| Home > Articles > California Calling |
|
California Calling |
|
|
| Cindy loose takes you on a trip from point reyes to mendocino, north of san fransisco, america. A must for children too |
|
|
The waters of the Russian River gently stream against a sandy finger of beach before spilling into the Pacific Ocean at Jenner, California. The other side of the beach is pounded by the foaming ocean surf. A few yards off shore, rough blue waves explode into white as they smash against huge boulders. At the tip of the beach, where the river and the ocean join, sea lions and pelicans congregate. From a glass-walled restaurant on a cliff high above the river and the ocean, we use binoculars to watch them, taking particular joy in the success of the pelicans who take off from the beach and dive for fish.
Picture Perfect
The view is so spectacular that Id recommend this restaurant-the Rivers End-even if it were serving sawdust and oyster shells. But in fact, the waiter comes bearing a fresh shrimp and had-dock ceviche with just the right touch of lime juice and cilantro, followed by a heavenly crab and lobster cake in a thin, crunchy batter, surrounded by a truffle sauce. It is one of those vacation moments that is so perfect, so striking, that you dont need to take a picture to remember it. In fact, the portion of the northern California coast we toured is so spectacular, only the most jaded, nature-hating traveller would fail to have such perfect moments. Children are generally fairly immune to beautiful scenery. But during a four-day driving trip north of San Francisco, from Point Reyes to Mendocino on routes 1 and 101, I repeatedly hear the word "wow" coming from my 12-year-old. At idle moments since the trip last month, I repeatedly think of the red and purple starfish lying in rocky tide pools. Of waving sea grasses that appear to change colour, from gold to silver, as they bend in the wind. Of patches of fog that suddenly lift to reveal the silhouettes of horses grazing on low hills at sunset. Of waves that crash through archways drilled into solid rock over who knows how many eons. Of neat rows of grapevines that start along the roadside and stretch up hills of terraced fields all the way to the horizon.
Wine Country
Italian immigrants in the 1850s discovered that the hills of Mendocino County were similar to their wine-growing regions back home and began producing table wines for their families. Small but commercial-quality wineries took off in the late 1960s. Today, more than 40 family-owned wineries grow grapes on 16,000 acres in the county. Ive been reading over the past couple of years that the wineries of Sonoma are the in substitute for Napa. Id suggest that the wineries of Mendocino are an even less-travelled substitute for Sonoma or Napa.
I now also consider the coast just north of San Francisco an apt contender with the better-travelled southern shoreline. Ive always been a loyal fan of Big Sur, that glorious stretch along Route 1 just south of Monterey, and have returned again and again, convinced without proof that nothing in America could surpass that dramatic collision of earth, water and sky. But consider me a new convert to the wilder, less-travelled version of the north. Wild elk roam along Tomales Bay near White Gulch, less than an hours drive north of San Francisco. Even closer to the city, on the southern end of Point Reyes National Seashore, lie miles of empty ocean beaches, lagoons and marshes, cliffs covered with wildflowers, and hundreds of miles of pristine trails for hiking and horse riding. The national seashore begins 25 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, and it must drive developers crazy to see it just lying there, virtually empty. Its natural state is a tribute to former President John F. Kennedy, who declared that the peninsula should be saved as a national treasure. He set aside 80,000 acres for public use.
Unexplored Beauty
The largest town at the edge of the park, Point Reyes Station, consists of a couple of dozen buildings that line both sides of Route 1. Theres a great bakery, a few restaurants, a shop selling the crafts of local weavers, a studio for a photographer who has devoted his life to shooting the Point Reyes landscape, a surf shop, a grocery store and a combination organic produce/artist gallery/gift shop/feed store. I imagine the town to be quintessential California Circa 1950, but then I notice the building cornerstones from the 1800s. On the entire peninsula, no buildings are higher than two stories. Small inns and cottages scattered around the edges of the park offer the only lodging, which might explain why, at the height of the tourist season, there are no jostling crowds of tourists on the streets, no traffic jams. Wide expanses of beach are so empty you feel as if youve found a private space.
The Drive Begins
Weve rented for two nights a two-bedroom cottage at the Bar-Or Ranch, about a mile outside of Point Reyes Station, with our friends John and Emily and their daughter, Ellie. The 35-acre property, with three cottages for rent, is a working farm and horse ranch that is just getting off the ground. Im amazed by the faith needed to imagine that the spindly little avocado and olive trees will one day produce enough fruit to pay off the mortgage. The Point Reyes peninsula is known for its fog, but the area around Point Reyes Station is often spared. We hit three perfect, sunny days, with daytime temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s. For our first adventure, we head to the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870. Were looking forward to climbing the 300 steps from the base of the lighthouse at the edge of a cliff to the shore below. But at a crucial moment, John confidently proclaims that we should turn left at a crossroad, and we dead-end at Drakes Beach.
Point Reyes is so large, and roads through it so indirect, that you cant experience all it has to offer in three days. So we never get to the lighthouse. But we happen to reach Drakes Beach at low tide and find rocky pools filled with creatures. Cheryl Bar-Or, co-owner of the ranch, has recommended that we get up early for the peninsulas best tide pools, at Ducksberry Reef. But thanks to our mistaken turn, we manage to satisfy our tide-pool needs at Drakes Beach without getting up at working hours. Anemones of various colours close at our gentle touch, and we watch for them to feel safe enough to reopen.
Sun and Surf
The nine ocean beaches surrounding the Point Reyes peninsula are too cold for swimming, but we find ourselves perfectly satisfied to stroll and explore. At Drakes Beach, high white cliffs tower over the sandy beaches. When Sir Francis Drake arrived here in 1579, he noted in his diary that the beach reminded him of the white cliffs of Dover, and he claimed the land for England. The natives, the Coast Miwok, thinking Drake and his crew were the spirits of their dead ancestors, apparently did not object. The waters of Tomales Bay, on the eastern side of the peninsula, are said to be warm enough for swimmers, but Id say for hearty swimmers. At the same time, I dont think the wet suits provided by the kayak company we used were necessary. In retrospect, I wish we had started our paddling at Inverness, where the bay is more sheltered, and numerous small islands provide refuge for birds and turtles. But we figured that if we started at Marshall, farther north on the bay, we could kayak all the way to the elk feeding grounds.
A Scenic Drive
Indeed, this is something a good kayaker should be able to accomplish, particularly on a calm day. On a day when wind is whipping up whitecaps, and you arent a better kayaker than your children, youd be better off reserving time to drive to see the elk. Then again, the launching point at Marshall does have its pluses-namely, a rough little restaurant built on a pier over the bay, where fresh oysters from nearby are cooked over an open grill. Or you can have them in a stew. We did both. The inland drive takes us by rolling hills that glow golden in the sun, then past a series of wineries, with vineyards stretching as far as we can see. Route 128 seems to end at Navarro, but a clerk in the only store along the way assures us that the narrow road over a bridge Jo the west really is a continuation of the route. It is mid-afternoon. But the tall redwoods along each side of the roadblock out the sun so completely that it appears to be dark most of the time, except when streaks of sunlight glimmer through openings in the thick woods.
Back to the Shores
Suddenly, Route 128 does end, and I hear my first "wow" from the back seat. Were back on the coastal highway, Route 1, where the western edge of the continental United States ends with a dramatic drop into the Pacific. The coast between here and Mendocino seems wilder than its cousin to the south. For miles there is nothing but dramatic views on one side and rolling hills with pastures or pear and apple orchards on the other. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Become a Writer |
| You can contribute article on technology management trade or related topics and get noticed on the web for Free. |
| Learn More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post your Comments