We visited British Columbia and Alaska in Summer 2003, read about it here.

Vacation, Interrupted 2001

We decided to enter Death Valley from the "Scenic Route" which begins at Trona. The entire trip is driven on backroads and byways. We took the Hwy. 14 to Hwy. 178 at Ridgecrest and stayed on the "Trona Highway". Before Trona we pass Pinnacles National Natural Landmark, wonderfully eerie and interesting but we don't stay too long because it is rather hot. The Panamint Valley is scenic and filled with spring wildflowers although it is late in the season and they are not as prolific we pass Trona and Ballarat. At Wildrose we begin to ascend the Panamint Mountains passing more wildflowers of every color. At the summit there is still snow. At Emigrant Pass we reach 5000 Ft and begin the descent into Death Valley National Park. It gets hot fast and at the floor the temperature is 102. We pass Stovepipe Wells and head for Furnace Creek to find a room. On the way we stop at Salt Creek to see the little Pup Fish which have been here since Death Valley was part of the Ocean. There is a one mile boardwalk where you can easily observe them. Back to the Top
We stay at The Furnace Creek Ranch which is fairly reasonable ( ask for a AAA discount). The food is pretty decent too.
We head out to Badwater where we find ourselves at the lowest elevation in the USA (-230 feet below sea level). The water is pretty low and the scenery is rather stark so we head back to drive the Artists Drive. We stop at Artists Palate just as the Sun starts to set and the colors are astounding. We easily hike through the slot canyons that make up Artists Palate. Golden Canyon is another beautiful narrow canyon that is easy to hike and close to Furnace Creek.
We leave Death Valley via Hwy. 190 west to Hwy. 136. Along the way we Pass the turnoff for Darwin Falls, a 60 foot waterfall in Death Valley which we must see on our next trip. We reach the scenic and visual town of Lone Pine on Hwy. 395. On the way up the MT Whitney Portal Road, we explore the magnificent Alabama Hills which look so familiar because they have been in so may westerns. We take a left off the portal road to Turtle Creek road and wind our way through dramatic canyons of rock and stream. We follow a map and identify many movie locations. Back on the Portal road we reach to top of MT Whitney, within 24 hours we have visited the lowest and the highest spots in the continental US! As we leave MT Whitney, we turn right onto "Hogback" road which connects with "Movie Flat Road" and we continue to explore this side of the Alabama Hills. They are a must see! Back to the Top
We continue up the 395 passing Independence and pausing briefly at Manzanar (a former Japanese war relocation center) to reflect on the atrocities of war. We pass Bishop and stop at the Best Jerky Store around called Meadow Farms Country Smokehouse. Its right on the eastern side of the road. The Habenero Chile Jerky sets our mouths on fire! We decide to find a Hot Spring to soak in and head for Mammoth. Mammoth is covered in snow, the lifts are still running. Unfortunately the Devil's Postpile is closed because of the snow and we cannot visit there this time. Make sure to check before you go. We head for Hot Creek and soak in the creek with quite a few people. It is not-so-hot in my opinion. We stay at the Mammoth Holiday Inn, nothing to write home about but quite expensive. We do discover a great Asian Restaurant called Matsu.
We continue up the 395 the next day headed for Mono Lake. After a quick visit to the Visitor's Center, we head for the visually stunning South Tufa area and Navy Beach. The boardwalk through this area is not to be missed. The Tufa's reflect clearly off Mono lake in the morning when the wind is calm, creating an eerie picture. We explore Navy beach searching for another Hot Spring but never find it. Back to the Top
The road to Bodie is only a short distance past Mono Lake. It is a beautiful desert canyon road and it takes awhile to navigate the 13 miles to Bodie State Park. Bodie is an amazing place, a ghost town filled with interesting history that was left in its original state of abandonment and turned into a State Park. Bodie is one of the few State parks that allow bike riding all through it so its easy to cover the entire town on bike (and fun).
Bridgeport in a neat town with a very old Inn that is still open and serving guests. Not bad food either. The best part about Bridgeport are the Travertine Hot Springs. They are located up on a hill above town with incredible views, easy access and are easy to adjust. They are primitive and you can expect a mix of clothed and unclothed people. Not to be missed if you like this sort of thing.
We pass Reno and continue up the 395 to Susanville. We head for the trailhead of the Bizz Johnson RailTrail, which connects Susanville with the town of Westwood, some 30 miles away. We want to catch a shuttle up to Westwood so we can ride down the 30 miles but the shuttle is not running so we have to start at the bottom and go as far as we can. I make it up to the first tunnel and turn back :) This route is great, its a slight uphill and pretty smooth and follows the Susan River Canyon over bridges and through tunnels. Its quite Scenic and filled with flowers. Back to the Top
From Susanville we leave the 395 and turn west onto Hwy. 44 which heads towards Lassen National Park. At Hwy. 89 we turn north for just a mile to the Subway Lava Cave. The hike through this cave is fun and exciting, and we are armed with an abundance of working flashlights and extra batteries. Make sure to wear good shoes as the surface is jagged and a light jacket. We turn south on Hwy. 89 and head for Hwy. 299. At Hwy. 299 we head west to Weaverville.
