Getting there: Cathay Pacific departs at 12.30am and 2.05pm for a 121/2 hour flight. Cathaypacific.com quotes a return fare at HK$20,972. United flies non-stop to San Francisco in 12 hours and its website quotes a US$1,295 economy return. Philippine Airlines, Japan Airlines, China Airlines, Eva Air, Air Canada, Delta and Korean Air also offer one-stop services, according to expedia.com
Where to stay: The Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa (bodegabaylodge.com) offers 'views of the bay and bird-filled marshes', frommers.com says. Room rates range from US$220-US$280 for a double from Sundays to Thursdays to US$245-US$295 for a two-night minimum stay at weekends. The Bodega Harbor Inn (bodegaharborinn.com) offers 'small but neat' rooms for US$80-US$155 for a double, Frommers says. In Mendocino, the three-star Agate Cove Inn promises a 'beautiful coastal setting' for US$159-US$329 double, the site says. Bodegabay.com lists lodging houses.
Car hire: Mendocino is a four-hour drive from San Francisco via Highway 101 and about six hours on the coastal Highway 1, mendocinohotel.com says. Six days with a Pontiac G6 costs US$232, Avis.com says, adding a Ford Mustang Coupe is US$479 and an SS Camaro US$761.
When to go: Summers are mild and in Bodega Bay temperatures range from 15 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees in August, but it's down to freezing in December.