I first discovered Moat Creek back in November 2020 when we stopped there very briefly on our way to the Fort Ross area. At the time it seemed like a popular surfing spot, but I had no idea there were also easily accessible tide pools to explore. During my second visit in late September I had a little more time […]
Although I can’t recall ever actually stopping there, the Milk Farm Restaurant was a familiar landmark alongside Interstate 80 in Dixon, California, all during my childhood. The restaurant complex shut down in 1986, and the buildings are long gone now; but the sign remains — at least for the time being. Fearing its eventual demise, I’ve been wanting to stop […]
Afternoon sunlight spills through the branches of the massive coastal redwoods at the Muir Woods National Monument hiking trails, October 2021.
In my lifetime, I’ve crossed and recrossed the Yolo Causeway many, many times. But last week was the first time I actually stopped to explore the surrounding wetlands, now designated as the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area. I wasn’t precisely sure what to expect when Google told me I had arrived at my destination — and I’ll admit I was […]
I’ve spent a fair amount of time along the Sonoma coast in Northern California ever since the mid 1980s, and it has always seemed to me the epitome of a rugged and rocky shoreline. But after recently spending a week a little farther north in Mendocino, I’m beginning to realize I ain’t seen nothing yet! I stumbled upon this particular […]
I’ve wanted to explore the Marin peninsula’s Muir Woods for quite a long time — it’s one of many suggested outings for visitors to San Francisco — and this week I finally took the plunge, renting a car and making a day trip out of it. And while I enjoyed both the drive and the destination, despite freeway traffic jams […]
Although it runs the length of California’s coast, once north of San Francisco State Route 1 becomes a scenic two-lane roadway that dips and climbs as it snakes its way across rivers (like the Russian, the Gualala, the Navarro, and the Noyo) and through a lot of small towns, one of which is Point Arena, population 473. It’s all too […]
The Point Arena Pier was closed to the public during our first visit in November of last year. This time around, the pier was open and we were able to walk out to the end and have a look around. Things still seemed a bit quiet — but maybe that’s because we’re so used to seeing tourists teeming around Bodega […]