The Andiron Seaside Inn & Cabins

WinoTripping's Favorite Bed & 'Beverage'

Posted by Rich

Osprey's Dominion Vineyards

Looking to get away for a long holiday weekend, Lady Jess and I decided to look into the Mendocino Coast. Doing some online research Jess found this joint called The Andiron Seaside Inn and Cabins on Highway 1 in Little River, just South of Mendocino Village, and quite near Route 128 with all the Anderson Valley wineries and tasting rooms.

What first caught our eye was the rooms. Each room or cabin at the inn has a name, each tells a story. Room #5 is called "Read" and has furniture rescued from Stacey's Bookstore, a store I worked at for over six years in the late 90's, (and one that, unfortunately, has since closed after over 75 years of existence). Lady Jess, being a teacher, also noticed that according to the Andiron website, the curtains in the room were from an old school library. A more perfect match of room and occupant there never was!

Before we move on, I must first tell you a little about the innkeepers, Scott Connolly and Madeline Stanionis. They just bought the place in May 2009 after staying there a few months prior. The inn was built in 1959 and was known as The Andiron Lodge for some time. More recently it was known as Pacific Mist Inn & Cabins, until October 2009. That's when Scott and Madeline, living in the East Bay, and without any professional hospitality experience, bought it and restored the name back to The Andiron.

They've redone all the rooms with their own unique vision and character, giving them names like: Nature, Nurture, Here, There, Read, Write. For example, Cabin #11 is called "Curious" and is decorated like a serious stargazer's room of the 1960's. The Andiron website sums up their style like this: "You can't miss our love of everything vintage, salvage, recycled, and rehabbed, like: unusual furniture; old toys and games (like vintage Viewmasters); unique lamps; and mid-century fabrics. Every cabin is entirely unique and each tells a story".

Our room, "Read", had many literary delights, including shelves filled with old library books, and a mural that made us feel like we were standing in the stacks of our local library branch.