Traveling south to the Mendocino Coast – Day 1

It’s been awhile since my past post although many things happened during the first part of the year with numerous day trips that I really didn’t take photos of, just deciding to enjoy the moment. Now it’s off for more adventures.

First trip this year was a trip south to the Mendocino Coast of Northern California for a week of relaxing, well sort of.

After a quick jaunt down Interstate 5 and then west along Highway 199 I arrived at the coast at Crescent City, CA. Turning south along Highway 101 I reached my first stop for the night in Eureka,CA staying the night at an Air BnB where I had previously stayed, the Colorful Corner. A small quaint private room with a wonderful host who met me at the door and we proceeded to gab away like old friends for about an hour. I had visited this town before and it has some wonderful Victorian Architecture scattered through it.

 

I asked her about a place to eat that I noticed was close to her house and she said it was a great place to eat. Good food and atmosphere. It was a very small place that you should have reservations for but it was still early and I sat at the bar to eat so I got right in.

The Brick and Fire Bistro has an outstanding rustic and cozy vibe. Sitting at the bar I saw directly into the kitchen and was right in front of the wood fire oven. I had a wonderful meal talking to the friendly staff and seeing how the food was prepared was a great benefit for a seat at the bar. I decided on the chicken, brie & asparagus pizza that is served on a classic Italian white crust with pine-nut sage brown butter pesto, roasted chicken, shaved asparagus, red onion, brie & parmesan cheeses which was baked perfectly in the wood fired oven. DELICIOUS.

 

After filling my belly it’s back to the room to sleep. As I was leaving in the morning my host opened her front door and we again talked for about an hour before leaving to continue my southbound journey. What a delightful host and the room is beautiful, well stocked and very clean. I will be back many times here if the room is available when I pass through.

A short dive took me to the town of Ferndale, CA. The town is off the main Highway by a few miles but worth the detour. This small Victorian town is vintage America with an historic Main Street to browse and enjoy a meal. First settled in 1852 it is at the northern gateway to the Humboldt Redwood National and State Parks.

 

Once in the Parks I got off of Highway 101 and proceeded on a parallel road named Avenue of the Giants. This scenic highway is the former alignment of U.S. Route 101 that continues to be maintained as a state highway (State Route 254). A drive among the redwoods that is lined by gigantic trees along it’s 31-mile length providing a much slower more scenic route through the redwoods with many stops for hiking and day use activities. Stopping at the Drury-Chaney grove I took the two and half mile loop from the parking lot wandering along it’s path under the majestic canopy of these large Coastal Redwoods.

 

Back on Highway 101 after that invigorating walk, I continue my route turning on Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway) to my room for the night at Lighthouse Point Resort near Point Arena, CA. The resort is made up of small cottages (tiny houses actually) in a wonderful setting set back from the ocean by about a mile in a grove of trees. There are no entertainment facilities of any kind nearby and limited cell service and no or very expensive WiFi, although there is cable TV provided. But that’s what I so enjoyed about this location, secluded and very quiet where you could unplug from the modern world in a comfortable setting.

 

New Years trip to Washington – Part 2

Up at 7AM in the dark, I showered, packed and departed to visit some painted ladies of the town. No not that kind, but the beautiful Victorian Houses located throughout the city of Eureka. My Air BnB host told me of Hillsdale Street and Carson Mansion as places to see fine examples of this Victorian, Queen Anne style of architecture.

These wonderful homes are located throughout the city in various stages of maintenance that go from restored to dilapidated conditions, along Hillsdale Street they are well maintained and are a great display of this style of architecture. Visiting Hillsdale Street lined with these homes brought back such a noustalgic past life that would have transported me back in time if it weren’t for all the modern cars parked out front.

 

Next stop was to have a breakfast consisting of 2 blueberry pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, hash browns and a large glass of orange juice to fuel my day of sightseeing along the California and Oregon Coast, yes I was hungry and finished it all. I planned to visit several scenic overlooks and lighthouses along the way to my next stop just north of Coos Bay, OR only 218 miles (350.8k) and 4 ½ hours of drive time north.

My first stop was still in Eureka, just down the street from breakfast, the Carson Mansion. Placed on the Historic American Building Survey in 1964 it is one of the most photographed Victorian homes in California. Completed in 1884 it has been a private club since the 1950’s.

 

My next stops, lighthouses in Trinidad, CA and Crescent City, CA were also recommended by Patricia, my B&B host.

Prior to satellite and electronic navigation sailors relied on dead reckoning, compass and visual sittings to sail the waters of the oceans, during the darkness of night they relied on the stars and visual sightings. Many ships were lost due to running aground due to heavy weather along dangerous coastlines.

Fires built on hilltops once defined port access and placing that fire on a tall platform increased its visibility out to sea. Later lighthouses were located along coastlines to help define the coastal shoreline and locate dangerous areas that could sink a ship. In heavy fog, that is quite common along coastlines, so a light and foghorns (bells in olden times) warned mariners of hazards.

