Oh California, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
If I close my eyes and daydream and imagine the most beautiful and amazing sites of magic and awe, my mind takes me back here, to my trip through Eureka to Redding and to the magnificent Burney Falls.
It was a trip always conjured, often talked-about and imagined, but never committed to, until...this December, when the stars aligned and myself, Tram, and our NorCal adventure-sister Lai decided to make it happen.
When I think about traveling, I often find myself thinking about wanting to "get-away," like really getting away, somewhere far, out-of-state maybe...out-of-country, perhaps. And I often take for granted the places and sites yet unseen here in my own backyard, the abundance of natural wonders yet to venture and explore right here in California. California is such an extraordinary place, so much beauty, from the coast, to the valley, to the mountains. There is something to see and do for all adventure lovers. On this trip we got to see a little bit of everything and has made me appreciate the state that I call home even more.
Our adventure started in San Francisco where Lai picked us up and we headed north through Sonoma County to Petaluma where we stopped by the family operated Bodega Bay Oyster Company for some local oysters and crab. Honestly, nothing to me is more divine than freshly harvested seafood and local wine. Need I say more?! The winery we stopped at was Comstock Winery and it was such a gorgeous day for a pit stop to enjoy the scenery and sip on a glass of one, you know..to re-hydrate. The drive through Sonoma and Marin County has got to be the most picturesque drive in CA, with it's rolling hills of grazing cattle, and vineyards as far as the eyes could see.
We headed north to Fort Bragg to stop by Glass Beach so that Tram could check it off her bucket list. Fort Bragg's Glass Beach got it's fame from little tiny pebbles of glass which started out as a historic dumpsite. The pounding waves over time broke down the glass and pottery and tumbled those pieces into the small, smooth, colored pieces that which cover Glass Beach.
Our next major stop was through Eureka and Arcata, located in Humboldt County, between San Francisco and the Oregon border. Did you know that the entire city of Eureka is a state historical landmark? Eureka was a port for hundreds of lumber mills that once existed in the area, the city played a leading role in the historic West Coast lumber trade. They are now famous for their Humboldt Pie and Cider, which I think is equally important, and of which I can attest to as being very good.
Just north of Eureka along the 101 is the small charming coastal town of Trinidad. We made a delightful discovery when we hopped out of the car to take in the scenery and found stairs that led down to a uninhabited secret beach. Trinidad has one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever laid eyes on. We stayed in Arcata for the night and the next morning had our sights set out for Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and then on to Redding!
To be continued: Part 2 of our NorCal Adventures!
#roadtrip #adventure #northerncalifornia #Eureka #Arcata #Trinidad #HumboldtCounty #FortBragg #GlassBeach #Petaluma