Northern California

Road Trip, June 2021

The main reason we went to California in 2021 was to check out the Redwood Forest, but we decided to make a weeklong trip, to explore several places in Northern California.

We rented a car and started our trip in Carmel-by-the-Sea, an adorable little beach town, with houses that look like little fairy cottages. The beach is very pretty and not terribly crowded:

We got to see the famous Carmel-by-the-Sea sunset:

Very pretty, very romantic, but surprisingly chilly. It was June but a jacket was required to enjoy the experience.

The next day, we cruised north along the famous 17 Mile Drive, and saw the beautiful coastline:

We made several stops to walk down by the water which was crystal clear and very cold.

Sitting on the rocks and listening to the waves crash was beautiful. The air was cold, the sun was warm, and the view couldn't be beat.

Along 17 Mile Drive, there is a spot called Sea Lion Point. There, we saw a rock that appeared to be a sunning spot for sea lions:

We found The Lone Cypress tree while on the 17 Mile Drive:

Our next stop was San Francisco. We stayed one night and the next day, we did a tour of Alcatraz Island and admired the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here is the view of Alcatraz as we approached by boat:

Then, once on the island, there is a great view of the San Francisco skyline:

And the Golden Gate Bridge:

I was totally stoked to see where Al Capone was held since I love old mafia stories. The thing I was most surprised by, was that Alcatraz island has a strong scent of dead fish that is inescapable. No matter where we went, we were constantly blasted with cold, fishy air.

Once we arrived, I was surprised to find cannons and learned that the island was a fortress in the 1850's:

The tour of the prison is done through a recording that plays as you explore.

It was a very cool experience to see how the inmates lived and to feel the cold, damp environment.

The Golden Gate Bridge was very impressive. There are a few places where you can get a good picture of it:

Only cult fans of the movie The Room, will understand why I chose this t-shirt for my trip to the Golden Gate Bridge:

After the Alcatraz tour and getting a good look at the Golden Gate Bridge, we left for Eureka where we stayed the night, in preparation to explore the Redwood Forest. The traffic heading north out of San Fran was terrible. We also made the mistake of leaving the city at 4:30 pm, right in the start of rush hour, so the trip north was tiring to say the least.

The Redwood Forest National Park was by far my favorite part of this trip. It was another bucket list item that I've checked off my list.

I pretty much immediately got out of the car to hug a tree:

This National Forest was one of the National Parks that can be enjoyed by car, but hiking significantly enhances the experience. We picked the perfect trail to hike on:

The trail had some flowers and wild raspberries.

Moss covered the ground and fallen trees. The forest was so peaceful and smelled amazing.

Seeing the berries made us look for bear scat, which we found, and remained hyper aware of our surroundings for the rest of the hike. We did end up seeing a black bear with her cubs up by the road. Everyone who hikes in this forest needs to be aware of the wildlife living in it:

The trail led down to a black sand beach. When we arrived, there was a thick fog over the ocean.

As the day warmed up, the fog began to lift and we could see where the waves were crashing.

We made other stops within the forest to see the Big Tree and the Immortal Tree:

The experience in the Redwood National Forest was surreal. The trees are so big that it felt like being in a different world:

For size reference, I'm 5'4". Standing next to a tree so enormous is a humbling experience. They are so beautiful and so tall that you cannot see the top of some.

We found several that were hollow inside and couldn't resist the opportunity to stand inside the trees.

Even the fallen trees were beautiful:

It was hard leaving such a magical place but it was time to hit up our next stop. On the way back south, we stopped at a beach by the road and sat for a while and had a picnic. The Northern CA shoreline is so pretty with the dark sand and the wild flowers:

Our final stop on this trip was in Sonoma for a wine tour. We stayed at a lovely hotel called Four Sisters Inn. It was so cozy and romantic. They had a complementary snack plate and glasses of wine waiting for us in the room.

The following morning, we did a wine tour of 3 wineries; Loxton Cellars, Deerfield Ranch Winery, and Kenwood Vineyards.

I've always been a California wine snob until this trip. After living in Europe for so long, I used to turn my nose up at California wines, thinking they were rushed and therefore not as good. I learned that there is a huge difference between the CA wine in the local grocery store, and CA wine at the wineries in Sonoma. The CA wine I tried at these wineries were high quality and a pleasure to drink. We still order wine from all three of the wineries we visited.

This was another great vacation for the books! Northern California is a must see and I recommend it for nature and wine lovers.