I woke up to a very foggy and rainy morning. I took my time getting up and ready for the day since the weather wasn’t great and the visibility of the coast wouldn’t be too good. I left my spot around 9:45 am and about 15 mins down the road I could see the fog clearing up. The lowest parts of it clung to the tops of the trees as sunshine slowly pushed it away. I was heading for Point Reyes National Seashore. I first stopped at the Cyprus Tree Tunnel and walked a bit of it. The trees reached up and over the road. It was really pretty. As I moved closer to the shore I drove through gorgeous green farmland. I passed a few dairy or cattle farms that were placed in such a picturesque way between and over the hills. This area reminded me a lot of the coastal countryside in Ireland.
I was hoping to catch a few sea lions hanging out at Sea Lion Point but I wasn’t so lucky. Still a very beautiful view though. Next was the lighthouse. A long stretch of beach could be seen from an overlook near the parking lot. After a short walk, I was at the top of the stairs looking down at this idyllic lighthouse. I took the stairs down and almost got blown away by the wind. The view was beautiful and the dark blue water hit the cliff-lined shores perfectly. After a climb back up the long staircase, a worker showed me a little spot along the shore where Common Murre, a bird that kind of looks like a penguin mixed with a Loon, like to hang out before laying their eggs. I drove about an hour more and took a break to eat lunch at a beach in Bodega Bay. I talked with a friend on the phone and enjoyed watching the waves. I drove quite a bit and loved seeing the long stretches of this lovely coast and the forest areas Route 1 took me through. Much of it smelled so fresh and flowery. I got a chance to talk with my parents on the phone while navigating very twisty roads. Things were sliding around the van a bit, but not as bad as driving in San Francisco though. At the start of sunset, I stopped in at Glass Beach. There were tons of tiny pieces of sea glass on the shore and the colorful sky reflected so nicely on the calm beach.
I found my spot for the night on a pullout along the road. A completely gorgeous spot with an overlook of the beach with rock formations and wildflowers coating the cliff edge. I caught it towards the end of sunset and was so happy I did. It was seriously so pretty! I made dinner and watched the sun go down. The colors and clouds mixed together and stayed suspended in the sky until it went dark.
As I had gone to bed, I had woken up with the same beautiful view, this time seeing it with the delicate morning glow on it. Perfect for an Easter Sunday. I took off on Route 1 and enjoyed those coastal views until I veered right to meet up with 101. Much more forest and farm fields became my view. I passed through more cute little towns until reaching Fortuna, Ca where I stopped at a brewery for lunch. I pretty much just choose this place because they had cheese curds on the menu. I had a flight of beer, my cheese curds, and the use of their WiFi. I kind of accomplished a goal of mine by having lunch here. On this trip, I wanted to eat at a restaurant alone at least once. It just seemed like one of the ultimate independent things to do in my mind. I remember being in college and being very codependent on friends to eat with in the union and not be alone around campus. I felt like I grew a little bit this day by not only eating at a restaurant by myself but feeling completely confident and comfortable in myself while doing it. It felt pretty good!
Next, I was headed for Redwood National Park. The twisting roads turned into highway-type roads and pretty soon I was seeing long stretches of beach again. I stopped at the visitors center and got a map and some recommendations. I did the short Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail, which had a great grove of old redwoods. The trees stood tall over the forest and the ferns gave it that moody feel. After I did the Trillium Falls Trail and thought I was going one direction on it the whole time but was going the opposite, so it confused me and made me nervous. But another beautiful area. I saw some giant clovers on this trail which was really cool. The waterfall was pretty small but the vegetation around it made it worth seeing. Super lush and beautiful.
I drove back to the long stretch of beach at the start of the park and walked out to the shore. The waves were light blues and greens, and transparent. The sand dark. The sun tucked itself behind a cover of clouds as it lowered. A muddled sunset.
I ate dinner and sat and watched. I sat there until it grew blue and then grey and then dark.
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