We never know what to expect on our trips to the coast, and this trip is looking pretty promising, judging by the first day or so. I finally got my wish to see some cows up close. They were fairly mellow, although I know enough to be cautious around animals of this size! And I’ve found a few other cool […]
I’ve visited Moat Creek’s beach a handful of times in the past few years but I never seem to get quite enough. It’s beautiful at high tide and a popular surfing spot, but I’m always hoping to get a chance to explore the tide pools — on this occasion they were hidden underwater. The small parking area is roughly two […]
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 […]
I parked along Lighthouse Road outside the town of Point Arena and entered the Stornetta Public Lands through a gate I had never used before, curious to see what I might find. To be honest, I was hoping to spot some cows, or maybe even a few deer. But I saw none of these, only empty pasture land — although […]
One of the very best parts about our recent stay at The Sea Ranch cabin was the private network of trails winding through the neighborhood. Houses are constructed to blend in with the natural environment, with plenty of undeveloped buffer zones; so it was possible to wander among the redwood trees and barely notice any structures. I also never ran […]
Black Point is one of a series of public access beaches within the private community known as The Sea Ranch in Sonoma County. The other beaches include Pebble, Stengel, Shell, and Walk On Beach, and they are all connected by the Bluff Trail, which runs north all the way to Gualala Point Regional Park. I have passed by all of […]
The ocean views at Point Arena’s Stornetta Public Lands are so spectacular, you could be forgiven for failing to notice much of anything else — unless you happen to run into a few of the local cows (they actually seem fairly skittish of people, which is probably a good thing). But as I was loitering near the north gate, waiting […]
I was almost sorry to be heading to Point Reyes with little time to spare, because there were so many places along Highway 1 in Marin County where I would have loved to pull over and admire the scenery. Although I can just barely remember some trips to Dillon Beach (just across from Tomales Point, at the mouth of the […]
Cool memories of the ocean on yet another hot summer day in the Sacramento Valley.