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’m really not a daredevil, at all. But to look at some of the photos I shot along the Mendocino coast, you might get that impression. I will admit that I did rather foolishly pick my way across the rocky “bridge” in the photo below. But in my defense, I was following the Big Guy; and when we reached the […]
We decided to venture a little bit further north on this coastal trip, to southern Mendocino County. As our base, we chose a small but comfy Airbnb not far north of the Arena Point Pier, with easy walking access to the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands — perfect for early morning hikes. The Big Guy was searching for some new fishing […]
I had never seen this 2003 episode of Golden Coast before today, but I immediately recognized the area in Salt Point State Park where Huell went for a hike! I also feel more than a bit jealous of the lucky group of Coastwalk hikers who made the three-month journey from the Oregon state line to the Mexican border. It must […]
I’m never surprised to see a deer somewhere along this Folsom path, especially since it’s very near the American River. But this was my first time encountering a coyote here. This young female sat down and looked at me, took a few minutes to ponder, and then doubled back on her trail and disappeared into the brush.
It’s been more than a year since I last hiked in this area on the south bank of the American River in Folsom, and I had been meaning to come back long before this. Partly because it’s within walking distance of my house; and partly because I was very curious to locate a mysterious hole in the rocks I had […]
I was surprised to spot this ground squirrel perched high above me on the rocks, mostly because his position left him very vulnerable to any hungry bird of prey who might come along. But the amazing view must have been well worth the risk — at least to judge from his body language and the parade of expressions marching across […]
Last weekend the temperatures were sizzling here in the Sacramento Valley, so of course I started thinking about escaping to some cool spot in the mountains — like Yosemite. I’ve mentioned more than once that I have yet to visit Yosemite National Park in my life; and while the ongoing health crisis means that you currently need reservations to drive […]