Visiting the Mendocino Coast

Earlier this summer, my partner and I traveled up to the Mendocino coast, about 4 hours north of the San Francisco Bay area. We were seeking a quiet long weekend in a nature-filled place without excessive crowds or traffic, and we weren't disappointed! We left mid-day on a Thursday, and once we'd driven through San Francisco and crossed the golden gate bridge, the drive flew by. 

The area is sometimes referred to as the Lost Coast as it's the most undeveloped portion of coastline in the state and the closest major freeway is accessible via 30 miles of secondary roads that wind through redwood forests. Driving through the redwood forests, particularly with the sunshine coming through the branches, was an unexpected bonus of the trip. Visiting these trees is one of my favorite parts of living in California. 

The Mendocino coast had delicious food and much lower prices than in the Bay area which delighted us. The weather was cool and mainly in the 50s and 60s. We enjoyed exploring a beach known for its abundance of sea glass, a historic lighthouse, a coastal botanical garden, a local theater performance, a fantastic book store, a fun old west saloon, a delicious ice cream shop, and loved walking and driving along the rugged coast. Images below were taken by both of us.

About 30 miles from the Mendocino coast, this pull-off was a beautiful stop as we neared our destination. Sadly, this region was impacted by the Mendocino Complex fire in the weeks after we visited. 

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse 

I like to think I was reflecting on how happy the absence of crowds and cars made me feel.

Highway & Hot Summer

About four months ago, I moved to a new part of California and started a new job. It's been great! A longer and different post later on may dive deeper into the positive changes I've found. My workplace is between San Jose and San Francisco and borders the Santa Cruz mountains. It's only a few miles from Stanford University and feels like a great blend of being in the middle of a busy and exciting area, but also in the country. Even now, nearly half a year later, I often find myself reflecting on how different the weather and my route to work are compared to anywhere else I've lived.

I love that the highway that I drive on (pictured here today!) is free of billboards and has views of the Santa Cruz mountains. It can get crowded, but extreme traffic is rare on this highway as it's not as commonly traveled as others in the bay area.

In the spring, the hills were still green from the winter rain. By late May, they had turned the golden color that many native Californians rave about. At first, I missed the vividly green summers on the east coast and dreaded the upcoming "golden hills" that seemed brown to me. Now I see that they are truly straw-colored, or, a shade of gold, and they can be quite beautiful paired with live oak trees.

In early May as the grass was just turning golden...

Today, on August 14. The freeway I drive on is on the far right. The winding road is the pullout for this scenic view! The trees in the center are live oak trees. The fog at the top of the mountains is coming in from the ocean.

Most days in the summer are 85 degrees or higher with bright sunshine. I do enjoy the heat (and that I can step back into air conditioning!) but I've found it hard to keep up with re-application of sunscreen each time I'm outside. I like the predictability of each day being warm and truly a summer day, but to have some change, I'm looking forward to when it rains again in the late fall and winter.