Weaverville is an Arty Victorian town and we stay the night at the Forty-niner Inn, for a very reasonable discounted price. We eat at "La Grange" which is very good. The next morning we head towards Yreka via the scenic Hwy. 3. It is a beautiful drive, much greener than the Lassen Area. The forests are dense here and there seems to be a lake at every turn. Trinity lake is huge, we follow it for an hour. We discover Etna, a jewel of a town and one worth exploring, although we cannot find any restaurants. At Yreka we begin to follow Hwy. 96 (the Bigfoot Highway) west towards Crescent City. This is another gorgeous back country byway that should not be missed. Expect to see very few people and a lot of Deer. Most of this road follows the Klamath River Canyon. At Happy Camp we turn right onto Happy Camp Road which is yet another beautiful backcountry byway, if a bit more remote. On this road we find bears. After an hour or so we reach Hwy. 199, and in fact we are in Oregon. We turn West and head back into California and onto the Redwood Highway. Soon, Redwoods are everywhere. This route follows the Smith River canyon NRA and is filled with forest roads and logging roads and one could easily get lost--we try! We take French Hill Road and follow it as it rises higher and higher, Redwoods and trees of all kinds abound. We meet a sole driver somewhere on the road and He directs us to the best route. Narrowly escaping being lost, we now encounter Deer and Black Bear but no people. Somewhere high up we intersect with road #405 which takes us to even more remote and beautiful places. Eventually, following the Hurdy Gurdy Creek, we meet up with South Fork Road which follows the south fork of the Smith River deep into the Redwoods. At Howland Hill Road we turn left and take this magnificent dirt road through dense Redwood Forests, passing the Stout Grove area of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Howland Hill road is perfect for all levels of bikers, its a great 20 mile round trip ride. This road leads to Crescent City, via Elk Valley Road. Back to the Top
Crescent City is always great, we always stay for days at the Best Western Northwoods Inn. They have great Executive rooms ( ask for them) with discounts and free breakfasts in their Restaurant. The food is good. From here we can explore all the Redwood National and State parks as well as the southern Oregon coast.
Brookings, Oregon is right up the coast from Crescent City. There you can find the Northernmost Coastal Redwoods and a few very cool parks. Azalea park has beautiful blooms and a great kiddie jungle gym that kept me occupied (and exercised) for an hour! Not to be missed. Alfred A Loeb Park is right on the Chetco River and is filled with great campsites and lots or Redwoods. To find the Redwoods take country road 896 ( Winchuck River road) to forest service road 1101. Follow this road and don't veer off any of its side roads, until you reach The Access Area. There are several hiking routes, one of them is Wheelchair accessible.
Prairie Creek Redwoods park contains some of the oldest growth Redwoods in these parts. It also contains some of the best hikes. Not to be missed is the Ossagon Trail, Brown Creek Trail, Cathedral Trees Trail, Fern Canyon Loop Trail, Foothill Trail and the Loop Trail. Be sure to stop in the Visitors Center and check out their Herds of Roosevelt Elk. In Redwood National Park don't miss the Lady Bird Johnson Trail and the Tall Trees trail. There are many neat backroads(dirt) in the park and a brand new bike trail to Trillion Falls located at Prairie Creek. Top
Damnation Creek in Del Norte Coast Redwoods is another great hike, it begins at milepost 16. In the Jedediah Smith redwoods, the stout grove trail is a nice short hike. For a little more challenge, try hiking the Boy Scout trail off of Howland Hill road. There is several visitor centers around, in Crescent city you can find the main Redwood State & National Parks center. On Hwy. 199 near Gasquet is the Smith River Recreational Area Visitor Center. Down near Orick at the southernmost tip of Redwood National Park is my favorite Visitor Center, right on the ocean off Hwy. 101.
Leaving Crescent City we head south on Hwy. 101. In search of several Covered Bridges Just north of Eureka we turn on Old Arcata Road ( left) to Jacoby Creek Road and find The Jacoby Creek Covered bridge. It is very nice, and it leads to a posh housing section and I love to check these things out! Just south of Eureka, off of Elk Road are two more bridges. Berta's Bridge has the distinction of being further west and older than Zane's Bridge but they are both similar, made of Redwood and in almost identical settings! Perfect for photos (see my flash slide show). Back to the Top
The Avenue of the Giants starts after Fortuna, off Hwy. 101. It is an amazing drive through what can only be described as a "museum of trees" in Humboldt State Redwoods. Its is awe inspiring to me and Ken and we get very quiet. I am always so humbled by these magnificent giants, and on this road I can almost touch them from my car. Of course we stop constantly so it takes forever to get through. Better yet, we have biked this and searched for all the oddities the exist along the Ave. It is a very fun thing to do. There is an Albino Redwood, the worlds ugliest Redwood, a Redwood that has fallen perfectly so that you can walk the entire length of it and more! The Rockefeller Forest contains the most ancient groves and can be easily accessed from the Avenue. Mattole Road is a magnificent side road that winds through this forest for miles and eventually leads to the "Lost Coast". But that's another day. Today we hike Rockefeller Loop Trail but we have also loved hiking to The Founders Grove, Bull Creek flats, Big Tree area and the California Federation Of Woman's Clubs where I think One of the Star Wars Movies was partially filmed. We stay in Garberville at the Humboldt Redwoods Inn, but only because our first choice, Humboldt House Inn is sold out! In the past we have also stayed and loved the Myers Flat Inn. We ate a delicious meal in Garberville at Calicos. At this point our vacation was interrupted due to a bad case of Poison Oak. We determined that it would be best to end the vacation and seek treatment. It worked!
As we traveled we discovered that the Gas seemed to be cheater than what we are used to in Los Angeles. In most places in California we paid about $1.70 a gallon. In Neveda we paid $1.50 and in Oregon we paid $1.60. Back to the Top

