Mouth of the Navarro River seen from Highway 1

I really enjoy sharing the driving duties when the Big Guy and I take a road trip, but unless I pull over and stop every time I see something interesting — not an idea that would go over well with my travel companion — I wind up missing the chance to photograph a lot of cool stuff. Here are a few shots I managed to get from the passenger seat on our recent trip to Mendocino County, including a couple that I’ve been longing to aim my camera at for years!

We turned into the Navarro Redwoods State Park near Albion, California, for just a very brief visit and found the historic Fletcher Inn, built in 1865 and operating until the 1970s. I didn’t get a chance to see the inside but I was pleased that a last-minute decision to grab my phone and shoot resulted in a decent photo.

Another view of Navarro Beach, with the Fletcher Inn visible on the left

Navarro Beach Road

Navarro Beach Road

Highway 1 just north of Point Arena

Mountain View Road, our “shortcut” from Highway 1 to Highway 101 — beautiful but SO many curves! 

Sleepy Hollow Dairy, established 1926, on Lakeville Road, Petaluma

This gorgeous Victorian, built in 1865, is now part of the Rockin’ H Ranch in Petaluma