#321 - Heritage House in Little River, CA

Little House on the Coast

It was a damp January day, when Don and I pulled up to this ivy-covered house in Mendocino County.

The day looked gloomy, but I couldn't have been more delighted to lay eyes on the curious house that I'd read about!

On CA-1

We almost missed the turn, while winding south on the 2-lane highway. 

The trees obscured our view of the property, perched high above the coast. I hollered, "Here!!" just in time. Don turned right and we could see the sweet yellow house right away.

​Dennen's Heritage House

This New England style farmhouse was 72 years old, when Lauren (Don) and Hazel Dennen bought the property, in 1949. 

Initially they opened it as more of a country inn, with a few guest rooms upstairs. Don worked on the property and Hazel cooked for guests. Eventually it was a sprawling resort on 37-acres.

By 1960s

​The Dennens had lots of room to expand on their property. By 1963, the little resort was described as a quiet country inn. The restaurant was popular enough to be featured in the Ford Treasury Cookbook. This is the illustration that accompanied a recipe for pancakes.

The words below the image mention a history with smugglers! I believe this may have been during prohibition, before the Dennens owned the property.
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Since 1877

​As we moved towards the house, I noticed the reminder above the red door. ​"Built in 1877 AD" (love the AD)

The carpenter who actually built this farmhouse for the first owner, was John Dennen. J Dennen was Don's grandfather. So there's good reason for the pride behind that date.

Hazel's Bell  

To the left of the door, I noticed a bell, standing on a twisty arrangement of bricks.

Words on the plaque read, "Founder Hazel Dennen rang this bell to signify the start of the dinner hour at 5:00 every day"

"Lobby"

We stepped inside the yellow house and found the  registration desk and some freshly baked cookies.

There were a few chairs and pieces of art.

I asked Nancy at the desk, if the fireplace was original. She said that wall of the lobby, was actually an addition. Heritage House is all about additions!

I took a look at some of the framed photos and art, displayed on the mantel. It became clear, the Dennens of my cookbook, no longer have the spotlight. The Dennen family ownership ended in 1998.

Alan Alda & Ellen Burstyn

It's been 46  years, since these familiar faces filmed scenes on this property. There's still a spotlight on these 2 stars who spent a good deal of time here, filming in 1978.

I remember seeing the movie "Same Time, Next Year" when I was a college student, in '78. Alan and Ellen played characters, who had an affair spanning 25 years. Funny that I don't remember audiences really frowning at the morality of this. Maybe they did?

The movie story begins in 1952, when the characters meet at the cozy resort on the Pacific. After hitting it off, they meet once a year, staying ​in one of the inn's cottages, overlooking the ocean.

​The front Dennen's farmhouse is only shown briefly in the movie. An interior restaurant scene, exterior cottage scenes and stunning Pacific views, were all captured at Heritage House.

The Sprawling Grounds

This watercolor image was also displayed above the mantel.

It gives an idea of how much the Dennen's resort expanded over the years.

Both my photo and the painting, show the sprawling additions on the hill, Numerous cottages overlooking the water are out of view.

​Behind the House

All the yellow structures were gradually added, behind the house.  

The same barn that is shown in the cookbook illustration, is the tallest building in this photo.

Endless Space

The entrance to that collection of additions, (within yellow buildings) was to the left of the reception desk. Don and I explored the curious area... sort of a maze of common areas. 

When did the Dennens begin expanding so dramatically? All the windows in the distance made me feel like I was looking towards dressing room mirrors. Infinity mirrors!

Skylight

My eyes were drawn to the painted dome in the center of the room. New owners (after the Dennens) decided to close up the skylight. The circular dome played tricks on my eyes. It is not tilting or oval shaped, like my photo.

I wanted to see the place filled with guests, in the 1970s maybe. How did this room look on a sunny day?  

Pacific View

Don and I wandered past the couch and piano and looked into a couple dining/sitting areas. So many windows! I tried to imagine the spectacular view at sunset, without clouds.

The wind was howling outside and whistling through some of the windows. 

We stepped to a different level and took in another view. There were stools and chessboard tables. Were there games somewhere? I craved a fireplace and a book.

I felt a blast of damp air, when I opened the door to the deck. Again, I tried to imagine it not being January. 

5200 Lounge and Restaurant

At the end of the maze, we found the lounge and restaurant, named for the inn's address on Hwy 1. I peeked through the glass window, looking into the locked lounge. 

I imagined the bar hopping with guests 50+ years ago. I'd read that Don Dennen often tended bar. Sometimes he allowed guests to make their own drinks, when he needed to wait on tables.

The Dining Room

Nancy left the front desk for a bit and let us go in and have a peek at the closed dining room. It was frustrating being there on a night when it was closed.

But what fun to see the fireplace that's shown in one of the movie scenes. 

The fireplace looks a lot larger in the movie pic, but it's the same one. Odd how angles and perspective can change things!

Chatting with Nancy

Nancy couldn't have been a better host. She was so appreciative of the Heritage House history. Nancy started working at the resort 3 years ago, but her memories go back to her childhood. Her dad worked on landscaping at the resort and she often came along with him to the property.

I showed Nancy the old cookbook and the illustration. She's not old enough to be as amused as me by a quirky 61 year old cookbook. But she was intrigued with the vintage image and recipes. I didn't exactly explain that we actually chose this hotel, because we found it in the cookbook!

