I was surprised by the range of interesting buildings in Eureka. There are large Victorian showplaces, classic California bungalows, even a few old Art Deco buildings. What I didn’t know when we arrived is that Eureka is home to an Old Town that preserves much of the late 19th century central part of the city,Continue reading “Eureka: Architecture and Art”
Category Archives: California
Leaves crunch, and I smell Autumn
Californians don’t pay much attention to fall as a season of the year. In the south, it’s the time when the heat abates–the palm trees don’t change color. In the Bay Area, a bit more fog comes in, but there’s not a seasonal shift to speak of. As in many things, northern California is different.Continue reading “Leaves crunch, and I smell Autumn”
Eureka!
We have no permanent home in the US, and for the past six months, we’ve worked our way across the country until we arrived in Eureka, CA, where our oldest daughter and her fiance live, and where we can walk along the Pacific Ocean again. It was almost a coast-to-coast drive. Starting in Chicago inContinue reading “Eureka!”
California Beaches
It was a pleasure to find that California beaches are as well-tended in the Santa Barbara area as they were in Mendocino five years ago. I often mention the quantity of debris that we find on beaches around the world in our continuing rounds of beach combing. California beaches are a remarkable exception. Yes, theyContinue reading “California Beaches”
Interim–October in Santa Barbara
We left Peru with great fanfare, but didn’t get all the way to New Zealand in one hop, we stopped for a month in Santa Barbara, CA. It was a month of relaxation, walks on the beach, exploring the area, and wine-tasting–this is California, after all. We visited the Avocado Festival in Carpenteria, and theContinue reading “Interim–October in Santa Barbara”
From the back room: California
I took notes on some of the great places we visited along the northern California coast during June-Aug. 2015. Somehow I never posted them, though I may have mentioned the excellent, Hiker’s Hip Pocket Guide to the Mendocino Coast, by Bob Lorentzen. We used it regularly. My own notes are these: Places visited on theContinue reading “From the back room: California”
This is Jeopardy!
Driving in from the north to Pasadena we missed most of the rush hour traffic and arrived around 6 pm. Unloaded most of the car at Amanda’s house, since she and Jimmy are the inheritors, willing or unwilling, of our miscellany. They are rewarded by getting our leftover kitchen ingredients and picnic supplies, and stuckContinue reading “This is Jeopardy!”
Mendocino to LA, via the Monterey Aquarium
We left our wonderful house in Little River, CA (thank you Eckhart, Birdie, Jenna and VRBO) to head south for LA and then Barcelona. Down by a couple of boxes, the car was still packed to the doors. I gave up on the bird feeder–after the raccoon visit it was held together with fishing line.Continue reading “Mendocino to LA, via the Monterey Aquarium”
Mendocino area highlight reel
Best trail: Anyplace on the California Coastal Trail Best day hike: Pygmy Woods/Upper Fern Canyon loop, Van Damme State Park Best guidebook: The hiker’s hip pocket guide to the Mendocino Coast, by Bob Lorentzen Best coffee shop: Moody’s, Lansing St., Mendocino Best beach for collecting abalone: Van Damme State Beach, Little River; Mendocino Headlands, MendocinoContinue reading “Mendocino area highlight reel”
And Away We Go
Mendocino has been a blissful environment, yet tomorrow we leave. Yesterday, I put some of my beachcombing shells back in the water. In addition to packing, we spent our last day beachcombing on one of the best beaches yet, the Mendocino Headlands. I found a lot of abalone pieces, but left them in place forContinue reading “And Away We Go”
Llywindatravels 2025 