It’s about 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. After driving through the hills and dales of San Francisco (why you have to drive through the city to get to the Golden Gate Bridge is just beyond me) we are here! Because its early there are very few people (nice). Here are some photos before I got there:
Look Mom! No cavities!!!! 😉
And some photos when I got to the other side.
This statue is there to honor the National Guard.
Off to our next stop!
It’s 6:30am and we are in the road! Well, almost. We had to stop for a road joe as my sister calls it, at Starbucks. I’m blogging live so you’ll experience the trip with me.
We are on a “no reservations” adventure up the Pacific Coast. Next stop is the Golden Gate Bridge! Then I want to take you on a back road along the cliffs that overlook the ocean, that I’ve never driven.
As my Dad always says “every minutes a mile” so lets hit the road!
Tomorrow morning we are hitting the road!!! Where you may ask? I’m not exactly sure but I know we’ll leave early. I also know I want to take us over the Golden Gate Bridge, up highway 1 and then just head north…having no idea where we’ll end up.
Knowing me we’ll be on the road early and should have our first glimpse of the ocean by 8/9am. I can’t wait to smell the ocean, watch the sunrise and sip my cup of Starbucks…all at the same time.
For this trip we have no reservations. I have no idea where we’ll be tomorrow night and actually no idea how long we’ll drive. 2 days, a week???? Who knows!
Here are some places we might visit. If you have a vote then chime in and write me a comment. Bodega Bay, Mendocino, Clear Lake, Avenue of the Giants, Mt Shasta, Ashland, OR, Napa Valley/Sonoma for some wine tasting??? Living in Nor CAL there are a lot of choices. I feel very lucky and blessed.
I’m off to bed but will see you in the morning…. Bright and early! Sweet dreams and get ready for a fun adventure!!!
Currently, we’re up in Mendocino which is a beautiful town which sits on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. If you’re on Main Street standing in front of the Mendocino Hotel you’ll see a path leading out to the cliffs. There are actually many paths out there that wind around and it’s a beautiful place to hike. It was sunset when I got there so I took a glass of wine and followed the path over to my favorite bench (photo below). Here are some photos I shot on my last trip. In the photo below you can see some of the unique stairways that take you up the hillside. It’s absolutely beautiful! Continue reading “Road Trip to Mendocino: Coastal Trail”
If you’re just joining us on this trip we’re doing a road trip up to the quaint town of Mendocino. When I go I always stay at the Mendocino Hotel. I love that it’s right on Main Street and has a lot of history. There are many places to stay in this beautiful town – if you have any additional suggestions please let me know. (My friend Greg also mentioned he liked the Joshua Grindle Inn as an FYI). At the Mendocino Hotel you can stay in the historic part of the hotel. They also have garden suites in the back which are also quite lovely. Some even have fire places. In the photo above you’ll see a balcony. As a guest, you can access this by going up the flight of stairs in the lobby, make a left and another left and the door will be in front of you. It’s a great place to enjoy the sunset with a glass of wine. There is also a female ghost who haunts the historic part of the hotel. Apparently, many guests have seen. She appears in the bar area, lobby and second floor. I didn’t see here when I was there but I will look for her next time 😉 Continue reading “Road Trip to Mendocino: Places to Stay & Eat”
I keep calling this state park the Mendocino “Highlands” because it reminds me of Ireland so much. (I’ve not been to Ireland but still, I’m sure it must look something like this) But actually, this park is called the Mendocino Headlands State Park. There is a narrow trail that runs along the coast and if you get there early in the morning you’ll have the most incredible views. The fog hangs over the ocean and in some areas it’s almost impossible to see what’s below the cliffs. The waves are crashing and the birds are singing. It’s really quite amazing. If you do this hike in the morning make sure you wear something warm including a hat. To get to the Headlands State Park, it’s on the very west end of the town of Mendocino. Here are some of the photos I took. Next, I’ll show you some of the places I like to eat including a fabulous Thai restaurant. If you have any additional suggestions, please let me know and I’ll add them in. Here are the photos I took around 6:30am: Continue reading “Mendocino Road Trip: Headlands State Park”
