A migration to the sea
Apr. 15th, 2011 12:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redroanchroniclesEvery year when spring comes, I start feeling the urge to migrate. Don't laugh, it's true. Some people might call it the inevitable result of winter-time cabin fever, but to me it's more than that. I get the urge to start moving and not stop, possibly until autumn. I want to go places and see things. I want to explore the world. I want to... get a tattoo to remember the journey by.
Last year around this time, I was still living in Northern California, and I took a trip down to Mendocino County -- specifically to the towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg -- to see the sights. It was partially a work trip, taking photographs for the travel magazine I worked for, but it was also a bit of a vacation. And I had a gift certificate for a Fort Bragg tattoo parlor, and by God I was going to get inked. Luckily for me, my company also had trade available at some area businesses, so I was able to stay and mostly to eat for free, and I took along my trusty companion Trudeau. It was a pretty awesome trip, and I never did post any photos, so... better late than never!
Our first stop was at a riding stable that does beach rides in McKerricher State Park. The scenery was lovely, but I won't really talk about the beach ride because I don't actually have anything complimentary to say. :D Then we headed on into Fort Bragg, where we stopped at Glass Beach. Mendocino has a lot of the rugged, rocky coastline that is my particular favorite, but Glass Beach is particularly scenic because -- and this is going to sound a little topsy-turvy, but bear with me -- it used to be the town dump. I'm not sure what would possess anyone to turn a stretch of lovely beach into a dump, but they did, and as a result much of the material that makes up the beach now is crush and sand-worn fragments of glass.
The day we were there, there were lots of visitors scouring the beach, making piles of multi-colored glass pebbles and searching for particularly interesting bits of water-worn fragments. (If you do visit Glass Beach, it's requested that you leave the glass you find there for future visitors, kthxbai.) Trudeau had a great time splashing around in the water, though he still hasn't quite figured out why drinking from the ocean makes him even more thirsty, poor guy.
Our next stop was at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve. I'd been hoping to be able to visit the Jughandle Creek Farm and Nature Center, which has sweet hostel-style lodging and all sorts of educational programs and other things that thrill me, but the timing didn't work out and I ended up not even finding the place, so instead we just pulled into the main trailhead and took a little hike around the clifftops and down to a little beach inlet.
Insanely beautiful? CHECK.
Next we went down the road to the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, which I'd been wanting to visit forever. It didn't disappoint. It was late in the afternoon when we got there, moody-looking clouds had moved in, and the place was just gorgeous. There are a few beautiful cottages which once housed the light keepers and are now available as vacation rentals, and then out by the edge of the cliff there was the lighthouse.
In one of the little coves next to the lighthouse, I watched a pair of seals mating. It was quite the display. Trudeau wasn't terribly impressed (the biological sciences aren't really his area of interest, he says), but he did take the time to pose for a photograph.
The next day, which was a Sunday and coincidentally happened to be Mother's Day, we made a stop at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. I was expecting a nice short stroll around the grounds, but I've never been much for manicured gardens, so I wasn't expecting to be wowed. I parked and popped into the office to ask whether I would be allowed to bring Trudeau inside -- the day was warming up and I didn't feel comfortable leaving him in the truck. To my delight, not only are dogs allowed in the gardens, but they even have a jar of dog cookies inside the door and doggy ice cream treats available in their cafe. And when I went to pay my admission fee, the very nice woman at the counter gave me a ticket for free -- they were doing a Mother's Day promotion where moms got free admission. "Er, I'm not a mom," I told her, and tried not to actually shudder at the word "mom" because the idea of me procreating is terrifying to everyone, myself included. The woman behind the counter looked at me like I was daft and said, "You have a dog, don't you? You're a mom." Lulz! So Tru and I got a nice free visit!
Just inside the entrance, the gardens you walk into are pretty sculpted and manicured, with sculptures and water features studded around the place, as well as benches where you can sit and enjoy the scenery. The further back you go, the more wild things become, until you're walking through a sort of wood, which opens out at the back onto ocean cliffs, which I'm told are a great spot for watching the whale migration if you're there at the right time of year.
