Somehow, we managed to turn what google calls a 5-hour trip into 10. And we didn’t get lost even once.

We started with our backtrack to Bodega Bay – about 20 minutes – and it was well worth it. We saw (and photographed) many miles of beaches complete with waves crashing against stone offshore structures so characteristic of California’s Pacific coast. At one stop we saw a pair of nesting Peregrine falcons. They did little flying; Mom was hidden most of the time sitting on the nest while Dad stood guard.

I wanted to stop at Shell Beach, one of literally dozens along Highway 1, the costal route in Northern California. I wanted to find a souvenir shell and dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean. The trail from the parking lot to the beach was a steep descent of 100 vertical feet or more, built with log walkways that did as much harm as good. Somehow, we made it.

At the beach we found a woman sitting on a rock reading a book. Judy and she exchanged life stories while I doffed my shoes, rolled up my pant legs and waded into the surf. Judy, after a while, joined me. Mission accomplished: toes wet. I’m still shedding skin from the burn I got on the Gulf of Mexico during Jeff’s visit two weeks ago. Maybe I’ll go for a dip in the Atlantic when we get to Melrose to complete the trifecta.

The woman, Melisa, from near Reno had walked the beach and rocks for over a mile. It was a dicey proposition in spots so, with a rising tide, she wisely decided to take the land trail back to her car. Before leaving, she blessed us with a towel to dry our sand-encrusted feet. When we were done, we climbed the hill and drove back, found her car and Judy hiked the trail back to find Melisa to return the towel. Thanks, Melisa!

And the shells? Ground into sand.

We followed California Highway 1 for most of the day, reaching its end about 20 miles short of tonight’s destination, Garberville, CA. CA-1 has a personality. Its preference is to hug the coast as closely as possible, aligning itself with every twist and turn of the shoreline. That makes for a twisty road. When a mountain intercedes and hugging the coast isn’t possible, CA-1 cuts a switchback path up one side and down the other until it can rejoin the coastline. More even more violent switchbacks. Only occasionally will CA-1 find a relatively straight and level space where one can achieve the posted speed limit of 55. My arms are tired tonight from twisting the steering wheel all day.

Our other notable stop was at the Point Arena Lighthouse. Like most lighthouses, it’s no longer in service. A local man purchased it from the Coast Guard and charges $5 a head to visit. County Covid regulations preclude climbing the lighthouse but there is a small and interesting museum and gift shop. We ate our picnic sandwiches on a picnic table.

Later on, we scored ice cream in Fort Bragg, CA.

We selected tonight’s hotel while at the lighthouse, choosing Garberville mostly based on distance to travel. As it turned out, we arrived here about 6, checked in, plotted tomorrow’s route and went to a fun little Creole restaurant next door – the only restaurant open at the late hour of 7:20 PM. Judy had butternut squash raviolis and I had penne pasta with crayfish. Delicious.

Speaking of tomorrow, we’ve decided that there’s more to California and Oregon than seashore so we’re driving up the coast for a bit and then cut in toward Grant’s Pass, on the way to Crater Lake. We’ll see how that pans out!