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Making the Most of Mendocino

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Making the Most of Mendocino

The Gualala River forms the boundary between Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Travelers heading north will find that most Bay Area weekenders have by now tailed off, leaving this stretch of coast highway for the locals and long-haul travelers. It’s a little greener (and wetter) here than in Sonoma County, but the crescent coves and pocket beaches you appreciated along the wild Sonoma Coast continue north across the county line, one after the next, like a string of pearls.  (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel, North Coast, Redwoods

Fall Coasting from Bodega Bay to Sea Ranch

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Sea Ranch

Alfred Hitchcock considered the quaint coastal fishing village of Bodega Bay and associated inland town just perfect for filming The Birds, with its rather ominous suggestion that nature will avenge itself one day. But people come to Bodega Bay and vicinity to avoid thinking about such things. They come to explore the headlands, to whalewatch, to kayak, to beachcomb and tidepool, to catch and eat seafood (including local Dungeness crab), to peek into the increasing numbers of galleries and gift shops, and to relax.  (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel, North Coast

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming*

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For Ross

Actually, they already came and then went back home, as any California fourth grader will tell you, after a 40-year stay. Some of these same fourth graders may even have been lucky enough to participate in living history overnights at Fort Ross, Imperial Russia’s farthest outpost. A large village of the Kashia Pomo people once stood on the site. After the Russian-American Fur Company (Czar Alexander I and President James Madison were both company officers) established its fur-trapping settlements at Bodega Bay, the firm turned its attention northward to what, in the spring of 1812, became Fort Ross. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel

Going Coastal: Point Reyes and Marin

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Going Coastal

The coast will be even clearer in Fall if you can travel during the week, when families with kids are otherwise occupied (though you may encounter those kids on field trips). But even weekends are lighter in terms of fellow travelers, at least once you get well north of Marin. You may even find it possible to pitch a tent at state park campgrounds without a reservation. Kind of like California in the 1950s.  (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel, Hostels, North Coast

Go Coasting in Fall to Forget About Fog

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Go Coasting in Fall

Keep in mind, though, that fog created California’s north coast, and still defines it. Fog is everywhere, endless, eternal, there.Even on blazing, almost blinding days of sunshine when the veil lifts, the fog is still present somehow, because life here has been made by it. Stands of sky-scraping coast redwoods need fog to live. So do many other native north coast plants, uniquely adapted to uniformly damp conditions. The visual obscurity characteristic of the coast also benefits animals, providing a consistent, year-round supply of drinking water and, for creatures vulnerable to predators, additional protective cover.  (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel, North Coast

How Do We Travel Wisely and Well, Both Abroad and in Our Own Backyard?

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Rocks on a river

In the beginning the word was “ecotourism,” which quickly became a travel industry buzzword. Ecotours and associated products and services became increasingly popular tourism commodities—a trend destined to not only continue but to grow exponentially, given the degree of international interest in and concern over ecological awareness, environmental protection, and cultural sensitivity.  (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel

Roughing It — And Not Roughing It — at Lassen

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It’s often possible to land a Lassen campsite on a weekend without reservations, especially if you can send out a scout on Thursday night or Friday morning to stake your claim. Half of the park’s sites can be reserved in advance online via Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777, along with group camping areas and stock corrals for trail riders.  (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel

Beyond Lassen: Other Spectacular Road Trips

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Beyond Lassen

Far Northern California isn’t as remote as it used to be, but the region still offers some of the state’s most memorable weekend drives. Once satisfied with explorations of Lassen Park and surrounding communities, consider pointing your Prius up the road toward more spectacular scenery. The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, recently declared an All-American Roadway, is one such route—a 360-mile stretch of Shasta-Cascade landscapes. (There are only 28 All-American Roadways in the nation, and only one other—the Big Sur Coast Highway—in California.)
(more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel

It’s Not Too Late for Lassen

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There’s still time for enjoying some mountain scenery—if not this Labor Day weekend then soon, before winter makes high-country travel more challenging. Northern Californians happen to have a world-renowned destination just up the road: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The park’s most hospitable season is summer, from mid-June or July into October. Which makes right now a perfect time for that Lassen road trip. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: All Stories, Travel