design. Stevenswood opened its doors to the public in 1988.

Stevenswood was built from a guest’s point of view. It needed to be efficient, pleasing, and above all, comfortable. They wanted to create a civilized retreat, not a formal hotel. The Zimmers were adamant that Stevenswood would have the finest construction to create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere where guests could enjoy nature.

In 1992 Stevenswood achieved its first Four Diamond Award from AAA. It was the first property on the Mendocino coast to make such an achievement, and one of the youngest properties to achieve a Four Diamond Award statis.

Ten years later (1998) on Memorial Weekend, Stevenswood opened up its new restaurant.

The New Vision: Then at the end of 2004, Stevenswood was acquired by the current owners, Michael Webster and Seth Kelman with a vision and dedication to bring Stevenswood to a new higher level of amenities, guest services, and creature comforts. It began immediately with a massive remodeling and renovation.

• Slate floors from Madagaskar in the Lobby and bathrooms in all the suites.
• Cork flooring in all the suites and in the Hallways.
• Tempurpedic Sleep systems in all of the suites.
• New micro-fiber Italian furniture.
• Glass Venetian Bowls in the newly remodeled bathrooms.
• Ocean view exercise room where the new infra-red sauna is located.
• New expanded ocean view deck.
• New furniture for both decks.
• Outside propane heaters for the decks for extra comfort for our guests.

Amenities for our guests;

• High-end Herme collection from France for the new toiletrie items.
• Italian coffee makers. (coffee, lattes, and espresso)
• Expanded lavish breakfast for our guests.
• Free Wi Fi wireless internet for our guests.
• Complimentary use of the computer in the mezzanine.
• In room safes.
• Iron & ironing boards.
• Radio, CD Player that is IPOD and MP3 ready.
• Plasma TV’s.
• Turn down service.
• Library selection of pillows. ( heavy orthopedic, tempurpedic, or buckwheat pillows)
• 1,000 count Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases.
• Courtesy town car service for our guests.
• Free long distant phone calls
• Pet friendly

In 2005 Stevenswood opened up its gift shop.

In 2006 Stevenswood opened the Indigo Eco-Spa. The Indigo Eco-Spa is the premier center for well-being along the Mendocino Coast. Our state-of-the art, 5 star Luxury spa surrounds and atmosphere of pampering, relaxation and rejuvenation. Our spa is the first eco-friendly spa in the United States. We offer more than 2 dozen treatments at the spa. Such as;

• Dermologica Intensive Facial
• Hydra Facial
• Aroma-Stone Therapy
• Pacific Sea Detox
• Executive Facial
• Swedish Massage
• Comprehensive Deep Tissue
• From Here to Maternity Massage
• Love in Paradise - Couples Massage
• Craniosacral Therapy
• Grape Seed Oil Scalp Massage
• Olive Oil Foot Soak
• Anti-Inflammatory Hand Treatment
• Humboldt Salt Scrub
• Lavender Intensive Eye Therapy
• Citrus Leg Therapy
• Lomi Lomi Massage
• Reflexology
• Reiki Massage
• Body Chemical Dioagnostics
• Gentlemen’s Choice Facial
• Parafin hand and foot treatment

Come and enjoy our beautiful Tranquility Lounge and Canyon Veranda where you can enjoy spa refreshments, before or after your treatments. For a complete discription and  list of services please visit The Indigo Eco-Spa.

In 2008 how do you top all of that. Well we did it. On our 20th Anniversary Stevenswood got a   facelift with a new exterior paint job. “WOW” it is  truly beautiful. The building is now in its full glory. Well done.
 

Join us for the 2008 Mendocino Film Festival. Mark the dates of May 29 thru June 1.

The Vision: The purpose of this festival is to present films that stimulate the creative connection between our inner being and the outer world, films that bring us closer to one another, films that remind us who we are. We seek strong stories and strong characters that move us to laugh, to cry, to pause and wonder about the human experience. We seek work that engages and empowers as it entertains, that ventures into realms beyond worn out conventions.

