Mendocino – Platinum Bryan

You may not think so, but for a while, I had actually traveled so much, that I was becoming sick of travel. Yes, me – sick of travel. We’d always be jetting away, and I would focus on the things to do back home as our apartment remained unclean and just got dustier and dustier.

Not surprisingly, with nothing more than an occasional trip to the grocery store in the past month (and probably at least for the next six weeks) – travel is the only thing I can think about (such a shift!). That said, I’ve started even planning future trips for when we can finally leave the apartment. In this post, I’ll describe my ideal trip across the Northern California coast and mountains.

Day 1: Driving up the coast from the Bay Area (stay in Jenner, CA)

For day one, I’m going to skip the places that are closest to the Bay Area where I could easily visit on a day trip. Because of this, I think the end point for my first day would be the Timber Cove Lodge (past Bodega Bay). I love Design Hotels and the love a room with views of the California coast. It seems like the perfect start to a long road trip.

Day 2: Driving from Jenner to Mendocino (stay in Elk, CA)

As we drive up Highway 1 on the California coast, we stop by Ft. Ross State Historic Park. It’s not everyday you get to see a historic Russian fort in the continental US. On a side note, I wish the California State Park system had a passport program that was similar to the National Park Service’s. It’s a great way to keep track of where and when you visit a park. Plus, I’m pretty geeky and think the stamps are cool.

Once we get toward Mendocino, I think I’d like to stay at Harbor House Inn in Elk, CA (a little bit south of Mendocino). I found out about it in the New York Times 36 Hours post on Mendocino, and it looks exquisite. We’d probably have to eat at their nice restaurant too and try their eight to twelve course menu.

During the day, we’d obviously make the drive to Mendocino itself and walk around the cute village. Ideally, we’d also visit Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. If we can’t fit it all in on day two, we’ll cover the lighthouse the next day.

Day 3: The Lost Coast and Humboldt Redwoods (stay in Eureka, CA)

On day three, we’d start the trek up to coast to the land of the giant redwoods. Time permitting, we’d stop first in Shelter Cove to get a glimpse of the Lost Coast, the area deemed impassible for highways. On our way back, we’d travel again (we did it in 2018) through the Avenue of the Giants at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. We’d end our long nature journey that day in Eureka, perhaps with a visit to Ft. Humboldt State Historic Park.

Day 4: Redwoods National and State Parks (stay in Eureka, CA)

We’ve been to Redwoods National and State Parks before, but I can tell you it’s totally worth it to visit again. Here, you are really remote. We visited on Memorial Day weekend once, and even then it still wasn’t that crowded. I planned the original trip with so much excitement. I even bought my first National Geographic hiking map (which I’ve got to say, is unbelievably detailed – it’s like one of those maps you’d see in an idealistic Instagram hiking adventure post). We could easily spend a day (or two) driving and hiking through this majestic park. In fact, visiting the park is probably worth its own blogpost.

Day 5: Shasta (stay in Redding, CA)

Upon visiting the Redwoods National and State Parks all the way up through Crescent City on the border with Oregon, we’d drive back inland towards Redding and then up to catch a glimpse of Mt. Shasta. I’ve seen it both from the air and from the ground, and this prominent volcano is a sight to behold. It rises above the landscape like nothing else, visible for so many miles. It is undoubtedly worth a look. I probably wouldn’t stop too much in the nearby towns though. I’ve heard that Shasta is a haven for hippies. Definitely not my cup of tea.

Day 6: Lava Beds National Monument (stay in Redding, CA)

The drive through Lava Beds would be through one of the remotest (if not the remotest) parts of California. I’m not going to lie, after COVID, I might rethink seeing bats in a cave (or wear protective gear), but I’m still fascinated by the site. The first stop on the drive though would be Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge (better bring my Blue Goose Passport – yes I am that nerdy). With this location, I definitely can’t forget my camera and binoculars. It’s supposed to be one of the most impressive bird sighting locations in the entire country. Millions upon millions of birds migrate through here each year.

After the Klamath Basin, we’d drive to Lava Beds National Monument to take a tour of the caves and also go on some hiking. This would be a long, but quite fun day.

Day 7: Lassen Volcanic National Park (stay in Redding, CA)

The final stretch would bring us back a little closer to the Bay Area with a visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park. I’ve been here before, but it’s a fascinating place. Driving through the devastated area or the high mountain fields, I have seen no other place like it. We’d even take a walk near the sulfur vents that smell of farts. If we are lucky, we would even get the chance to partake in a stargazing party at night. Lassen is one of the few places left in the country that is truly dark at night. Then, at the end of the day, we’d have one final stay before driving back to the Bay Area the next day.

So that’s my trip. I’ve listed a few other options to include below, which could add considerable time to the trip. Nevertheless, they all look interesting to me, and I would love to see them. Writing this post now, I see this is a seven day trip. It could happen all at once, but to be honest, I’d probably have to break it up into two or three long weekends though. Maybe it’s not as fun as one long trip, but it’s certainly still doable.

Have I missed any important or hidden sights? Let me know if the comments below.