“The ocean was the best place, of course. That was what she loved most. It was a feeling of freedom like no other, and yet a feeling of communion with all the other places and creatures the water touched.” ― Ann Brashares
Sunday & Monday (6/23 & 24) – Olema, CA
We spent most of the day Sunday driving from the Yosemite area to the coast, and we were happy to arrive at the Olema Campground ($56 per night, water & electric only; site 130), where we had a spacious site surrounded by large trees. Our neighbors, two California couples traveling together, were a wealth of information about the area, and made suggestions about what to see at Point Reyes National Seashore.
The next morning we drove out to the seashore, beginning with the visitor’s center. Upon the ranger’s advice, we drove out toward the lighthouse and Chimney Rock. The lighthouse was closed, but the elephant seal overlook was open, and a short trail brings you to a spot where you can see what look like large logs haphazardly strewn on the beach. Then one of them raises a flipper for a better angle on the sun, and occasionally another ripples along the beach in its own peculiar seal gait. They were fun to watch, even if they were mostly asleep.
The weather that day was cool and sunny and perfect—which was wonderful because it was my birthday! After the elephant seal overlook we retraced our steps and went into the town of Point Reyes Station for lunch. We had a delicious lunch in the garden of the Station House Cafe. I had curried cauliflower soup, a beet salad, and rustic bread that was so delicious I could have wept. Then we visited Toby’s Feed Barn, a cross between Magnolia and a farmer’s market, and Point Reyes Books, which is my new favorite independent bookstore. I could have seriously bought out the place. Between Toby’s and the bookstore, I chose my own birthday presents.
After that, we returned to the seashore to take another route out to Pierce Point Ranch and McClure’s beach. Along the way there were rolling hills and fields full of munching cows that made me think of Ireland and Scotland.
We ended the day with a visit back into town so I could get an ice cream cone for my birthday dessert: lemon cookie in a crispy waffle cone. Best. Ever.
On Tuesday morning Dave got up early to take the truck in to Cheda’s Garage for an oil change. It was a good old-fashioned garage, with the mechanics teasing each other and enjoying life. They took great care of the truck, including cleaning the mirrors and the windows! Dave wishes they were in VA.
After that we got on the road to Mendocino and Ft. Bragg, where we spent the night. The 160-mile trip took us 6 hours! That’s because we took the Pacific Coast Highway, Route 1. It’s very scenic, full of twists and turns, and we also stopped in Mendocino for a look around. It was charming, with picket fences and riots of flowers everywhere.
Tuesday (6/25) – Ft. Bragg, CA
The Harbor RV Park ($46, full hookups; site 38) isn’t much to look at when you first arrive, but it is right on the ocean. Unfortunately our site didn’t back up to the water view, but we put the windows open to the fresh sea air, and then walked along the paved path along the cliff above Noyo Harbor. It was a cool 60 degrees, and we we curious about the weather patterns in the area. It turns out that it never rises above 65 and never dips below 42! I didn’t know such places existed. We went back out to watch the sun set around 8:30, and it was magnificent. I could have stayed here another day, but we needed to move on.
Wednesday & Thursday (6/26 & 27) – Trinidad, CA
The winner of the friendliest RV park front office staff goes to Sounds of the Sea! Both of the young women I interacted with over the course of our time there couldn’t have been more friendly or accommodating, a real rarity. However, we were jammed in pretty tightly with the other RVs next to us (site 13; $50 per night, full hookups), and it wasn’t our most pleasant camping experience.
We arrived at Sounds of the Sea after a long and winding drive up the Pacific Coast Highway (with a number of Tsunami Zone warnings—yikes!), but we had some daylight left and decided to check out Patrick’s Point State Park. We took the rim trail to the Wedding Rock overlook for some spectacular views of the rocky shoreline, then walked over to the Patrick’s Point overlook. We also visited the Sumeg Village, a replica of a 19th-century Yurok village. I was particularly interested in the doors of the houses, which are small and round and close to the ground. Apparently the size and shape of the door allowed women to protect the house with burning sticks should an intruder or a bear come calling.
That night we went into Trinidad (pop. 350) for dinner at the Trinidad Bay Eatery and strolled along the walkway where the old memorial lighthouse used to be (where it is now I have no idea!).
On Thursday we drove into Redwood National Park, which encompasses three state parks. There is no entrance fee to the national park, but there is for the state parks. We began at the Kuchel Visitor Center, and learned that there would be a ranger-led program at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Fun fact: LBJ would only sign the paperwork creating the national park if it some part of it were named after his wife. When they balked, he said, “Do you want the damn thing or not?” It’s a good thing all parties agreed, because by the time the park was created in 1968, 96 percent of California Redwoods were already gone. Even the 4 percent left was a bone of contention, as the loggers still wanted what was left. We saw a number of logging trucks that had full loads while we were there, so there must be some mutually agreeable arrangement.
Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, some topping 370 feet. Their bark doesn’t look red from the outside, though, the way the sequoias do. Having seen both, sequoias are my favorite. We also took the Newton B. Drury Scenic Highway through the Redwoods, which was lovely, and visited the High Bluff Overlook. The road to get there, as we have come to expect, was bone-jarring. The poor truck! Dave says it's going to need a four-wheel alignment when we return.
After that, we went back into town to the Lighthouse Grill for lunch and then back to camp for a nap. We were both tired over the previous few days. Too much sea air?
Friday & Saturday (6/28 & 29) – Prospect, OR
We spent two nights at the Crater Lake RV Park ($33 per night, water & electric, no dump station), which wasn’t far from the entrance to Crater Lake National Park. Our site backed up to the road, but the traffic noise wasn't bad. It was a nice site, and there was a trail that wound around the back of the property, with a little covered bridge over the clearest stream I have ever seen.
The next day (our 16th anniversary!) we visited the park and learned that the western half of the Rim Road around Crater Lake was closed due to snow, but we had some fabulous views on the eastern side. We have learned to get to the parks early to avoid crowds, but we didn’t get there quite early enough. It was swarming with people, although we were able to get a parking spot whenever we needed one. Some of the crowd were in crazy-looking Mad Max-type cars, and were participating in some kind of rally. The weirdest—and I wish I had gotten a picture—had a dummy on the top meant to look like Hannibal Lechter. Creepy!
Sunday (6/30) – Rufus, OR
This was a travel day, but we were pleasantly surprised by the Lepage Campground, an Army Corps of Engineers campground right on the junction of the John Day and Columbia rivers. Our site was right on the water and only $25 for the night, with water and electric! A bargain.