Inspiration: Mendocino has been inspiration and location for over sixty feature films. It is home to a lively mix of artists, farmers, and activists; students, teachers, and fishermen. We have our disagreements but we weather the storms together. In 2006, our inaugural year, we welcomed over 50 filmmakers from all over the world and invited them into our homes, inns and hotels. Our community and the audience it attracts bring a colorful palette of sensibilites to the dialogue. Come join our conversation.

Last year the Mendocino Film Festival scheduled more than 100 films in six categories, with over sixty filmmakers arriving from across the country and around the globe. In addtion to an extraordinary selection of films, with special emphasis on documentaries and films on art, the film festival program includes panels and workshops with professional filmmakers, concerts and other special events, including an Opening Reception and an Award Ceremony featuring local entertainment, fine food, regional wines, and champagne.

What the Stars Say:

1. I’m thrilled to see the Festival in full growth, dedicated as it is to showing only the best in film. Albert Maysles, Legendary documentary filmmaker: Grey Gardens, What’s Happening: The Beatles First Tour of the US
2. The Mendocino Film Festival is about the appreciation of the craft, the recognition of artistic achievement and about cooperative energy and spirit. Mendocino has it. It’s a magical place. Sharon Lawrence, Actress: Fool Me Once, NYPD Blue, Desperate Housewives.
3. Let’s face it, it was a true filmmaker’s film festival and a damn love fest! I’ve been telling all my friends they must get their act together and have a film ready to submit to next year’s festival. William Farley, Filmmaker.
4. After having screened my films at over 45 film festivals around the world. I can attest that the Mendocino Film Festival is one of the best festivals anywhere. Great films, wonderful people and one of the most beautiful locations in the world. The festival really treats filmmakers special. Jed Riffe, Filmmaker.
5. Congratulations on an absolutely wonderful film festival! I was astonished at the level of professionalism you held while still maintaining a warm, welcoming style. Totally lovely! Tommie Dell Smith, Filmmaker.

We enjoyed a wonderful romantic getaway in the Stevenswood Spa! The accomodations were lovely, with a great private hot tub.
Breakfasts were yummy and dinner was fabulous. I can’t say enough about the staff who were friendly and very accomodating.
We enjoyed a couple’s massage in our room with two very professional masseuses. Mendocino is beautiful all year round!
We would recommend this place to all, it may become our yearly getaway!

This place was beautiful, secluded and yes five star.
The view was great from our room, it was clean and rich.
I will not recommend another place on the coast but Stevenswood. Romantic, and the place where I will spend my next anniversary.

We stayed here in a lovely suite at a bargain rate, thanks to the super last-minute deals posted on the website Matrix. What a pleasure to arrive at this cozy but luxurious spa and hotel after a rainy 3-hour drive from the city. Stevenswood didn’t let us down, in fact, it exceeded our expectations.

Our room, the Pullen Suite, was as billed: - King Temper-pedic bed (m-mmm) with fine Egyptian cotton bedding and linens, in-room fireplace with firewood, espresso machine with a variety of coffee capsules, fine art on the walls, and a large flatscreen TV with built-in DVD. The bath products are Hermes, a real stand out from other hotels, inns and spas - here and abroad. The two out-of-this world chocolates are from a Chocolatier in the Bay Area, and are wrapped in a tiny envelope with a miniature photo of the Inn, a precious memento after eating the treat inside.

We watched whales romp and play from our window! We walked the path to the bluffs that overlook the ocean! We ate a fabulous gourmet breakfast (included) that was as lovely to look at as to consume….fruit pancakes with a faint bit of cheese inside, and an egg bake with fresh fruit. These may sound ordinary but were anything but….I appreciate the chef’s tendency for quality over quantity - though the meal was quite generous. In our room were two flashlights for walking around the grounds and deck after dark - a nice touch. The morning newspaper (The San Francisco Chronicle) was at the door in the am.

Staff were amazingly attentive, and never intrusive. We requested and received additional firewood for our room, and the Manager, Nelson, went to great lengths to light one of the outside gas lanterns when we were sitting outside on a chilly day. Thank you, Nelson.

We didn’t take advantage of the spa services this time because of the brevity of our stay. We truly wanted to just get away and absorb the beauty, peace and harmony of nature. Stevenswood is designed so that you never are without the four elements: wood, water, rock, wind. The fine art on the walls throughout make the Inn a gallery inside; a complement to what nature provides outside.