California's Central Coast: Winter/2004

We decided to follow Highway 1, rather than the 101, a beautiful back road that follows green rolling hills and looks less like a freeway and more like a country road. Jalama Beach is right off the highway 1; it's at the end of a windy 14 mile road through various privately owned ranches, and well worth the drive! Jalama is a legendary place among surfers with its pristine beaches, great waves, and the famous Jalama Burgers. It is located out on Point Conception; don't be surprised to find whole abalone shells right on the beach. This used to be a "secret spot" but has gained in popularity. Still, it is remote enough to insure a relatively un-touristy experience.

http://www.jalamabeach.com/

Lompoc is an interesting place; it's a quite rural town that borders the massive Vandenberg AFB. It also has one of the best preserved Missions around, La Purísima Concepción. Lompoc also has one of the largest 99 cent stores around, as a teacher I frequent this place whenever I can and am always rewarded with great bargains!

http://missions.bgmm.com/purisima.htm

They grow a lot of flowers around here and during the spring you can take a 17 mile self-guided auto tour that winds its way through many fields of glorious flowers. Some of them are already in bloom now. The city is also know for their Murals (60 so far), which were inspired by the murals of Chemanius, British Columbia.

http://store.yahoo.com/lompoc/index.html

Heading north on Highway 1, I notice a NASA Teacher Training center, part of Vandenberg AFB. It's actually called the Endeavour Center, and it's a free resource center for Teachers, as well as a space camp. NASA gives away a lot of freebies to teachers.

http://www.endeavours.org/sec/teachers/nasa-res.htm

http://www.endeavours.org/sec/index.htm

Continuing on, we eventually reach the quaint town of Guadalupe, home of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes. These dunes became famous when Hollywood began filming here in the early 20th century. Cecil B. DeMille built the largest set in history here for his silent epic "The Ten Commandants". The set, dubbed "The City of the Pharaoh," was buried by sand and lost until a group of people began excavating the site several years ago. If you visit the Guadalupe Beach access to the Dunes area and look to the left from the beach, you can see some of the ruins. It's very interesting, beautiful, and you won't be seeing too many people. Walk for a few minutes through the dunes and one could easily think they were in the middle of the Sahara Desert! Don't get lost.

