I always enjoy the trip over to the coast, and I especially like sharing driving duties with the Big Guy; we’ve both agreed that I’m more patient in dealing with freeway frustrations. For years I avoided any driving on roads with a lot of twists and turns, especially along the coast — but these days I’m getting more comfortable in those situations as well. The only real downside to this is that I have fewer chances to shoot pictures out the window. That’s why a lot of my images from Sonoma County tend to show the same scenes over and over; I’m still quite happy to let the Big Guy handle the stretch of Highway 1 between Bodega Bay and Fort Ross, where the winding road climbs steeply up to Myers Grade Road in switchbacks and breathtaking drop-offs, often with no guardrails on the shoulder. These photos are all from our most recent trip in late September 2022.

Russian River and Jenner Beach

Goat Rock

Highway realignment project at Scotty Creek

Bluff top and creek shore erosion prompted this major project

A farmhouse upgrade