We have travelled widely in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Stevenswood is recommended without hesitation - can’t wait to return!

There is a spot on the Mendocino Coast called Stevenswood Spa Resort (or the Restaurant at Stevenswood; 8211 North Highway One; (707) 937-2810; www.Stevenswood.com) that serves some incredible contemporary American cuisine that is both inspired and creative, using the best fresh and local ingredients you’ll find anywhere in Northern California. This secluded, tranquil resort and spa is amazing all by itself; but when you throw this amazing restaurant into the mix, you get a very unique and exciting place. They’ve won a ton of awards, such as the James Beard Recognition award and the Top 40 Restaurants in the Bay Area recognition from Zagat. The other night when we were there, we had some incredible dishes, including a Akvavit Cured Gravlax Tartare (with Russian Sevruga Caviar, Cucumber, Red Onion, Mustard Dill Sauce and a Caper Emulsion); a Dungeness Crab Martini (with Asparagus and Avocado Mousse); a Wild Chantrelle Risotto (Topped with Truffles, Fresh Rosemary and Local Porcini); a Duck Confit Ravioli (with Micro Greens and a Port Reduction) and a Warm Lobster Salad (with Endive, Butter Lettuce and a Champagne Beurre Blanc). Everything was superlative, and the service was excellent. All in all, we had a great experience at the Restaurant at Stevenswood.

by Ed Attanasio (writer), March 19, 2008, published in BrooWaha San Francisco

Abalone season is almost here. From April 1 through November with a month long break in July, the harvesting of Abalones is popular with locals and tourist alike. The search for abalone ranges from friendly foray to full scale abalone obsession for California divers.

The prized abalone is of course the Red Abalone. The classification in the animal kingdom, abalone belong to the phylum Mollusca, a group which includes clams, scallops, sea slugs, octopuses and squids.

Anatomy: The abalone shell is prized because of their inner, iridescent layer. The outside of the shell has a row of respiratory pores. The musculer foot has a strong suction power permitting the abalone to hold tightly to rocky surfaces. A column of shell muscle attaches the body to its shell. There is a mantle and epipodium that circles the foot which is a sensory structure and extension of the foot which bears tentacles.

The internal organs are arranged around the foot and under the shell. The crescent shaped gonad, is gray or green in females and creamed colored in males. It extends around the side opposite the pores and to the rear of the abalone. The abalone has a pair of eyes, a mouth and an enlarged pair of tentacles. Inside the mouth is a long, file-like tongue called the radula, which scrapes its food matter to a size that can be ingested.

The gill chamber is next to the mouth and under the respitory pores. The water is drawn from under the edge of the shell, and then flows over the gills and out the pores. Waste and reproductive products are carried out in the flow of water. Since an abalone has no obvious brain structure, the abalone is considered to be a primitive animal. However, it does have a heart on its left side and blood flows through the arteries, sinuses and veins, assisted by the surrounding tissues and muscles.

Reproduction: The sexes are seperate and can be distinguised in individuals as small as one inch when the gonads begin to develop. An 8 inch abalone may spawn 11 million eggs or more, while a male abalone can release trillions of sperm. The presence of eggs and sperm in the water may stimulate other abalone to spawn, thus increasing the chances of fertilization. When eggs hatch they are a microscopic, free living larvae. It drifts with the currents for about a week, then the abalone larvae settles to the bottom, and sheds its swimming hairs and begins to develop the adult shell form. The chance that an individual larvae will survive to adulthood is very very low. Fortunately abalone and most mollusks are prolific spawners but the mortality still exceeds 99%.

Food: Abalone eat marine algae. The adults can feed on loose peices drifting with the current. Abalones eat giant kelp, bull kelp, feather boa kelp and elk kelp are preferred, although most others may be eaten at other times. Abalone tend to stay in one location waiting for food to drift by. They can move daily, seasonally or when food becomes scarce for a long period. Juvenille abalone graze on coralline algae that grows on the rocks and diatoms and bacterial films. As they grow they increasingly rely on drifting algae.

