This handsome fella may have won the Ugliest Dog Title at the Petaluma contest, but it wasn’t crowned at the original Ugly Dog Contest. Paul Bunyan Days, the oldest small town celebration on the Mendocino Coast, has posters from as far back as 1967 advertising our Ugly Dog Contest, which we believe makes our contest the original.

Don’t have an ugly dog?  Don’t worry, you and your dog buddy can still join in the fun by entering at least one of the other categories.

Registration for the competition begins at 2, and judging starts at 3, on Saturday, August 30th. Look for us on the field at the corner of N Harold and E Laurel. Better yet, visit the Paul Bunyan Days web site for a map and complete listing of the many fun family events.

In search of family-friendly vacation spots, Elizabeth Blair, a journalist from TravelingMamas.com recently brought her brood to Fort Bragg. The website is written by four mothers. Elizabeth, known as Desert Mama  (she’s from Tucson) has created a story about her visit worth reading.

Paul Bunyan Days, the oldest small town festival on the Mendocino Coast, includes some events that have been around for a very long time… the Belle of the Redwoods Competition is one of those events. Right now, for the 69th time, the Paul Bunyan Days Association is issuing a call for young ladies who’d like to be this year’s Belle. 

The Belle of the Redwoods Competition is not a beauty contest. Rather, it’s a way for young women between the ages of 16 and 20, who live anywhere on the Mendocino Coast, to have fun and make money. Contestants compete by selling raffle tickets, and the girl with the highest sales is crowned the Belle of the Redwoods during the Paul Bunyan Days Labor Day Weekend festival.

All contestants keep 10% of their ticket sales, and the winning Belle keeps 20%. What’s more, the winning Belle receives an additional $300, second place gets $150, and third $50.

If know someone who’d like to participate in this time honored tradition, they can download an application from the festival web site.

There is probably no community friendlier to families than Fort Bragg, California, a small seaside town on the rugged Mendocino Coast.

Whether you ride the Skunk Train through the redwoods or horses on the beach, there is plenty to keep both kids and parents moving at a full gallop for a weekend or a week. Because the city of 6,000 is compact, it’s easy to get around with everything within minutes of a motel, inn or campground.

Seventeen family-friendly activities:

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