Northern California

After leaving Hearst San Simeon State Park we headed inland to route 101 and got as far north as a KOA in Salinas. After spending the night we continued north skirting the Bay Area and crossing Carquinez Strait into what I think of as Northern California. Our destination was Bothe Napa Valley State Park between St Helena and Calistoga California in the heart of Napa Valley Wine Country. Talk about a lot of vineyards! It seems like almost every square inch of land is covered in grapevines. The campground was very nice. Things are starting to turn green with lots of wildflowers including trilliums and plenty of poison oak.

On our first day there we strolled the streets of St Helena and then we visited some wineries. Our first stop was at Beringer Winery where we had a glass of wine and walked around their lovely property. We also went to Charles Krug Winery, had a great time there, had a very nice server and tasted 6 different varieties of their wine. Two wineries were enough for us tor one day as there are so many wineries all around and the cost for tasting are more than twice as much as in Oregon.  

Beringer Brothers House at Winery

Tasting at Charles Krug

Charles Krug Winery

Beringers Winery

Charles Krug Tasting Room

The next day, we took a nice 3 mile trail from our state park to the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. It was really neat. The mill was built in 1843 and operated until 1903. The state parks acquired the mill in the 70’s and restored it to operating condition grinding its first wheat again in 1998. We took a one hour guided tour and our guide was very good and answered all our questions about the mill and how grain was ground, then he ground some grain. We bought a bag of flour and later made pancakes with he flour. We walked back to our camp, drove into Calistoga for some lunch and then strolled the main street. Later in the day, we took a walk on the Redwood Trail in the park. This is one of the farthest inland places that redwoods grow.

On Sunday, March 26, we drove west to route1 on the California coast and our next campground - Van Damme State Park just a few miles south of Mendocino. We set up camp and drove to Mendocino Headlands State Park and took a beautiful walk along the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. The headlands are very lovely and the ocean was a very beautiful almost Caribbean blue. After our walk there, we drove to the Pygmy Forest Loop Boardwalk with very old tree but stunted here because of the poor soil. After supper, we went back to the Headlands and saw a very nice sunset.

Pygmy Forest Boardwalk

The following day, we went to the Mendocino Coastal Botanical Garden. It was very nice with rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, heath, heather, succulents and conifers and very nice trails throughout. Some trails went out to the ocean bluffs,  some went through wooded areas and some went through formal gardens. Afterwards we drove into Ft Bragg and walked at Noyo Point Headlands. We wanted to see the “glass beach” but didn’t see any glass. (It was originally a city dump). Our final stop of the day was Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park. It is a very nicely restored light house and keepers houses. Rain began about 6 pm and rained and even thundered most of the night and next day. We took walks around the park and down to the beach whenever the rain let up enough.

Glass Beach

Point Cabrillo Light Station

On Wednesday, March 29, we moved north on routes 1 and 101 to Elk Creek Campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, part of the Redwoods National and State Parks complex. We have been to the Redwoods many times in the past, but have never spent too much time in the southern end of the park. The trees are magnificent and so old and huge. We learned much about the trees and how they were almost harvested to extinction before people started fighting to preserve them. We took many different hikes in the two days we were there and continually marveled at how huge the trees are. We also were very lucky to see many elk grazing in the nearby meadow. 

After our stay at Prairie Creek Redwoods we moved north to Oregon. But more about that next time.