Withering Syndrome: is a terminal phase of a bacterial infection. “Rickettsia-like Procaryote” (RLP) is a newly found bacterium. The RLP bacterium infects the digestive system of the abalone. When RLP sufficiently develops, the abalone slowly starves to death. Once abalone exhibit the visual signs of Withering Syndrome, they will expire within a few months.

In 1998, California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) realized that they had been authorizing the transfer of RLP infected abalone from southern California to northern California aquaculture facilities. Inspection of abalone from California’s aquaculture facilities quickly confirmed RLP infested facilities from southern California up to the Oregon border. In August 1998, CDFG banned shipments of RLP infected abalone seed from southern California to facilities north of San Francisco.

What was an RLP free nursery facility in Crescent City has been infected with RLP and was pumping untreated effluent into the ocean. According to a letter dated February 8, 2000, circulated by the Director of the CDFG, the ban on shipment of RLP infected abalone north of San Francisco was re-imposed following the shipment of these 6400 RLP infected abalone.

Ground Zero: Northern California’s remaining abalone represents about 17% of the state’s original abundant resource. RLP has been found at Van Damme State Park. The Park is in the heart of the recreational abalone diving Mecca in Northern California. One of sixty abalone tested from Van Damme State Park has been found infected with RLP. The presence of RLP at Van Damme is believed to be the result of a single out-planting five years ago. Van Damme could be ground zero for a northern Withering Syndrome epidemic, which would totally decimate the northern California red abalone. The future survival of California’s last remaining abalone may well rest on sciences’s purging the RLP infestation, and on the public’s resolve to save this valuable resource.

Well, do you have a passion for Pinot? Well then you will not want to miss the 11th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival.Come join us in beautiful Anderson Valley for a weekend in celebration of the richness and diversity of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Enjoy world class wines, local culinary delights and engaging local artists and entertainers.

Technical Conference

Date, time & location: Friday, May 16, 8 am to 4 pm, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville. Pinot Noir: learn from the experts how to grow it, how to make it, how to taste it, and how to sell it. Attendance is limited to 125, so don’t delay.

Social BBQ

Date, time & location: Friday, May 16, at 5 pm. Standish Winery (at the Day Ranch). Bring your favorite bottle of wine for a fabulous evening BBQ alongside the historic Standish Winery apple dryer. An optional vineyard tour starts at 4 pm.

Grand Tasting

Date, time & location: Saturday, May 17, from 11 am to 3 pm. Goldeneye Winery between Boonville & Philo. Sample the richness and diversity of nearly 100 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir wines. This event includes a light lunch of Pinot-friendly foods and a silent auction of valuable wines and art to raise money for local charities.

Four Winemakers Dinners:

Tickets are sold exclusively onling (not tickets availabel at door).

Check with your favorite wineries to learn more about open house events. A partial listing of events is below.

Host: Goldeneye Winery
Event: Vineyard tour
Details: Goldeneye will host three vineyard tours, departing at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. Attendees will meet at Goldeneye’s visitor center, located at 9200 Highway 128 in Philo. Limit 20 persons per session.
Reservations: Reservations required. Phone 895-3202 or e-mail heidi@goldeneyewinery.com for reservations. Reservations may also be made on Saturday during the grand tasting via a sign-up sheet at Goldeneye’s table.

Host: Husch Vineyards
Event: Open House
Details: Drop by Anderson Valley’s oldest winery for food and wine pairings along with barrel samples presented by the family owners and winemaker.
Reservations: Not required. Hours 10am - 5pm.

If you feel a little guilty every time you flip the light switch, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has created a way to ease the pain.

Through its ClimateSmart program, launched in June 2007, customers can pay an extra fee (about $5.00 a month) to offset emissions from their electricity and gas usage.

It announced recently the first projects to benefit from its customers’ generosity. It will spend approximately $2 million to help restore California redwood forests in Mendocino and Santa Cruz counties.

The restoration programs were selected through a competitive process and both projects are approved by the nonprofit California Climate Action Registry and accepted by the California Public Utilities Commission.

PG&E says it plans to have contracts to offset 1.5 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions by the end of 2009.
www.pge.com/myhome/environment/whatyoucando/climatesmart/