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Wharf Master's Inn, Point Arena (in Arena Cove)

My last overnight on the road before setting up residence in Sonoma for a few days was in Point Arena. Yeah, I'd live there. If I didn't actually have to live there. Like, if I could live in the room I had at Wharf Master's Inn and eat crab fresh from the wharf each day... I'd stay forever. I arrived in the dark (and I don't recommend driving too much on Route 1 after sunset if you don't have to... I saw some deer and was nervous about the curves and potential elk). This wasn't a problem. I was promptly offered a free room upgrade. Also not a problem. And when I was told that room 122 Lookout was one of the best rooms, I smiled politely and nodded - anything was going to be better than the cheapest room I had booked (which only had a bathtub. And actually, I was thrilled, because at home I only have a shower and was excited for a real bath).

Beachcombing Arena Cove

Some cool things I found on the beach next to the fishing wharf in the cove at Point Arena. Lots of sea urchin shells, ocean-tumbled rocks, abalone shell pieces, and this crazy-ugly plant known as bull kelp. Also, a hillbilly park.

Point Arena Public Wharf

Bull kelp, washed ashore

Bull kelp root/bulb

Looking out from the beach I was combing toward the wharf and the north side of the cove

Piece of a shell. Ooh, shiny.

Some sea plant growing on a rock. At least it used to be growing, before it washed ashore.

Nature made a couple of holes in this beach rock. Neat.

Incidentally, the only structured activity in Hillbilly Park is horseshoes.

Sunset in Elk

I decided not to kill time in Mendocino before sunset. All the shops closed at 4 or 5, sunset wasn't scheduled until 5:16, and it was about 4:30. So I hit the road again and kept an eye on the clock. About 5:08, I started looking for good places to pull over for the show, but of course there weren't any. And the road was taking dips inland for a while which made me think that maybe I was going to miss my first opportunity for a Pacific sunset on this trip. Finally, just in time, I passed through this little town called Elk and found an access point to a hiking trail that took a quick jog to reach a fantastic point to watch the sun go down.

Elk, the town

Mendocino

Mendocino. Cute. Adorable. Like Galena, IL, but on the Pacific, not the Mississippi. Also, smaller than Galena. But just as cute and adorable. I stopped here on my way from Fortuna to my next stop-over in Point Arena. It was kind of late in the afternoon, and I was kind of on a mission to find a snack since the Tap House/Grill affiliated with North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg (my original plan for second lunch) was closed. Found a fresh crab cake made with local Dungeness Crab at the Mendocino Market & Deli - big chunks of crab meat and some succulent veggies made it a good choice indeed. Then an unplanned hike to the beach area and some rocks. If I'd been more inclined to stop in the local shops, I could have easily killed an hour that way, but instead I climbed around some driftwood, looked in some tide pools, and debated whether to stay another 45 minutes to watch the sun set.

Mendocino, as seen from the beachy-area-point

Caution, Sexy Lady: Curves Ahead

The 101 is probably gorgeous in Oregon, but in northern California, it's a bit more inland and doesn't give you the great coastal views I am here to see. So, in a little town called Leggett, I met up with the storied California Route 1, known as the Pacific Coast Highway down south, and as the Shoreline Highway up here. And let me tell you: If you can't handle the first 22 miles of the 1 from Leggett to the sea, just turn around and take you and your sad little car home. And I thought 199 was fun. It was. This was just crazy.

But Sexy Lady isn't a sad little car...

Big-Ass Trees: Part 2

So, just south of Fortuna (one of my overnight points) lies an alternate scenic route to Route 101 - Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile section of old 101 that brings you much closer to nature than the modern freeway. Like, careful or you'll lose your mirrors on the big-ass trees closer-to-nature. But we've dealt with narrow roads and big trees before. Sexy Lady and me, that is (I've since named my car "Sexy Lady"... more on that later). And although I had kind of a late start by my road trip standards, the day was young, and I was all about taking on this tourist trap, especially since I was bound to be the only tourist around.

Food Porn-Vista-Food Porn Sandwich

Ladies and gentlemen: You are such a wonderful crowd, we'd like to post a little collage for you. It's one of my personal favorites, and I'd like to dedicate it to a young woman who doesn't think she's seen anything tasty today - Sandra B, this one's for you.