I wish I'd visited earlier in the day, because I ended up not having much time to wander -- my tattoo appointment was just an hour away, so we were in a bit of a rush, unfortunately. But I was really stunned by the place and how gorgeous it was; if I had to name my top five places to find inner piece, I'd name this garden as one of them. From each path there were plenty of other paths shooting off; midway through, in a bit of thick forest-y greenery, Trudeau and I wandered down a little side path that bent in just the perfect way to completely obscure either end of the trail. Though it was just a small trail connecting the two other main walkways, it seemed completely cut off from the world, as if we'd just taken an hour's walk into the woods instead of a 30-second excursion. People passed by just a few feet away on their way up the trail, and they had no idea we were there, and we hardly noticed their presence, either. The gardens were very busy that day, but they didn't seem that way thanks to how easy it is to find yourself a quiet spot. I'd brought lunch along so we claimed a bench and dined on bananas and fresh strawberries, and then we continued on to the sea.
There's a little viewing room set into the side of one of these rock formations, where you can take shelter in bad weather and still be able to watch for passing whales. You can also explore the many overlooks giving you a gorgeous view of the ocean. Then you head back down another path toward the entrance again.
Our next stop was Triangle Tattoo, where I got two pieces done (one on each leg). They've also got a bunch of displays of news clippings and whatnot about the history of tattooing, so even if you're not getting inked it's a fun stop just to check it out, and Mr. G and Madame Chinchilla are super-chill and friendly.
Next, legs burning and agony fading (nobody told me tattoos on the calves hurt quite that much, hoooooooly hannah!), we took a different route to start driving north and back home. We took Highway 20 toward Willits, and I'm glad we did because along the way we spotted a few beautiful things, and even stopped for a very brief hike on a roadside trail.
Trudeau and I had a great trip together, and I was really pleased with how easy it was to find dog-friendly expeditions and accommodations in Mendocino. Since we ended up moving out of California and into Colorado just a few months later, I'm glad we had this one last visit with the sea... since I now miss it sometimes like I've lost a limb. And also, my tattoos are wicked-awesome. :D
Anyway, it only took me about a million years to actually blog these photos, and I have more from previous trips to San Francisco and Cardiff, Wales that I'll be posting in the next few days. Stay tuned!
Last year around this time, I was still living in Northern California, and I took a trip down to Mendocino County -- specifically to the towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg -- to see the sights. It was partially a work trip, taking photographs for the travel magazine I worked for, but it was also a bit of a vacation. And I had a gift certificate for a Fort Bragg tattoo parlor, and by God I was going to get inked. Luckily for me, my company also had trade available at some area businesses, so I was able to stay and mostly to eat for free, and I took along my trusty companion Trudeau. It was a pretty awesome trip, and I never did post any photos, so... better late than never!
Our first stop was at a riding stable that does beach rides in McKerricher State Park. The scenery was lovely, but I won't really talk about the beach ride because I don't actually have anything complimentary to say. :D Then we headed on into Fort Bragg, where we stopped at Glass Beach. Mendocino has a lot of the rugged, rocky coastline that is my particular favorite, but Glass Beach is particularly scenic because -- and this is going to sound a little topsy-turvy, but bear with me -- it used to be the town dump. I'm not sure what would possess anyone to turn a stretch of lovely beach into a dump, but they did, and as a result much of the material that makes up the beach now is crush and sand-worn fragments of glass.
The day we were there, there were lots of visitors scouring the beach, making piles of multi-colored glass pebbles and searching for particularly interesting bits of water-worn fragments. (If you do visit Glass Beach, it's requested that you leave the glass you find there for future visitors, kthxbai.) Trudeau had a great time splashing around in the water, though he still hasn't quite figured out why drinking from the ocean makes him even more thirsty, poor guy.
Our next stop was at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve. I'd been hoping to be able to visit the Jughandle Creek Farm and Nature Center, which has sweet hostel-style lodging and all sorts of educational programs and other things that thrill me, but the timing didn't work out and I ended up not even finding the place, so instead we just pulled into the main trailhead and took a little hike around the clifftops and down to a little beach inlet.