http://www.lostcitydemille.com/

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The Dunes Center is locater in the town of Guadalupe; they have a lot of information and an interesting docent who has a plethora of stories about this area. She directed us to Oso Flaco Lake, part of a series of inland freshwater lakes strung along the coast, with its boardwalk that crosses the lake and eventually leads through the dunes and to the beach. Along this path I spied a raccoon sneaking among the reeds looking for food, and lots of Birds. This is a gorgeous area, one that is not frequented by many people. In fact, I was amazed to find people from Pismo Beach who had never visited the Dunes!

http://server1.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~kmguad/public_html/dunes_pages/sitemap.htm

North of Guadalupe are the towns of Oceano and Oceano Dunes (Oceano is on the wrong side of the railroad tracks). During the 1930's an offbeat group of free-thinking people (mystics, artists, writers, nudists, and hermits) collectively known as Dunites, founded a colony here in order to pursue a simpler way of life, and inspire creativity. They believed that Oceano Dunes was one of California's creative Art centers. Hidden away in run down shacks throughout the dunes, Dunites believed these dunes held mystical qualities and they often moved from location to location in an effort to harness that energy. After visiting the dunes, I was inspired to paint the entire vacation! And I came home inspired to write this travelogue. Maybe they were onto something after all. The last Dunite moved out in 1969.

http://www.dunescenter.org/index.html

http://www.beachtown.com/dunites.html

Oceano Dunes provides access to something that you cannot do anywhere else in California; 5 miles of permitted beach driving. Yes it's noisy, and it's bizarre to see people driving on the beach, but considering that only 5 miles of all California Coastline is accessible to autos, I think it's a good thing! Enjoy it while you can, environmentalists have been trying to stop this practice for years, particularly due to the plight of the endangered Snowy Plovers and the fact that wayward ATV's have been known to destroy fence protected nests of living Plover eggs.

http://www.rain.org/~audubon/sbasplvreducation.html

Oceano Dunes is also the home of the southern campground in Pismo State Beach. They have a small but informative Nature center here and several indigenous plant gardens to stroll through. They also have a 1 mile loop trail around a freshwater lake which provides yet another riparian habitat for birds and beasts. This is a beautiful campground; you probably need to make reservations early for this gem.

http://www.mbspmuseum.org/pismonature.htm

Between the Northern and Southern Campgrounds is the Monarch Butterfly Grove, home of thousands and thousands of migrating butterflies. We enjoyed seeing them active since the sun was shining, they are not nearly as active when it's overcast but we were lucky enough to encounter fantastic weather. Beside the grove is a small booth (and store) with plenty of information about the Monarchs. Connecting the two campgrounds is an interpretive nature walk which is interesting and educational to visit.

http://www.classic-california.com/monarch.htm

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Pismo Beach is a funky beach town filled with surfers and other beach people, its laid back and causal. The beach is long and thick with hard packed sand making it a perfect place to take long walks. The community is quaint and filled with interesting places to stay; one can find both high-end and lower-end places, often right next to each other. They recently built a boardwalk that extends from the Pier to the southern end of Pismo beach, with plans to extend it even further to Grover Beach (which really doesn't have much beach at all). The Pier is an interesting place to explore, you can observe fisherman, fish yourself (they even have sinks to clean your catch in), or simple watch the boogie boarders surf near the Pier. The food in Pismo is mostly standard beach fare such as pizza and chowder, and of course salt water taffy! Gratefully we discovered a fantastic restaurant called "Bubbies" (a Yiddish word for Grandma) that we loved for its great food, good prices, and wonderful ambiance.

Bubbies Bistro, 580 Cypress. Pismo Beach. 805.556.0303.

We stayed one night at the SeaVenture, touted as "the" place to stay in Pismo. It was nice, and expensive! Although the room was furnished nicely, it was very small and there was no place to put our luggage. We did have a partial view room (the hotel is right on the beach/boardwalk) with a spa tub on our balcony, which was very nice. The feather bed was comfortable, good thing because it was essentially the only place to sit in the room. We were not able to check in until 4 pm, although the website indicated a 3 pm check-in, but that was due to the fact that they empty the hot tubs after each guest, so they are clean and fresh. That fact just barely made up for the troubles caused by the late check in. We ate at the restaurant on the top floor and while the food was okay (not great), the service was terrible. I'd avoid this restaurant. The best thing about this hotel is its location right on the beach; we got up early the following morning and took a 3 mile walk on the beach. I was able to sketch the dunes, as well as collect some shells and rocks, and the ocean smell is to-die-for!

