Bodega Bay Camping
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Maria invited me to join her for a weekend of camping in Bodega Bay at the Doran Regional Park, a stretch of beach that acts as the sea break for the harbor. We headed out Friday morning and set up camp in the Cove Campground, just steps away from the ocean. The weather was wonderful ocean weather, slightly windy and not too cold. After setting up camp and Maria scooter-ed around for a bit, we went geocaching as a way to explore the park. Maria fixed a lovely dinner and after awhile we retired to the luxury of a large, non-backpacking tent, to enjoy a movie on the laptop–it’s tough to rough it! Duane found his way to the park and met up with us late in the evening. Saturday morning started with a hearty breakfast and after making sure the tents were secure enough to withstand the wind, we headed over to Bodega Head for a leisurely hike around the point across the bay from our camp. We saw Bodega Rock where all the seal lions where hanging out at and making noise to be heard for miles. In the other direction we headed over to the Horseshoe Cove Overlook and saw the Bodega Marine Laboratory. On our way back to camp, we stopped and checked out the Bodega Hole in the Head, a spot where PG&E was going to build a nuclear power plant in the 1960’s but was stopped by community activism. After another sumptuous dinner, Duane built a roaring fire and we enjoyed a nice evening around the campfire. We had a gopher pop up next to us, but after seeing us all looking at him, he changed his mind, reburied his hole and was gone. Saturday night was extremely windy, probably 30 mph wind gusts, and both Maria and I woke up to make sure things weren’t flying down the beach and they weren’t, but it sure was loud all night long. Sunday morning, we packed up camp, said good bye to Duane and then Maria and I drove down historic highway one. Not the most efficient way to head home, but it took us past Cowgirl Creamery (yum yum for fresh cheese) and along a very scenic route towards the Bay Area to stop by say Merry Christmas to an old friend of hers. A very wonderful and relaxing weekend.
Mendocino Coast (Day 2)
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Van Damme State Park really is a nice place to wake up. I packed up camp while slow cooking some breakfast, that little stove really is not very fast! Before leaving the park, I took a quick walk down the Fern Canyon Trail, which follows Little River, to try and find a hidden geocache. When I reached the second footbridge, I decided I’d gone to far and turned around thinking I wouldn’t find the cache because of poor satellite reception, but the clue saved me and led me right to it. Next I headed over to Point Cabrillo Light Station where Bruce Rogerson, a certified light house keeper and member of the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association was our docent guide for a tour. With his charming Scottish accent he shared the history of the lighthouse and the restoration efforts. There couldn’t have been a more perfect days on the coast this weekend, sunshine and hardly any wind, not your normal seaside weather.
Mendocino Coast (Day 1)
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When this trip was originally planned months ago, it was supposed to be a kayaking weekend, but life intervenes and plans change and so I took a solo trip to the Mendocino Coast and enjoyed a nice quiet weekend exploring. I arrived at Van Damme State Park late Friday night and quickly fell asleep to the sounds of the babbling creek next to my campsite and the sound of a fog horn regularly sounding to make the night safe for ships. I woke up nice and late and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast while a couple of deer nibbled their breakfast right next to my campsite. I then decided to go check out the Pygmy Forest, which is biologically interesting, but not very exciting to look at. Next I went in search of the “Sea Breeze” geocache. In the parking area, I met a very nice lady, Eryka from Brooklyn (who is part of the Red Tent Project), who told me the tale of the trail’s name. As the story goes, Rachel, who used to owns the inn this trail is next to, would take politicians who were less than eco-friendly on the trail and change their minds about environmental issues; so it is known as Rachel’s Congressional Trail. I didn’t have the cache hints with me and when the GPS said 30 more feet over the edge of the cliff, I said hmmm, maybe not… LOL! I enjoyed a beautiful walk and ogled the views, but didn’t find the cache. Next on my exploration of the area was a stop at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg. There was a wedding going on, so I enjoyed calypso music as I strolled the many gardens and enjoyed the flower displays. As evening approached, I headed over to Glass Beach in enjoy the sunset. I’d heard wonderful things about the beach and how it had been a former trash dump and all kinds of colored glass had been smoothed down over the years. Unfortunately, the tradition is for people to pick up any piece of glass they find, so I was disappointed that my visions of a multi-colored shiny beach weren’t to be. But it was a lovely sunset. 
