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 […]

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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 […]

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Memory Monday: Sonoma Coast, 2015

We just arrived home yesterday from our latest trip to the Mendocino coast near Fort Bragg, and this morning Google Photos prodded me with memories of an earlier visit, just a bit farther south. It was September 2015, and we were staying at the Ocean Cove Lodge in Sonoma County, a great little spot located between Salt Point to the […]

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At Russian Gulch

I’ve been wanting to stop and explore the trails at Russian Gulch State Park for a long time. Yesterday I finally got a chance to spend a couple of hours — not nearly enough to see everything, but enough to fall in love with this gorgeous part of the coast. Russian Gulch State Park was established in 1932. Just two […]

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Memory Monday: Escape to the coast

Just when I had given up on Memory Monday, I cleaned out my desk and discovered a stack of prints I had completely forgotten about. A bit over 20 years ago, in late July 2003, the Big Guy and I rented a car and drove over to the coast near Fort Ross State Park to stay in our then-favorite little […]

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Temple of Kwan Tai, Mendocino

It was easy enough for me to find this brightly painted (and lovingly cared for) historic site along Albion Street in the village of Mendocino. According to The Hiker’s Hip Pocket Guide to the Mendocino Coast by Bob Lorentzen, the first Chinese arrived in this area when their boat, headed for the gold rush, was shipwrecked on the Mendocino coast. […]

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