http://www.classiccalifornia.com/faqs.htm

http://www.seaventure.com/

I had read about a "secret spot" (uh-huh) called Thousand Stairsteps in Shell Beach where there are few tourists (like me) and plenty of seals, otters, and tide pools. Locals describe beaches here as either a "Whoosh" (sea foam whooshing up the gentle sloping beach and whishing back out), "Crashes" (places where waves crash against rocky coves), or a" Trickle" (tide pools best seen at low tide). Thousand Stairsteps had all three, and there were so many seals in the water that I couldn't count them all. Find this beach at the end of Seaview and just down from Margo Dodd Park on Ocean. I can't be sure if I was the only tourist and the rest of the people were locals Look for the steps, and don't tell anyone I told you about this place!

Also in Shell beach is the fantastic De Palo & Sons Provision Spirits &
Fine Wine. This is a great place to grab a gourmet sandwich or salad; everything is prepared fresh and delicious. When I travel I get sick of just eating in restaurants and love to find deli's where I can order a little of this and a little of that!

Our next stop was the Morro Bay Area; we slept in San Luis Obispo. Morro Rock is interesting because it was always an island that was not accessible until WWII when the bay was dredged and a road was built out to the rock. This forever changed the landscape of Morro Bay. Today the rock is a protected area because it is home to a pair of Peregrine Falcons, as well as California Condors. Its easy to hike around the rocky outcroppings, we saw a man perched high above the waves in what seemed a precarious place, but he had the place all to himself!

http://morro-bay.com/index.htm

http://www.centralcoasttourist.com/San_Luis_Obispo_CO/SLO_Area_Info/Los_Osos/los_osos.html

I had wanted to visit the Elfin Forest in Morro Bay for a while, since it was such a beautiful day we decided to head up there and see the boardwalk trail. The trail was fantastic, with incredible lookouts of the Mud Flats and Estuary, as well as abundant opportunities to walk through the Elfin or Pygmy Trees. It's only a 1 mile loop, and all of it is wheelchair accessible, although there are some steep uphill climbs.

http://www.morrobay.com/index/elfin/home.htm

Morro Bay State Park has a nice Natural History Museum which is very kid friendly. On the day we visited many of the hands on displays were broken, I am glad I did not have any Kids with me since they might have found that very frustrating.

http://www.morrobaymuseum.org/

Sweet Springs Nature Preserve is close by in Bayshore, it is a popular birding site but I like it just for its natural appeal. It is a relatively small place but quite lovely with its spring fed ponds filled with turtles, ducks, and other waterfowl. The place really does smell sweet! I spied an Owl in the trees, which was thrilling for me since I love Owls but never get to see them in Nature. We were able to capture him on video, grateful for the technology.

http://www.birdingamerica.com/California/sweetsprings.htm

Montaña de Oro is one of California's largest State parks, and it is amazing in its beauty and scope. We did not have enough time to hike anywhere but do plan on revisiting again because it would be a crime not to hike here! Not only is this one the California's most beautiful parks, its completely free. However, our new Governor-or rather Governator-is going to put an end to this so visit soon!

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=592

There is a riverwalk in San Luis Obispo that I've wanted to see for some time, this trip we finally get an opportunity to walk it. Sadly, it's not much of a walk, only sporadic 3-4 blocks of walkway that seems to be in pieces. The walk begins at the Mission (also an interesting place to visit) and ends a few blocks west of it. It is a lovely place, considering that it is in the midst of downtown, and would be a perfect place to picnic during the Thursday Night Farmers Market. But it's not the place to get your morning exercise in. Unfortunately, we also missed the market, but we have visited it before and it is one amazing farmers market, certainly a "be-back." We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express, a good hotel considering it's a chain, with warm cookies nightly and a decent breakfast bar.

http://totalescape.com/tripez/trips/SLO.html

http://www.downtownslo.com/farmers.html

http://www.missionsanluisobispo.org/

For our final night we really wanted to get back to the beach so we managed to find a decent room at the SandCastle Inn, which is right next to the SeaVenture and fronts the Ocean. I booked a room touted to be without a view for $119 a night, figuring that on my balcony I could at least smell and hear the ocean, if not see it. Let me tell you this was the best "non-ocean" ocean view I ever had! From the third floor we had a magnificent side view of the ocean, and Pismo Dunes. Plus, they made a mistake when I booked the room and gave me a $49 rate! I didn't complain.

