Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are answers to some questions that we get asked a lot.
- Where is the Webcam? It's upstairs in a window on the north side of the Farmhouse, above the Sunstone room.
- When do the whales go by? The real answer is from the end of December until mid-April. Sometimes, the questioner is asking about time of day, and the answer is during daylight hours -- I have yet to see a whale at night. :)
- Why is it called Agate Cove? There are agates on the beach down below. Our property goes down to the waterline, and we have (with great effort) collected agates from there. Ask Dennis if you'd like to see some polished agates from our beach.
- How can you stay connected? We don't have phones in the rooms, but there are several ways to stay in touch. We have a guest phone that is available 24 hours-a-day. If you receive a call while the desk is staffed (12 hours per day), we'll get the message to you. If it is after hours, we'll get the message to you in the morning. If it's an emergency, there is an after-hours contact number that is always monitored. Cell phones have begun to work in the area on a limited basis -- ask us about the hot spots.
- Are there any good beaches here? There are several fine beaches, but be aware that the water temperature ranges between the high forties and the low fifties. That being said, the closest sandy beach is Big River Beach here in town. Other sandy beaches to the south include: Van Damme State Park, the beach at Navarro River Redwoods SP, and Greenwood State Beach in Elk. Going north, you'll find beaches at Caspar Gulch, Jughandle SP, and at MacKerricher SP north of Ft Bragg. MacKerricher is an awesomely beautiful spot, with a large colony of harbor seals.
- Where are the nearest big redwoods? Since there are redwoods in every direction from here except west (i.e., the ocean), we can afford to be connoisseurs. We are 35 miles away from the tallest tree in the world -- a 366-foot behemoth -- at Montgomery Woods SP. Russian Gulch SP and Van Damme SP are both only a couple of miles away from here, and both have easily accessible groves of trees. Hendy Woods SP, just off Highway 128 in the Anderson Valley, has several groves of virgin redwood trees that are easily accessible from the parking areas. The Avenue of the Giants is a day trip from here, taking you through Humboldt Redwoods SP. The Jackson Demonstration State Forest is a 50,000 acre redwood forest, and it occupies the area to the east of Mendocino.
- Where do we get our drinking water? Although the entire town of Mendocino gets its water supply from individual wells, we share a water processing plant with our neighbors. Our water is tested by the state multiple times per week to ensure that it meets municipal water standards.
- What are some of the more unusual things to see at Agate Cove? Most of the truly unusual things have to do with the ocean, given our location.
- Huge waves: about 3 or 4 times a year, we get 25-foot waves rolling into the Cove. The largest wave I've seen here was 30-feet tall, which is an unbelievably massive wall of water. It's a good thing we're up on top of a 125-foot cliff!
- Full moon on the water: when the full moon gets low in the sky, it illuminates the water in an ethereal way -- it looks like liquid mercury out there. If there are waves at that time, the crests look like diamonds sparkling. This only happens deep in the middle of the night, so I'm usually the only person who sees this.
- Dolphins: one time, a school of dolphins came into the Cove. For about half an hour, the group played and fed right out in front of us, and then the gradually went back north out of the cove.
- Blue herons: herons are all over the area, and every now and then, they like to perch on the big rock down in front of us. Even at that distance, a blue heron stands out because they are so tall!
- Osprey catching salmon: the osprey hunt in the Cove in front of us at different times of the year. Six times now, I've seen an osprey fly off with a salmon in its clutches. Osprey always carry the fish facing forward for best aerodynamics!
- Do we ever get tired of looking at the ocean? Nope, not at all. I sometimes get tired of working a lot of days in a row, but that's what vacation is for. But even at my most tired (end of the summer season), I have never tired of watching the ocean.
- Do we sell gift certificates? Yes, we sell them in any denomination. They never expire, either, so there's no rush to use one.