Insanely beautiful? CHECK.
Next we went down the road to the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, which I'd been wanting to visit forever. It didn't disappoint. It was late in the afternoon when we got there, moody-looking clouds had moved in, and the place was just gorgeous. There are a few beautiful cottages which once housed the light keepers and are now available as vacation rentals, and then out by the edge of the cliff there was the lighthouse.
In one of the little coves next to the lighthouse, I watched a pair of seals mating. It was quite the display. Trudeau wasn't terribly impressed (the biological sciences aren't really his area of interest, he says), but he did take the time to pose for a photograph.
The next day, which was a Sunday and coincidentally happened to be Mother's Day, we made a stop at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. I was expecting a nice short stroll around the grounds, but I've never been much for manicured gardens, so I wasn't expecting to be wowed. I parked and popped into the office to ask whether I would be allowed to bring Trudeau inside -- the day was warming up and I didn't feel comfortable leaving him in the truck. To my delight, not only are dogs allowed in the gardens, but they even have a jar of dog cookies inside the door and doggy ice cream treats available in their cafe. And when I went to pay my admission fee, the very nice woman at the counter gave me a ticket for free -- they were doing a Mother's Day promotion where moms got free admission. "Er, I'm not a mom," I told her, and tried not to actually shudder at the word "mom" because the idea of me procreating is terrifying to everyone, myself included. The woman behind the counter looked at me like I was daft and said, "You have a dog, don't you? You're a mom." Lulz! So Tru and I got a nice free visit!
Just inside the entrance, the gardens you walk into are pretty sculpted and manicured, with sculptures and water features studded around the place, as well as benches where you can sit and enjoy the scenery. The further back you go, the more wild things become, until you're walking through a sort of wood, which opens out at the back onto ocean cliffs, which I'm told are a great spot for watching the whale migration if you're there at the right time of year.
I wish I'd visited earlier in the day, because I ended up not having much time to wander -- my tattoo appointment was just an hour away, so we were in a bit of a rush, unfortunately. But I was really stunned by the place and how gorgeous it was; if I had to name my top five places to find inner piece, I'd name this garden as one of them. From each path there were plenty of other paths shooting off; midway through, in a bit of thick forest-y greenery, Trudeau and I wandered down a little side path that bent in just the perfect way to completely obscure either end of the trail. Though it was just a small trail connecting the two other main walkways, it seemed completely cut off from the world, as if we'd just taken an hour's walk into the woods instead of a 30-second excursion. People passed by just a few feet away on their way up the trail, and they had no idea we were there, and we hardly noticed their presence, either. The gardens were very busy that day, but they didn't seem that way thanks to how easy it is to find yourself a quiet spot. I'd brought lunch along so we claimed a bench and dined on bananas and fresh strawberries, and then we continued on to the sea.
There's a little viewing room set into the side of one of these rock formations, where you can take shelter in bad weather and still be able to watch for passing whales. You can also explore the many overlooks giving you a gorgeous view of the ocean. Then you head back down another path toward the entrance again.
Our next stop was Triangle Tattoo, where I got two pieces done (one on each leg). They've also got a bunch of displays of news clippings and whatnot about the history of tattooing, so even if you're not getting inked it's a fun stop just to check it out, and Mr. G and Madame Chinchilla are super-chill and friendly.
Next, legs burning and agony fading (nobody told me tattoos on the calves hurt quite that much, hoooooooly hannah!), we took a different route to start driving north and back home. We took Highway 20 toward Willits, and I'm glad we did because along the way we spotted a few beautiful things, and even stopped for a very brief hike on a roadside trail.
Trudeau and I had a great trip together, and I was really pleased with how easy it was to find dog-friendly expeditions and accommodations in Mendocino. Since we ended up moving out of California and into Colorado just a few months later, I'm glad we had this one last visit with the sea... since I now miss it sometimes like I've lost a limb. And also, my tattoos are wicked-awesome. :D
Anyway, it only took me about a million years to actually blog these photos, and I have more from previous trips to San Francisco and Cardiff, Wales that I'll be posting in the next few days. Stay tuned!