Winter on the Redwood Coast (from Fort Ross in Sonoma County through Irish Beach in Mendocino County) offers a remarkable variety of activities for the winter traveler.
   Spectacular storms transform the ocean into pounding fury that alternate with days of balmy sunshine.  It is the most romantic time to bring your sweetheart to the Redwood Coast.  Many lodgings offer along with cozy rooms or cottages, luxurious beds with handmade quilts or down comforters, fireplaces, and hot tubs.
   Some inns have spectacular views of the tempest-tossed seas, and most offer special off-season rates.  Be advised, however, that some businesses and restaurants are on winter schedules, so it is wise to call ahead to check the hours.

Mushroom hunting

   Winter is mushroom season for the experienced forager, with the many exotic varieties such as golden chanterelles, morels, and king boletus popping up on the forest floor.  Salt Point State Park allows mushroom hunters to pick up to five pounds per day.  Please respect private property, however, and definitely be sure you can correctly identify any mushroom you eat.
   Winter walks along the redwood forest paths are spectacular.  Waterfalls tumble down the banks at every turn.  This is the season when forest vegetation is most lush.  Ferns and fungi sprout from moss-covered fallen trees, and the fresh woodland smells should prove invigorating.

Crab & wine festival

   This is also crabbing season, and the fourth annual Mendocino Crab and Wine Festival will be held from Jan. 23 to Feb. 1.  During the festival, restaurants up and down the coast will feature crab specials and "winemaker dinners" pairing local Dungeness crab with Mendocino wines.  Look for other events including crab feeds, cooking classes, crab cruises and more.
   February brings St. Valentine's and Presidents' holidays and a fundraiser in the Gualala Arts Center will feature live and silent auctions, live music, wine lots, objets d'art, gift certificate packages of lodging and dining and other goods and services offered up for bid.

Boating & fishing

   Gualala River is often too swollen and swift at this time of year for canoeing and kayaking, but check with local outfitter Adventure Rents for current conditions.  By March, the river has usually calmed down, and guided high-water trips are offered.
   When the sandbar at the mouth of the Gualala River is breached by winter's first storms, steelhead (ocean-going trout) begin their annual spawning.  Steelhead season brings a gauntlet of fishermen to the Gualala River's banks, although any fish caught must be released.  The most up-to-date information on how the fish are biting, as well as innumerable fish stories, are usually found at the venerable Gualala Hotel built in 1903.

Beachcombing

   The beaches along the Redwood Coast--the Sea Ranch's public-access strands, Gualala Point Regional Park, Anchor Bay's Fish Rock beach, and the state beaches at Schooner Gulch and Manchester--are all but deserted during the winter.  Beachcombing on a sunny winter day often yields treasures in the piles of driftwood tossed ashore by the waves.
   Remember to use extreme caution near the winter shoreline.  So-called "sneaker waves," which rise suddenly out of a relatively calm sea, can be treacherous; never turn your back on the ocean.
   Just north of Gualala on Highway 1 is the tiny city of Point Arena, and Point Arena Cove restaurants provide excellent (and cozy) vantage spots for watching surfers brave the world-class winter break.

Whale watching

   Whale watching is, of course, one of the Redwood Coast's most popular winter pastimes, with Gualala Point and the Point Arena Lighthouse prime spots to observe the migration of the California whales.
   Whale and Jazz Festivals will be held April 2, 3, and 4 in Point Arena and Gualala.  Call the Arena Cove Bar & Grill at 800.778.5252 or Gualala Arts Center at 707.884.1138 or the Point Arena Lighthouse at 707.882.2777 for information on whale-festival events.
   Just north of Point Arena is the floodplain of the Garcia River and nesting grounds for the beautiful tundra swans, which arrive in huge flocks in late November and stay the winter.