Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Road Trip, Part 1

 On June 21, Mark and I embarked on a road trip, headed toward Diamond Lake, Oregon, for a family gathering. 

In all the years we have lived in California, we had always wanted to go to Mendocino, and this was our chance. 

We spent the first night in Bodega Bay.



The thing we will remember the most about our room was how slanted the floor was, and the step down into the bathroom, both of which we needed to remember if we got up in the middle of the night.

We had a really good fish dinner at a nearby restaurant.
The next day we headed up to Mendocino on Highway 1, along the coast. We were surprised that much of it took us further inland than we had expected, but still many, many curves.

We stopped at the California Coastal National Monument.





We had reservations at a truly beautiful bed and breakfast, the Agate Cove Inn. Our room was large and very comfortable. 


The flowers on the grounds were breathtaking--things grow so much easier when it's not scorching hot, like Fresno.









We went into nearby Ft. Bragg for another seafood dinner.

After dinner, we sat outside at the Inn for awhile and enjoyed the view.

Our stay there included a gourmet breakfast in a lovely room with a view. But it's a good thing we enjoyed the sunny view the day before because on Thursday it was overcast.


We headed over to Glass Beach, a beach adjacent to MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, which used to have a lot of sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of the coastline. Over the years of people picking through the sea glass and taking all the large pieces, most of what remains are just small pieces among the rocks.

But it was enjoyable to sit and watch the waves, one of our favorite things to do.






Later in the afternoon, we wandered around the town of Mendocino. Even though it is known as an artist enclave, we didn't really go in any of the shops. Someone had recommended an Italian restaurant, Luna's, and we had a lovely dinner in a garden-like setting.


After dinner, we took a stroll along the coast. The first photo shows the town of Mendocino in the background.



The next morning, we again had a lovely view from the breakfast room. 

 We checked out at the last possible moment and headed to Crescent City. In Ft. Bragg, we noticed this sign outside a dispensary. I always enjoy a clever business name. :)

Along the way, we had lunch at a beautiful rest stop and were able to take a short stroll through the trees.

In Crescent City, we again opted for a good seafood dinner.
A nearby lighthouse, inaccessible because of high tide.
Fishing boats close to our motel.

The next day we left for Diamond Lake. 

4 comments:

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Anonymous said... #

Looks wonderful!!!

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said... #

Mendocino is a very quaint town. I'm pretty sure I remember eating at an Italian restaurant there years ago, too, but I don't think it was Luna's (I just looked it up online). The ocean views are all so nostalgic for me. The drive up 1 does surprisingly turn inland for a good stretch.

Needled Mom said... #

That’s always such a dramatic part of CA. it looks beautiful.

Jan @Cocoa Quilts said... #

Thanks for sharing your trip. The views are beautiful and my favorite views as well.