http://www.sandcastleinn.com/

We also visited Arroyo Grande, home of the Historic Swinging Bridge built in 1875, the only one of its kind in California. This is the real deal, a bridge built just for pedestrians and particularly for child-like pedestrians who like to stand in the middle of the bridge and jump like crazy. Just like my husband Ken, who is winning his battle against his fear of heights! They have a Farmers Market on Saturdays from Noon to 2:30, right behind City Hall, next to the swinging bridge. This is an interesting town filled with lots of history, and lots of antique shops.

http://www.arroyogrande.org/

http://www.arroyograndevillage.org/events.html

On the way home we stopped in Santa Barbara to eat at a restaurant we like called Tupelo, but it was no longer there. In its place was Rizona's, a fusion of Indian, Asian, and Hawaiian food that seemed so inviting and was crowded with locals, we had to try it. It was fantastic, Ken had a baked egg/onion/garlic/sausage dish that was excellent and I had some tortilla "folds" filled with curried chicken, spicy peanut satay, and green papaya salad. This was delicious food, I highly recommend this place. The Chef Rizona came out to chat with us, and prepared a special desert just for us! I don't know why, but then again this holiday has been filled with pleasant surprises. Travel serendipity!

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Central California Coast 2000

It's Friday afternoon and I just ran across some information about a trip I took last year along the 101 (Pacific Coast Highway). Heading towards Morro bay and San Luis Obispo turn off on highway 227 to view a nice waterfall called Big Falls Canyon. This is a beautiful back country road. Take Lopez lake road east .9 miles to Lopez Lake. Just before the recreation area turn right on High Mountain road. Go left on Upper Lopez Canyon, following it north and west as you cross the creek several times until you reach a signed trailhead, at approximately 3.6 miles. Nice falls when there is water.

http://www.slocountyparks.com/activities/lopez.htm

At Arroyo Grande you might want to visit the swinging bridge which is at the end of Short Street. This bridge is a pretty cool suspension foot bridge over Arroyo creek, built in the 1880's and very historic.

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/arroyo.html

Sycamore Hot Springs is a really nice place to visit. You can rent a tub for an hour or more and enjoy a soak or stay overnight, and enjoy the private tub on your balcony. Avila is a more primitive spot, but also nice:

http://www.sycamoresprings.com/regular/home.html
http://avilahotsprings.com/

Right near Sycamore Hot Springs is See Canyon and Perfumo Canyons, a beautiful back road through coastal canyons and valleys which connects to the Los Osos Valley and Morro bay.

http://www.locallinks.com/san_luis_obispo/slo_links.htm#See%20Canyon

As this Road winds down toward Morro Bay you will see Sweet Springs Natural Preserve (part of The Morro Bay National Estuary) which has walking trails across two bridges and over freshwater and salt water ponds. It's a nice place to bird watch, or just relax and smell the Ocean. Here is a link to other places to see this beautiful Estuary:

http://www.mbnep.org/places.htm

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Past Morro Bay you eventually reach Cambria, first you will pass Harmony, a town comprised mainly of Artists. In Cambria we stayed at the Cambria Landing (upstairs with a fireplace and balcony with view) and enjoyed it immensely. It includes Breakfast, and local wine and cheese in the evening. We have also stayed at the Cambria Pines and the Fireside Inn, which are also very nice. The fireside inn is on Moonstone beach (like the Cambria Landing) and has large rooms. The Pines is not on the beach, but has full suites with separate living and sleeping rooms. On Moonstone beach there is a nice boardwalk that takes in some ocean vistas and offers Whale watching opportunities too. Perfect way to end a day and catch a Sunset.

http://www.bestwesternfiresideinn.com/
http://www.cambriapineslodge.com/
http://cambrialanding.com/

Santa Rosa Creek Road is a lovely back road worthy of a drive, or better yet a bike ride:

http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/SantaRosaCreekRd.htm

Leffingwell's Landing (off Moonstone beach) has great tide pools to explore as well as Sea Otter watching. It's great for kids. Linns Fruit Bin is great for Jams made with local fruits and berries, free tastes and the drive to the farm is beautiful:

http://www.linnsfruitbin.com/

Cambria seems to have some nice dining options, we enjoyed" The Brambles" and "Robins Restaurant" as well as "The Hamlet" at Moonstone Gardens which has great patio seats for lunch. If you are lucky enough to visit San Luis Obispo on a Thursday night, they have the most wonderful Farmers Market that is great for fruits and veggies as well as a large assortment of food like Tri tip and roasted corn. In Santa Barbara you cannot beat La Super-Rica for great Mexican food.

