Coastal mood
Below, just a few of the things I’ve noticed recently alongside of or near Highway 1 in Mendocino County — specifically, in the small town of Point Arena.
October hike
I really have mixed feelings about hiking from the Sterling Pointe trailhead at Folsom Lake. On the plus side, parking is free and the lot is usually nearly empty whenever I go. It’s also a fairly easy hike downhill to the lakeshore with great scenic views and even a bench or two along the way. Once at the bottom, you […]
Driving over water
Last June we went on quite a long road trip, driving from Northern California to Fort Worth, Texas, to visit the Big Guy’s parents. It was the second time we’d done this drive, and we figured we were getting to be old hands at this type of travel. So much so that the Big Guy decided on an extra side […]
Riparian habitat
I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started the trail known as the Ecological Staircase at Mendocino County’s Jug Handle Reserve, but it turned out to be a really great hike — not too physically demanding and yet a decent workout. All the way out to the Pygmy Forest and back, it totals about 5 miles. After taking […]
Fuchsia
At the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, I was surprised to find so many different varieties of fuchsia, and each one of them more beautiful than the last!
Bridges and boardwalks
If you’re traveling along coastal Highway 1 in Mendocino County, you will probably notice there are quite a number of different bridges crossing over creeks and rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean. From south to north, the scenic artery crosses the Gualala River, Elk Creek, the Navarro River, the Albion River, the Big River, Jughandle Creek, and the Noyo […]
At Oregon Bar
Rabbits at Russian Gulch
The campground at Russian Gulch State Park is currently closed for the season — to humans, that is. On the other hand, the cottontails are making themselves right at home. I accidentally caught a few of them in the middle of an afternoon snack when I took a stroll through the area last week. They didn’t seem especially alarmed to […]
Living history
Any able seaman knows that a healthy ship needs continual care and maintenance to ensure long life. Constant exposure to the marine environment will wear away at the sturdiest vessel — even when she’s spending her retirement years docked in a safe harbor. So when I arrived at the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park at the Hyde Stree Pier […]