The fog was thick, and the thin ribbon of a road disappeared around yet another hair-pin turn in less than half the length of a football field. CA-1, the Shoreline Highway in Northern California, was empty except for our car and one other, with which we had been trading pull-out slots with for several miles now. But this time, instead of racing ahead, our roadway partner pulled in behind us, unwilling to pass up the views that had all but compelled us to stop.
Coastal California - Mendocino County
Out in the mist ahead of us laid a field of pyramids, giant triangular rock formations rising from the ocean floor that stretched as far down the coast as we could see. They were like sentinels guarding what remains of the shoreline. Their craftmanship exceeded the handiwork of any known mortal.
From our perch high on the cliff, we couldn’t clearly see the ocean below, but like the wind, its presence was unmistakable, as wave after pounding wave crashed against the rocks. Their sonic booms, as loud as a .45 at a gun range, provided the high notes to an endless aqueous melody.
At that early hour, the sun was but a large white halo low in the sky, its rays muted by mist that felt like rain. The ground where we stood felt solid, yet very temporary. In my bones, I knew that the restless sea would one day come and claim its prize. But at the moment, we savored the beauty of nature, doing her thing: mixing sand with water, carving sentinels from solid stone, and creating for us a visual gift that came wrapped in an ephemeral morning mist. On a Sunday morning on a lonely stretch of highway near Elk California, the soft sun, two strangers, along with Vivien and I got to bear witness to all the beauty that unfolded. Later, as we waved goodbyes to our fellow travelers, our expectations were high for the rest of the trip. And it turned out to be just that - glorious indeed.
Map of our California - Oregon Road Trip
Rewinding a bit, our winter road trip had started the day after Christmas, when we flew from Phoenix over to San Francisco. We wanted to get a head start on our 2022 travels, before winter’s grip would have much of the country in its icy embrace. Our loose plans were to head north from San Francisco and get as far as was practical, via the inland CA-101, and then make our way south via the scenic CA-1 coastal highway. Weather forecasters had predicted a rain front for coastal Oregon and California for the following week, so making it to Oregon became a top priority.
At SFO, we grabbed our rental car and headed north. In keeping with our self-imposed retirement road trip travel policy of traveling only up to a maximum of 200 miles per day, our first stop was the East Bay town of Emeryville. Small, by California standards, with a population of about 11,360 residents, Emeryville is a charming little sister city sandwiched between its larger, more populous siblings of Oakland and Berkeley.
The Emeryville California Pier
The Emeryville Pier with a Rainbow over Oakland in the Distance
With Emeryville as our base, we strolled around Oakland’s Jack London Square, and much to our surprise, it looked to be on its deathbed. This stood in stark contrast to when I last visited over a decade ago, when it was much more vibrant with many shops, restaurants and a pulsating night life. Now, we had the place almost to ourselves, except for the noisy trains that pulled into and out of the Amtrak station located right off the square.
The town has a large marina, that is edged by a park and a long pier, both of which provided sweeping views of San Fran, Oakland and Berkeley. Thick fog obscured the city lights at night, but the morning sunrises were worth the early wake-up calls. Rainbows instead of rain greeted us on our daily walks through the park and along the pier. Small visual blessings that we gladly received; it was the Christmas season after all. Our travel days go by fast, and soon enough, our time was up and continued our trek northward into wine country.
Emeryville, California
Our next landing spot was Ukiah, a small hard scrabble outdoorsy farming town along the CA-101 corridor. What surprised us about this area were the number of very accessible regional parks co-existing with a variety of fully operational vineyards. We did our walk-then-lunch excursion at Crane Creek Regional park, which turned into quite an experience. On one hand, it’s a people’s park with the requisite walkways, benches and a large Ultimate Frisbee course. On the other, it’s also an active cow pasture. Very cool. There are signs warning visitors that the park is a shared resource for both people and cows alike. And to top it off, vineyards surround the park.
Coastal Hwy CA-1 Looking North Near Sea Ranch California
I like vineyards but not for the wines that they produce, but for their potential as photography subjects. All those neat rows of vines along bucolic rolling country sides, make for fantastic photographs, if the lighting is right. During our stay in Ukiah, the mornings were foggy and the afternoons too cloudy, thus my cameras stayed in my bag. Vineyard photography would have to wait for a future visit.
What we love more than vineyards is being around water, a DNA vestige from our Island roots, I suppose. Therefore, visiting Lake Mendocino and Clear Lake had made it onto the itinerary, early in our trip planning process. Included in our lake visits were stops along the way to see the lakeside towns of Lucerne, Nice and Pepperwood Grove, along the CA-20 corridor. The Locals call this area the “Switzerland of the USA.” We agree with the sentiment. Indeed, this “Lake District” area of California reminded us of some of our travels through Austria and Germany.