http://www.bramblesdinnerhouse.com/
http://www.robinsrestaurant.com/
http://incambria.com/hamlet/
http://www.downtownslo.com/FarmersMarket/

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California Redwoods

I just returned from a Long (17 days) vacation where I visited many national parks with my husband. We met a man from Switzerland and we climbed to the top of Morro rock in Sequoia National Park together! We hiked and biked through the Kings Canyon along the King River. We biked through the entire Yosemite Valley, its waterfalls gushing, its meadows blanketed in flowers of every color. We wondered at the shadow of Half Dome, glistening in the clearness of Mirror Lake on a cool and crisp Yosemite morning. We explored caves that were made of Lava, watched a Red Tail Hawk feed its young high up in a giant nest with Serina from San Francisco, noted Bird watcher! We bike the Sacramento River trail, we hiked up a 20 foot snow bank at Crater Lake and met a photographer and his model, we watched in awe as the mighty Rogue River gorged itself through a Lava tube, and we saw more waterfalls along the Umpqua Scenic Byway that I ever imagined could exist. We spied 6 beautiful lighthouses along the southern Oregon Coast; we met a bicycle rider from Europe who was peddling from Port Angeles, Washington to Los Angeles, several times along the way! We saw a pair of garden snakes entwined in the springtime ritual of mating on a path to the tallest tree in the world (at 367 feet and a few more inches). We saw Deer and Elk all over Redwood National Park, hiked throughout the forest where Jurassic Park was filmed and where Star Wars III was filmed too! We hiked 5 miles through South Sloughs Estuary in Coos Bay Oregon and met a class full of children who delighted in holding our binoculars! We biked through the Avenue of Giants, literally a Museum of giant redwoods. We met locals and foreigners everywhere, tried to learn something new each day and tried to hike or bike everywhere we went! We met a 14 year old girl named Sara who is fighting for her life with strength, joy and intelligence. We bumped into somebody we knew long ago, met somebody we hope to know for a long time and many phone numbers and photos were exchanged! We saw a perfect sunset, had a perfect hamburger and fries and even found the perfect gifts and toys for our friends. We are glad to be home but learned much in our travels and are busy planning our next trip to Utah and Arizona where we will bike through Zion and Bryce, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, and who knows where else!

In Sequoia we stayed in the National Park, paid a fortune for a crappy room and will not do that again. We rode in the Kings canyon on a wonderful dirt fire road, about 8 miles each way, and the lodge in Kings Canyon is much more appealing. The food everywhere in the park is, well....it was a great time to start a diet!
We stayed in El Portal (outside of Yosemite) at the Yosemite View lodge which was wonderful (and expensive $150 a night) and because of road construction, not very busy! In Yosemite we biked through the entire awesome valley, almost 10 miles of great bike paths! This is the most fascinating way to see the valley IMHO! The food in all the National Parks leaves much to be desired!

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A big surprise was Redding, Calif. We stayed on the Sacramento River at the River Inn and paid only 29 a night (bless my entertainment card). The have the most incredible bike path that follows the river, gentle rolling hills (like a wonderful amusement ride) and lush greenery everywhere. It goes for about 14 miles!
We loved Klamath Falls, but didn't find Rocky and Bullwinkle! Here we stayed at the Red lion, paying 49 a night for a great room. We did not bike here but will come back; there is a plethora of birding spots everywhere, and a lot of beautiful places to pedal. The restaurant in the Red Lion was also very good!

The drive, as I said before, from Klamath Falls to the Oregon Coast is
Incredible. There are waterfalls everywhere. I found several Covered
Bridges on this byway Umpqua scenic byway) as well. Oregon is a beautiful place to hunt covered bridges and I have spend a week visiting many of these bridges in the Past, I imagine that someday we will try and bike to these bridges (which are mostly in the lush Willamette Valley) on another trip.

On the Oregon coast we stayed again in a Red Lion in Coos Bay. The rate was only slightly higher, at 55 a night, than the Klamath Falls property. A pretty good restaurant in Coo's is the Blue Heron which has a decent menu and prices. The chef is a little weird though, he will not cook what he does not 'feel' like cooking and so sometimes you cannot get what you'd like, but we just went with this figuring that any resistance would be too much conflict! Here we biked the Cape Arago point, about 10 miles each way through lush rainforest, and coastal views. Watch out for the rain here, there is nowhere to hide! We got a little wet here :-). Don't forget to visit South Sloughs, a plant-packed, rainforest filled with wonderful sights and smells (skunk cabbage) within the Estuary around Coo's bay! This is a birders paradise. No biking here, too many butt blasting hills! Great hiking if you don't mind walking uphill.