 

Trinidad Lighthouse is only 20 miles from Eureka located on Trinidad Head a small section of land jutting south out from the coast defining the harbor entrance. Built in 1871 the small 20-foot (6.1m) tall tower sits on a promontory 176 feet (53.6m) above the sea. Originally consisting of the light tower, a single residence, and small barn; a fog bell house was constructed in 1898 with a 4,000-pound (1,800 kg) bell that was operated by weights. The Trinidad Civic Club erected a facsimile of the tower in 1949 at a park overlooking the harbor and installed the original lighthouse lens in its structure and the 4,000-pound bell displayed alongside the tower. This Memorial is now under protest by local Native Americans stating it has been built on an ancient burial ground.

 

62 miles (99.7k) north of Trinidad is the Lighthouse in Crescent City on Battery Point. This lighthouse built in 1855 is on a tiny point of land that is only accessible during low tide. Built in a Cape Cod style of architecture this lighthouse survived the March 27, 1964 Alaska earthquake tsunami that hit the city and killed 11 people.

 

Heading into Oregon I stop 35 miles (56.3k) north at Whaleshead Beach to walk along the sand and enjoy the coastal scene.

2 to Coos Bay-18

Whalesehead Beach, OR

Another 58 miles (93.2k) later I stopped at Cape Blanco Lighthouse at 3 PM. A lighthouse sitting on 200-foot (61m) high cliffs jutting 1-½ miles (2.4k) out into the Pacific Ocean, this forested head of land had to be cleared of the spruce forest so the light could be visible from sea. Getting out of the car was a struggle; the wind was blowing so hard I could barely stand up. Walking the ¾ mile or so path to the lighthouse along a ridge-line didn’t interest me today so I leaned against a pole just to get a steady photo of the lighthouse. I’ll return on a future trip to visit this one.

 

On the way in off Highway 101 I noticed a sign leading to the Hugh’s Historic House (Hughes Ranch) that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, I decided to go in and see it, as I didn’t make the journey to the lighthouse. Situated behind a hill it was in the calm leeward side away form the strong ocean winds. Built in 1898 for the dairy farm of Patrick and Jane Hughes this Victorian style two-story house was home to Mother, Father and 7 children. Local church groups decorated every room for the Christmas Holidays. The well appointed home with authentic furnishings was a joy to walk around and listen to the curators tell of life of the inhabitants.

 

Finishing the day’s 218-mile (350.8k) trek in North Bend, OR I stop for the night at a Quality Inn Hotel at 5 PM to rest for my final push to Vancouver, WA the next day. A nice clean quiet typical motel room awaited me that evening for another great nights rest.

New Years trip to Washington – Part 1

Getting up before dawn I left home in Orange County to head for my first nights stay in Eureka, CA. 682 miles and 11 driving hours from home. It was going to be a long day that took me up Interstate 5 to Interstate 580 through the east San Francisco Bay Area, up to Richmond and across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to link to Highway 101. This bridge is the northernmost east-west crossing of the bay. Opened in 1956 the tolls are only collected heading west.

 

 

Connecting to Highway 101 I continue up this iconic road through the California Redwoods and my destination for the day Eureka, CA and a cozy room for the night.

1 to Eureka-5

Highway 101

I used Air BnB to locate this very comfy, quiet room with a separate entry and bath in a residential neighborhood in the south east of the city. Colorful Corner was all that it was advertised and the host Patricia was a marvelous person to meet. We talk via email before my arrival, she gave me suggestions for places to have dinner and to visit on my way north the next day. Along the way Patricia texted me that she might not be home when I arrived and gave me the access code to the room, Although when I did arrive, after 12 ½ hours of travel time, she was home and we had a delightful talk as I dropped my things in the room and headed out to dinner.

 

 

A port city on Humboldt Bay in Northern California, Eureka’s Old Town district and throughout the city features beautiful Victorian homes in all states of repair. The bay was overlooked by early European Explorers and not settled until 1849 when it was discovered by an overland expedition. The second largest bay in California was the jumping off point and base for the early gold miners of Northern California who did not want to take the long overland trip from Sacramento. Eureka got its name from the eager gold miners of the day, its Greek meaning “I have found it” is also the state motto of California. Timber, shipping, fishing, boating and a strong commercial district has shaped the largest coastal city between San Francisco, CA and Portland OR throughout it’s history and to this day.

The cool Mediterranean climate has an average high August temperature of 64.3 °F (17.9 °C) and an average December temperature of 47.8 °F (8.8 °C) With an average of 40.3 inches (1,024 millimeters) of rain per year falling on an average 119 days during the year. The city might also be covered in a blanket of fog for most of the year.

Climbing into bed, exhausted, I appreciated the warm, comfortable, quiet room and slept like a baby until the next morning.