Wednesday, October 1, 2025
This morning we got up at 6:00 a.m. and then went to breakfast at Corabella’s Restaurant.
Today we went on the best personal drive of the vacation. We headed north out of Woodland on Hwy 101 where we stopped to buy $237 worth of vintage stuff (both of us were involved in these purchases) in the best darn antique store we have come across on the trip, The Country Porch Antiques by Oat Valley Vintage. On Hwy 29 we drove through the wine fields of Napa Valley.
Taking Hwy 128 to Booneville we took the appropriately named Mountain View Road to cut across the mountains on one of the most roller-coasty roads I have ever been on. The scenery was amazing but even more amazing was the fact that I managed to drive us safely to the ocean.
It was very foggy today over the ocean. We went to the Point Arena Lighthouse but got there just as they were closing so we could not get an inside tour.
Our major goal for today was the Navarro River Redwoods State Park. We knew before coming that there were no hiking trails in this park but it was advertised as a drive through experience. As it turns out, Route 128 is the through highway and it goes through the second growth forest of redwoods. It was hard to tell from the highway but we think we mostly saw cedars. When we got out of the rental, you were almost overwhelmed by the cedar smell.
Dinner tonight was at the awesome Ledford House Restaurant in Albion. Our waitress from last night at the Kitchen428 recommended we go there and it became clear why when we walked in. Me, Mr. Tee-Shirt, was in an elegant white table clothed restaurant. No matter we had great food, got a window table by the ocean and met the owner who it turns out is from Woodland. Ah, it all makes sense now.
Because we ate before going to Mendicino and the Joshua Grindle Inn tonight we were locked out. But after talking to the owner by speaker phone on the porch we unlocked the locked box and got into our vintage room at the Joshua Grindle Inn appropriately named The Library.
Mileage for the Day: 261
Mileage for the Trip: 785
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Because we are at a bed and breakfast we slept in until 7:30 a.m. this morning and then ate the offered breakfast at the Joshua Grindle Inn.
After checking out at 10:00 a.m. we made the decision to alter our adventure by staying in Mendicino and heading over to the coastline to view the Pacific Ocean.
After that blustery event, we made our next stop the Mendicino Coast Botanical Gardens. This was not on our pre-trip list but we think you should put it on yours if you ever come this way. It is a magnificent garden to walk through.
Besides the great botanicals, you can take a walk along the ocean’s edge—which we did. The surprising highlight was the dahlia garden which was in full bloom.
Across this little bridge the path led to a formal garden.
After gassing our selves up at a local coffee shop right next door to the gardens, we headed up the coast on Highway 1. I know throughout this narrative I have been saying amazing, magnificent, special, etc. but the drives have been a surprising delight to the two of us. Often we got to drive through forests on curvy roads that were amazing, magnificent, and special.
We made two stops on the trip: a antique store called Lost Coast Found in Fort Bragg where the owner seemed surprised to see the items I brought up to buy, then created a story that seemed intended to increase their value and then charged me more than I wanted to spend. After a little bargaining and putting some things back, I got what I wanted.
Off of Highway 1 there are many great views and accessible ocean beaches so we stopped at one.
It was 6:00 P.M. before we got to Eureka and our port of call for the next three nights: the Best Western Bayshore Inn. Dinner tonight was at the China Café.
Mileage for the Day: 143
Mileage for the Trip: 928
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