More Wandering

Nancy pointed us toward a couple halls and told us to be sure to check out the displays of art and antiques.

I was lost in the maze of additions. I kind of think the art hall, was within part of the old barn. Could be wrong!

The Collections

The Dennens were big collectors. Initially they furnished the rooms with antiques they collected. 

Don and Hazel passed away in the '80's and their daughter eventually sold in 1998. New owners took over and made high dollar changes, creating a more ritzy resort, with less cozy charm. The Dennen's name was obviously removed and so were the treasures. Luckily some have returned to display cases in recent years. 

​Finding Our Room

Our off-season stay didn't offer perfect weather, but we did get an upgraded room.

We took a walkway near Hazel's bell. I chuckled as we passed by this brick walkway that went beneath an addition or two. I don't know why this assemblage of buildings just intrigued me so!

Such a crazy mix of styles and shapes! Some connected and some not. My arrow actually points more to our neighbor's glass door. But it gives an idea of where we were.

Room 8

I would have loved a room in the original house. The older the funner, for me!

But when we stepped inside our (maybe 1970's) vintage cottage, I was happy to stay put!

Perfect Retreat

Our room for $235. was a bargain, even in winter.

Suddenly I didn't care about the gloomy weather. We had a gas fireplace that made the room cozy right away!

And we had glass doors, looking out towards the ocean. 

We had a cloud-like king bed, even though we'd booked the cheapest room... with a queen.

And we actually had a phone and TV. The Dennens provided luxurious rooms, but they kept phones and TVs out. A huge number of their guests returned often and liked it that way.

"Kitchen"

Since we knew the restaurant would be closed, we brought our own food for dinner.

It was nice having the fridge and microwave and Nespresso machine. Also nice to close the cabinet doors and not look at it! 

Better Than Photo

All these photos fail to capture the comfortable, classy feel of our room. The bathroom especially, was much nicer than the photo.

You can't see the generous size, or the impressive rainfall shower. You can't see the skylight, or feel the heated slate floors. 

See the Sea

In this photo, you can see (barely) that we did indeed have an ocean view. 

We could have gotten a Premier Ocean View Room for $700. but this was just fine!

Rain was predicted, so I made use of one of the Adirondack chairs, for a little bit.

Wandering the Property

Don and I were able to get out and wander the grounds before the storms.

There was no swimming pool on the grounds, but there were winding paths along the edge of the cliff... with crashing waves below! Much better!
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It was January, but we still saw some flowers.

I can only imagine what the grounds look like in the spring and summer.

Same Time Next Year Cottage

Nancy gave us a map, which helped. We were able to spot the cottage from the movie.

It looked a little different. The wood shingle siding is painted now. No shutters.

There also were no cars parked nearby! So we snooped around a bit.

The cottage is actually divided now. You can rent the "Same Time" room or the "Next Year" room. Both have a nice view.

Slideshow

On our walk, we discovered a gazebo and a gravestone, with both Dennen's names. "May the sea be your shelter"

Nancy told us later that it was only a memorial. I believe their ashes were scattered in the Pacific.

Settling In

We returned to our room before the rains began.

Don made drinks and we watched the skies until it was too dark. 

We ate some amazing and sloppy sandwiches and chili, from a cute shop in Ft. Bragg.  

Then I put on a plush robe and popped open my dessert! An ice cold bottle of Saranac 1888 Shirley Temple Pop! Well it wasn't so tasty. But it was fun and I didn't spill on my robe!

Rain and Rain

The rains howled all night. The sound was extra dramatic on the bathroom skylight. The sweet hum of the ceiling fan helped me sleep well.

I couldn't sleep past 6. It was so cozy with the rain, I made Nespresso and curled up on one of those white marshmallow chairs!

Breakfast Buffet

At 8, we took umbrellas and wandered up to the yellow house for complimentary breakfast. I took the old cookbook, in case anyone cared.

No other guests joined us for breakfast. Only a handful of the nearly 50  rooms/cottages had guests. They must have been sleeping in.

Heritage House Hotcakes!

As soon as we arrived, Louis appeared from the kitchen and greeted. As if awaiting our arrival, the heated dishes filled with eggs, potatoes and yes... pancakes! 

We shared the book with Louis and later met the chef and gave him big compliments. I didn't complain that our hotcakes were not served with sour cream! That's an odd addition in the recipe!

What a treat to have a delicious, freshly cooked breakfast, while watching rain gush through dozens of windows! 

After finishing my coffee, I asked Nancy back in the lobby, if she'd slept at the desk! She laughed and promised no. Then she warned us about the weather. "When the rain and wind hits like this, I expect to hear a lot of sirens on the highway." We thanked her and adjusted our route before heading off!

What's Notable?

We stayed at a resort that began 75 years ago, with a cute house and hospitable hosts. Even though other owners have changed the look and vibe over the years, the Dennen family would probably like to know, I still felt the cozy charm. The family did own it for almost 50 of those years, after all!

The original house and its gorgeous setting, gave me the nostalgic country inn feel, that I wanted. The luxurious modern room offered even more comfort than expected. The kind staff, from Nancy to the maintenance guy, (who cut that big limb!) to the folks at breakfast, all made us feel incredibly welcome. 
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I hope we can return for a stay when the gardens are in full bloom! We'll need to save up for summer rates, though!