Mendocino California
The west coast has many pretty towns with terrific views of the Pacific Ocean. One such town is Mendocino California. It is an intimate community of just 824 residents, counted in the 2000 census. The surrounding Mendocino County has lovely scenery and the area is a popular tourist destination. San Francisco citizens like to make a weekend retreat here.
The town is well known for its artist colony and it’s also a frequent location for movies and television. There have been over sixty movies shot here, including East of Eden, Summer of ‘42, Dying Young, Pontiac Moon and Karate Kid III. However, the area is most associated with the television series, Murder She Wrote. Many exterior scenes were filmed in the County and the town itself featured in some episodes. A real home substituted for the home of Jessica Fletcher, played by Angela Lansbury, which now operates as holiday accommodation. The show is remembered fondly by the townspeople as it brought more tourist money in and several residents were hired as extras on the set.
Such is the interest in movies in the town; the inaugural Mendocino California Film Festival took place in May 2006. It was very successful and a second one is planned for 2007. The festival showcased independent film with categories that included features, short film and documentaries. Special guests were invited, including director and actor Sydney Pollack.
The town has come a long way from its beginnings as a logging town in 1850. The successful economy started to fade out just before America’s entry into World War II. Fortunately, artists started to come to the area and the prospects for Mendocino California were revived.
The small village of Miasa in the Nagano district of Japan is the sister city for Mendocino California. This has proved very fruitful and there is a thriving student exchange program between the two communities.
Enthusiasts for wildlife and nature are very happy living here. The Mendocino Woodlands State Park is a great place to explore. There are camping grounds with comfortable cabins amongst the mighty redwood trees. There’s the opportunity to see otters, beavers, deer and foxes. Many groups book the facilities in the park for training and educational purposes.
A great deal of enterprise and imagination has gone into the town and it has found a niche for itself in the world of movies and art, gaining a reputation as a worthwhile place to visit. It will never be a boom metropolis and that’s just the way the residents like it.
