California Road Trips Guide - 2021 - 28

ROAD TRIPS 2021
Mendocino
SAN FRANCISCO TO CRESCENT CITY
CRESCENT CITY
SeaQuake Brewing
Hidden Beach
Katy's Smokehouse
Avenue of the
Giants
MENDOCINO
Pacific
Ocean
Point Reyes
National
Seashore
Timber
Cove Resort
Parkside Cafe
SAN FRANCISCO
DISTANCE: 407 MILES * DAYS: 3-4
Golden Gate
to Big Trees
EXPLORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA'S PRISTINE COASTLINE
S
tart on San Francisco's
northwestern edge,
enjoying blue-water
views while crossing the Golden
Gate's orange splendor, then
steer into Marin County's
coastal headlands.
Pick up two-lane Highway
1 in Mill Valley, which curves
its way to bohemian Stinson
Beach. Take a break to nosh
on a burger at Parkside Cafe,
then push north to Point Reyes
National Seashore, a peninsula
bounded by beaches, lagoons,
and estuaries. Choose a trail by
wildlife: Roam across Tomales
Point to see tule elk, Abbotts
Lagoon to spot birds, or Chimney
Rock to scan for whales.
Beyond Point Reyes, your
car skirts Tomales Bay, one of
California's best oyster-producing
regions. Stop and taste the
bivalves at The Marshall Store.
Wind northward past
Bodega Bay and a tableau
of wind-lashed headlands
and grassy blufftops. Pull over
at Salt Point State Park and
walk alongside Gerstle Cove
to see sandstone dotted with
honeycomb-like holes and caves
28 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
known as " tafoni. " End your day
at Timber Cove Resort, perched
atop seaside bluffs.
The next morning, you're
off to the village of Mendocino.
Fill your day by kayaking near
sea caves at Van Damme State
Park, lounging on the sand
at Jug Handle State Natural
Reserve, and trekking to the
waterfall at Russian Gulch State
Park. Taste line-caught seafood
at Trillium Cafe or Wild Fish, and
spend the night in an oceanview
room at Little River Inn.
North of Fort Bragg,
Highway 1 doglegs inland on
a circuitous route to Leggett
and U.S. 101. Snap a selfie as
your car creeps through the
Chandelier Tree, a 2,400-yearold
redwood with an auto-sized
tunnel carved into its trunk.
Proceed north to Phillipsville
and the Avenue of the Giants, a
32-mile redwood-rich alternate
to U.S. 101.
Cap off your day in the
artsy town of Eureka, home to
grand Victorians like the yellow
landmark housing Lost Coast
Brewery. Take a self-guided
walking tour of Old Town's colorWORTH
A DETOUR
Retro Americana: Ferndale's brightly
painted Victorians house 1950s-style
diners and old-time
five-and-dimes.
Forest bathing:
Near Orick, marvel
at the towering trees
in Prairie Creek
Redwoods State Park.
AREA OF DETAIL
San
Francisco
Los
Angeles
San
Diego
ful murals, then zip over to Sea
Grill for freshly caught seafood.
The next morning, follow
U.S. 101 north to Trinidad, a
picture-perfect seaside hamlet.
Climb to the top of Trinidad
Head to look for whales. Stock
up on smoked seafood at Katy's
Smokehouse, then hike paths
along the dramatic coastline of
Patrick's Point State Park.
Keep trucking north to
Klamath. Drive out to the
Klamath River Overlook to see
the magnificent meeting place of
this 250-mile-long river and the
Pacific. Walk along the Coastal
Trail, or drive north to hike the
Yurok Loop to Hidden Beach,
where driftwood piles up on
windswept sand. Spend a night
in Crescent City and visit the
1856 Battery Point Lighthouse,
then beachcomb for agates at
Pebble Beach. Savor fish tacos
and artisan ales at SeaQuake
Brewing before squeezing in one
more hike in Jedediah Smith
Redwoods State Park.
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California Road Trips Guide - 2021

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