On my first visit to the Caspar Headlands, the skies were clear and the wind was gusting so forcefully that I could scarcely stand in one spot. And even though it was nearly the end of May, I had on my warm winter coat — and yet I felt so miserably cold that I barely managed to shoot a few photos of the nearby sea lions before retreating to the car.

It’s all too easy to drive right past this small parking area by the side of South Caspar Road, a little way off Highway 1 in Mendocino County. Caspar Headlands State Beach and Caspar Point lie to the north, and the Point Cabrillo Light Station State Park is only a mile away to the south; so at first glance this quiet little spot doesn’t offer much. But when I returned the next day with the Big Guy, the wind had died down at least somewhat, and we were able to spend some time exploring the lower level of rocks that faced south and offered some shelter from the gusts. I would love to come back here sometime in the future and take the time to wander even farther. Hopefully on a day with only a light breeze!