For those who want to experience the beauty of our area without putting on hiking boots or breaking a sweat, there are miles of winding roads snaking through Little Lake Valley and into the hills surrounding Willits. Heading east on Commercial Street will take you into the valley where you can spot deer and wild turkeys beside horses and cattle. Heading up Sherwood Road will take you into Brooktrails with its towering redwoods and eventually into Sherwood Valley with its elk herds, cattle ranches and views of the forested mountain ridges leading all the way to the coast. While everyone says there’s no such thing as a straight road in Mendocino County, if you’re willing to take a leisurely drive you’ll find enough beauty to make you wonder why you don’t drive the backroads more often.