Lucerne, California, December 2021
Fed by the bulging Russian River and its many tributaries, Lake Mendocino and Clearlake were bursting at the seams, their verdant banks plush with plants not yet dormant for the winter. In some places, unhealthy swarms of mosquitoes, soon to be exterminated by a killing frost (I hope), bombarded me as I took pictures.
These days I carry and often use 5 cameras on my travel road trips. In order of fun, they are:
· My Drone: A DJI Mavic 2 Pro
· My DSLR: A Canon 5D DSRS
· My GoPro: A Hero7
· My Pocket Cameras: An iPhone 8 (ancient, I know), and a Canon G7x
I take a lot of pride in my photography, and yes, that pride does costs some bucks. So, for the sake of marital harmony I won’t even list, you know, the additional accessories, like lens, batteries, tripods, camera remotes and camera bags etc. Whenever I try to explain to Vivien that, “Honey I bought every one of these on sale,” her kindest and most common verbal response is, “Sure you did.” Disbelief, wrapped in a sarcastic smirk, is her most common facial expression. But, you know, a brother needs his toys, and besides, I don’t play golf.
The Russian River Feeding Into Lake Mendocino
In trying to stay ahead of an impending storm front, our next stop was Eureka, a neat peninsular of a town from which several small islands had broken off a millennium or two ago. The graceful and low-slung Samoa Bridge connects the Tuluwat and Woodley Islands to the Eureka mainland.
Eureka, California
On one of our excursions to the islands, while Vivien caught up with the family via cell phone, I had a photography double header, where I first clicked away using my drone, followed by a session using the DSLR. Between the Samoa Bridge, the islands, the charter fishing boats languishing in the marina and the blue waters of Arcata bay, I was in a subject rich environment. I photographed some of my best pictures while hanging out on Tuluwat Island. We spent our days in Eureka within the pocket of nice weather window. The forecast called for rain, and that within a few days our luck would change, so we hurried on to Oregon.
Tuluwat Island near Eureka, California
Along the way to Oregon, we stopped at Redwood National Park. While the park was beautiful, it was soggy from recent rains, making the trails very difficult to navigate. We’ll revisit again during the drier months for a more immersive experience. However, one aspect of the visit that I enjoyed was the drive through the Redwoods. The twisting narrow roads, the fog, the dim headlights, and the huge centuries old tree trunks reaching into the heavens, all combined to give the journey a mystical spiritual feel. To share this space and time with these Ancient Ones filled me with gratitude.
Eureka California
We crossed over into Oregon just ahead of rains. A small town of about 6,320, Brookings is a seaside municipality on the edge of the Pacific, surrounded by nothing but greenery, where driftwood washes up onto the beach. We saw plenty of backpackers, campers and Van lifers enjoying their time at the beach; and many razorless men lounging as if waiting for their next Grateful Dead concert. The place gave off a rugged chill vibe, where that vapor stream from a trailer might be cannabis, but no one cared. We walked along the seawall and I got some beautiful aerials of boats making it into and out of the harbor, in what turned out to be the last full, sunshiny day. Then the Oregon rains came, and we turned back south into California and headed to the Mendocino coast for a little more sun and some of the most rugged coastline and waves that we have ever seen.
Brookings, Oregon, January 2022
Prior to the trip, our friends had made several recommendations for things to see and do in Mendocino. But because of the surging Covid numbers, we restricted ourselves to outdoor sight-seeing with no human contact. Mendocino is a cozy, beautiful place for sure, with some of the most rugged coastline I’ve encountered up close. The soundtrack of the shoreline were the enormous waves making thunderous collisions against the rocks. The mornings had a late rising sun attempting to pierce through thick mist and fog. This filled the afternoon skies with clouds and rainbows as the rays fought their way through. On most days, by early evening the fog had returned, shortening the daylight hours. This was the weather pattern for our 4 days in Mendocino. Bad weather often makes for unique photographs, and I got plenty. We’ll be back in the summer for sure.
Mendocino, California, January 2022
I loved kickin it with Vivien on this road trips. We got to stroll sea cliffs and deserted lakefronts during off-peak hours. On some days, we ate too much and exercised too little, while on other days, we spent all our time on our feet exploring new trails, seeing fresh places, visiting new parks and gardens. And on the days, when the rain was too heavy and the fog too thick, we slept in, and forgot which day of the week it was. This is the traveling-in-retirement life we envisioned, and we’re grateful that we get to live it.
Point Arena Lighthouse
We stayed calm during an American Airlines flight cancellation and subsequent flight change, and finished up our trip with a visit to the beach in San Rafael. Then, after a quick 90-minute, uneventful flight, we were home.
We are caught up on our Christmas cards and bills, our sleep and yard-work, and are busy planning our next trip. We think that a trek to the Southeastern parts of the USA might be in order come springtime. Stay tuned.