We found this beautiful and secluded spot along the Mendocino coast completely by accident. There are almost too many parks and trailheads to choose from as you travel north of Albion on Highway 1 — Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, Point Cabrillo Lighthouse Museum, Russian Gulch State Park, and Mendocino Headlands State Park, to name just a few. With only […]
Muir Woods National Monument is such an amazing and beautiful place, it’s simply impossible to take it all in during a single visit. I finally had a chance to go there on a day trip last September; but despite shooting lots of photos, it still feels like a dream to me now! I’m not sure when I’ll make it back, […]
There are a number of hiking and mountain biking trails in the area of Lagoon Valley Lake and the Peña Adobe. In my search to find a path toward Jack Hume Grove, I stumbled upon the Malaka Trail. It took me across a creek and up the side of a steep, oak-studded hill that sits right next to Interstate 80. […]
Visiting the American River in Carmichael, October 2021.
This week I did a couple of hikes at different sites to the north and west of Vacaville, California. One was the Brown’s Valley Open Space; the other was Lagoon Valley Park, just off I-80. Even though I normally prefer to hike in the cooler morning temperatures, I wound up cutting my exploration of the Brown’s Valley site very short […]
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 […]
Last week on Tuesday afternoon we were restless in our little Sonoma coast motel room and looking for a place to get away from the gusty winds — Kruse Rhododendron Reserve turned out to be the perfect spot! We’ve passed by this hidden treasure so many times and never fully appreciated it; but I think we’re finally beginning to realize […]
There are plenty of places to hike and explore the rocky coastline of northern Sonoma and southern Mendocino counties, and I’ve barely seen anything at all yet, but Gualala Regional Park is already one of my new favorites. When we visited the area in late April, we had a clear, breezy day, perfect for wandering. We pulled off Highway 1 […]