Little River Inn: Coastal Comforts in Mendocino

By George Medovoy, Editor

It stands to reason that "Where There's Smoke," there's bound to be a good story.

And in the case of Mel McKinney of Mendocino's legendary Little River Inn, there's a story of international intrigue, JFK, and some of the finest cigars this side of Havana.

"Where There's Smoke," published by St. Martin's Press, is McKinney's novel about the Cuban missile crisis and the ensuing embargo on Castro's Cuba -- a fictionalized treatment of a little-known story involving President John F. Kennedy.

(The Little River Inn's main house sits on the other side of the highway, opposite the ocean)

The night before declaring the Cuban blockade, Kennedy directed his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, to round up all the Cuban cigars he could find.

International politics is one thing, but for JFK cigars added up to another, so Salinger dutifully managed to find about 1,000 of the Cuban cigars for JFK.

Discussing Cigars

When he's not fly fishing, sampling Mendocino wines, or playing "Happy Birthday" on his trumpet for guests celebrating birthdays in Little River Inn's wonderful restaurant, McKinney is usually busy writing...or discussing cigars, a favorite topic.

"My consistently favorite cigar," he says, "is actually made in the U.S.

"It's a robusto made by Tradicion Cubana, a wonderful small cigar factory in the "Little Havana" section of Miami. All their cigars are handmade, most from Dominican tobacco.

"It's a classic small operation, exactly like many of the small cigar factories that used to be prevalent in Cuba. The rollers and the owner are, of course, Cuban. It's as close to the real thing as you can get."

McKinney was a trial lawyer in the Bay Area before he turned his attention to fine lodging and writing.

Little River Inn has been a family-run, coastal tradition ever since the late Ole and Cora Hervilla -- McKinney's father- and mother-in-law -- opened the lodge in 1939.

The inn sits on a hillside on the edge of Highway 1, up the road from Van Damme State Park and two miles south of the art galleries and cafes of Mendocino village.

An Inn Filled with Charm

Ever since Ole Hervilla tended bar and Cora served up the inn's famous abalone dinners, people have been charmed by the inn.

Take the bar, for instance, with its bird's-eye view of the ocean.
In his souvenir book about the history of the inn, The Finn, the Twin, and the Inn, McKinney recalled the time comedian Jonathan Winters put on a hilarious one-night stand here.

Winters was filming "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming" in Mendocino and, during a break in the filming, "conducted a three-hour, non-stop monologue...that had people literally rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter. Guests fortunate enough to be at Little River Inn that night will never forget it."

Hollywood discovered Little River Inn in 1939, when the roads leading up here weren't very good...and actress Myrna Loy and her husband happened to be driving up the coast.

Since that time, the inn has drawn the casts and crews of many films made near here, beginning with actress Joan Fontaine of "Frenchman's Creek" fame in 1943.

Other famous guests?

There was Jane Wyman, star of the 1947 film "Johnny Belinda," and James Dean, who came here in 1954 during the filming of "East of Eden" -- and was chided by Ole to keep his feet off the dining room table.

On Wyman's visit, her husband Ronald Reagan got down on the floor and showed everyone his old football moves.

One of the best things about Little River Inn is its memorable menu, filled with tantalizing items like fresh seafood brought into Noyo Harbor in Ft. Bragg.

Desserts include a warm Olallieberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Sundae, or Crème Brulee.

To accompany your meals, Little River Inn serves some wonderful wines, with a preference for Mendocino County wines, of course, especially those from the nearby Anderson Valley, where the Navarro River runs alongside a stretch of rural Highway 128 that is hidden in the trees.

Breakfasts at Little River Inn are equally as tantalizing and include Ole's Swedish Pancakes, served with Olallieberry jam.

If you prefer to eat in Ole's Whale Watch Bar, there is a very nice Bar Menu. Or, you can just claim your perch at the bar for a drink.

A Champagne Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday until noon, with favorites like Eggs Neptune and Little River Inn Blintzes.

As night fell, we could look out the big picture window of our spacious suite and beyond the wide outside deck to the ocean, which was churning up big, frothy waves in anticipation of a storm.

It was time to light the fire and settle in to watch some videos from Little River Inn's extensive library.

We could hear the wind outside…and feel the Mendocino dream.

For information on Little River Inn, call 1-888-INN LOVE, or visit www.littleriverinn.com.