Our next destination was Crescent City, Calif. Here is where we begin to enjoy the coastal redwoods. We stay 3 nights here at the Best Western Northwoods Inn, a great motel for $60 a night including a full cooked to order breakfast. Also for an extra 10 a night you can eat at their restaurant anything off the menu, a great value and really good food. By now we are sick of eating so we opt for lighter meals. There is a wonderful Italian place next door, very good Pizza.

In crescent City we bike along the oceanfront and Pier, maybe 6 miles each way. Very nice ride. In Redwood National Park we get serious with our riding. We head for Howland Hills Road the first morning we are there. After parking at Stout Grove, we pedal our way through 20 miles of outstanding old growth forest as we follow along the Smith River. This is the stuff MY dreams are made of, it is a bit chilly but that only enhances my riding. Everywhere we are shadowed by these beautiful Giants, the hush of the forest, the sounds of the creatures and the rush of the river!! We bump into very few people here; this is why this park is called one of the loneliest national parks!

The following day we head for Orick, park headquarters. There we learn that we can get a special permit to get into the area where the tallest tree in the world lives. We hurry up Bald Hills Road, noting that this is way to steep to bike. As we approach Tall trees area we start seeing Deer everywhere. The hike to tall trees is hard, two miles down and two miles back up! We are vastly rewarded by the awesome sights of these trees, they are the tallest things on this Earth (and among the oldest too). We are both pooped after this strenuous hike. Still, we decide to bike the Newton Drewy Parkway that is at Prairie Creek Redwoods. This road is nice to bike, paved and winding through old growth Redwoods. Because it is uphill on the way out, I go slowly; I am tired from the mornings hiking. This forest looks familiar and rightly so, this is where Jurassic Park was filmed! Along this 10 mile bike route I meet a man from Germany who is pedaling down to Los Angeles. We meet several times along the highway 101 throughout the rest of the trip!

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Our next destination is the Avenue of the Giants. Along the way we find
Grizzly State Redwoods and relax and enjoy this park all to ourselves. The Avenue is awesome. We stay at Myers Inn, in Myers Flat. This Inn is delightful, costs about 125 a night but after two nights I am able to negotiate a much lower rate of 60 a night!! Here I am reminded that it is always important to ask! Anyway the rooms are lovely and the hosts are great, I love this place, this town, this park! We eat every night at the Avenue of the Giants Grill and enjoy the simple but good food at very reasonable prices. I feel like family around here quickly, but then I always do!

We bike several 20 mile routes along the Avenue, taking in all sorts of sights from the forest where Star Wars was filmed to a Dawn Redwood (also considered to be the ugliest tree in the world). We find many oddities along this road: a 30 foot high water mark from an infamous 164 flood that wiped out many of these communities, a rare Albino Redwood that is difficult to find but oh so rewarding, the Dyerville giant in the Founders grove, The wicked witch of the West redwood, and the Redwood cemetery. We also visit the tree house and the Grandfather Tree, both very interesting.

As we leave the Avenue for Mendocino we pass Confusion Hill, someplace I have always wanted to see because I like odd things like that! We pay the 3 bucks and walk through the home but it is nothing more than optical illusions. At least now I can say I have been there!

Mendocino is, as always, beautiful. We decide to stay in Fort Brag at the Sand and Sea, right on the ocean. It is about 100 a night, a little pricey but we like the view, the location. Unfortunately it is too windy to ride so we walk through McKerricher Park instead. The views are astounding. We find a wonderful place for dinner, probably the best meal we had on the entire trip, at the Caspar Cafe in Fort Bragg. The prices are very reasonable, the food is all prepared naturally, and the veggies are grown locally by the owner/chef. I love this place. From here we visit relatives in Oakland, hardly a place to write about; unless you are interested in the teenie beanie baby hunts I went on at all the various McDonalds throughout Oakland!

Most of these bike rides are not too difficult, maybe 5's on a scale of 1-10. I prefer mostly flat terrain, or at least hilly only in the beginning. If I do most of the strenuous biking at the beginning of a ride I can do hills, but I need the down hills at the end. I am not in top shape either; most of these rides are of the easy nature although they are long.

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