July 2015: Meandering South on the Coast from Seattle to San Francisco - Part 2

      Our fifth day heading home down the coast from Seattle ended in Trinidad, CA, anther favorite locale.

Beach at Trinidad.

    After dinner at a small local Mexican restaurant, we set up for the night at Patrick’s Point State Park just north of 

Trinidad.

.  

Patrick's Point State Park, Trinidad, CA.

    Friday morning began with a leisurely breakfast at another favorite, the Beachcomber Café in Trinidad. Afterwards, we walked on Trinidad's beach and checked out its truly bucolic harbor and the lighthouse replica. 

Trinidad Harbor.

Replica of Trinidad Head Lighthouse.

    Then it was back on the road. A little south of Eureka, rather than continuing along the coast, 101 stays inland, going around the Lost Coast, a rugged stretch of coastline with precipitous cliffs. At Leggett there is a choice to be made:stay inland on 101 or turn west on narrow, windy Hwy 1 back to the coast—which we did. 

    Arrived back on the edge of the Pacific at Westport, we stopped until late afternoon, when the fog began to roll in.

Traverse at Westport, where Hwy 1 rejoins the coast.

Westport, looking north toward the Lost Coast.

     Then it was on to Fort Bragg and the private and funky Sportsmen’s RV park on Noyo Harbor. Perfect weather had replaced the fog, and it was sublime being on the water watching fishing boats come and go between harbor and Pacific.

Camped on Noyo Harbor, Fort Bragg, CA.

Enjoying perfect weather.

    We walked to Silver’s at the Wharf for dinner, sitting outside with a harbor view and propane heaters to warm us. In the campground we met a young family—parents and three children—who were traveling for a year in a fifth wheel. They emailed after we returned home that they had our door mat we'd left behind should we ever cross paths again. 

Fishing boat coming in to Noyo Harbor.

 On our way out of Noyo Harbor.

    Saturday morning, our last day on the Coast, we stopped by Point Arena Lighthouse to get a picture of the Traverse for our business card, as we had the MRV the year before. 

Wouldn't you be happy if you spent the day grazing on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean?

    Next was our usual stop at the Blue Canoe Cafe in Anchor Bay, where we settled into the comfortable chairs to read for awhile.

    South of Jenner we checked out the community literally on the edge of the ocean cliffs. Mother Nature is winning the battle: each time we pass another house has been demolished or condemned. 

Shoring up Hwy 1.

    Our final night was spent backed up to the harbor at Porto Bodega RV Park in Bodega Bay, a familiar area, as my parents had lived there in retirement.

Camped on Bodega Bay Harbor.

    Sunday morning we drove out to Bodega Head to watch the ocean one last time before heading to Marin to spend the day with my younger son and his wife. 

    There we took in the Italian Chalk Painting Festival, admired the improvements they’d made to their 60-year-old home, and contemplated the concrete they were to jack hammer out that week.

Italian Chalk Painting Festival.

New raised planting bed. The 60-year-old property climbs a steep hill to a preserve.

    Monday morning was my two-year appointment with the neurosurgeon at UCSF. Then we headed to the Sacramento area to meet my tw0-week-old grandson. We spent the evening and next morning with him, his big sister, and their parents, my older son and his wife.

    The heat in Sacramento was prelude to the 108 that awaited us at home. Not to worry, however: several trips are already in the planning stages.