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Sunset @ Gold Beach, OR

April 19- Spent another day in Mendocino/Ft Bragg.  I went to see the Sea Glass Beach in Ft Bragg. It is absolutely amazing. The sea hits what used to be Ft Bragg’s town dump, and all the broken glass is churned until it covers the cove. Here’s an idea of what it looks like. I do collect sea glass, but it’s verboten to collect here, so I stuck my hands in my pockets & left it for others to enjoy.

Then went to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. Because it was a weekday, I had it almost to myself. I wandered all over. Checked out the organic vegetable garden, the benches overlooking the ocean and the Cliff House, which is great for stormy days. It’s about 1/2 a mile each way from the entrance to the ocean cliff.

Finally, I went back to Mendocino. And stumbled on the cutest shop- Perfume Mendo! (aka Gallery of the Senses). It’s run by a couple. He makes furniture grade stereo speakers; she has the widest range of perfumes I’ve ever seen. (and yes, I’ve been to Nordstrom). They even have their own blends. I tried about a hundred, but came out with the first one suggested- Mendocino Midnight. Smells like campfire, musk, something floral and maybe a hint of… cannabis?

April 20- Mostly spent driving to Arcata. I took the slowest, most scenic route. That means I saw a LOT of ocean & a LOT of redwoods. I also stopped in Loleta, CA to taste and buy cheese.  And of course, drove through Ferndale to see the beautiful Victorians. And btw, a lot of beautiful Jersey cows. If you’re a fan of Humboldt ice cream, this is where it comes from!

I mainly spent the night in Arcata & then pushed on. My hotel’s internet connection was down, which put me in a cranky mood. But yes, I should have spent more time in Eureka & Arcata.

April 21- I drove and drove and drove. Mostly scenic byways. Saw an elk herd, lots of redwoods, lots of beaches. I’ll never tire of that. At one point, when I was really drooping, I passed a sign that read: San Francisco 230 miles. OMG! That was last Saturday. I’m really moving slowly now, but this coast is one of my favorite places, and it’s been a long time.

I finally made it into Oregon. And drove for a while, thinking to get up to Bandon. But… I was passing thru Gold Beach, and decided to eat. And then I decided to stay. I found a really cute place, and got a room that overlooks the whole beach! With a balcony! So I’m staying 2 nights

Lots of new photos!

Hasta luego!

Sedona Pink Jeep Tours- Since 1959!

I ended up staying 3 nights in Sedona. Could easily have stayed longer; I really liked it there. There are lots of photos on flickr.

Most of what I was doing was plain old resting up. But I also got the car’s oil changed, did laundry, took a Pink Jeep tour, explored the town and ate at the Barking Frog. (Cactus Fries are terrific! Think nopales salad, but breaded & fried. OMG…)

The Jeep tour was great! It wasn’t too strenuous, but I got to walk around & inspect a cliff dwelling. It was so amazing to see the fingerprints in the mortar. And there were LOTS of pictographs & some petroglyphs as well. The weather was absolutely perfect, and what was amazing is that I called @ 7AM & was able to get in on a tour @ 8:30. They really have a very streamlined operation.

Let’s see, the first day was windy, so I mostly explored the town via the Trolley. It was fun, but I’m still not in a shopping mood. I think I bought a latte And an oil change.

I didn’t really get into the vortex thing… I did go in a very nice New Age shop & chatted w/the owner a bit. And later on, went into a bookstore where I bought “Chakra Tonics” which actually has a very good description of chakras, and some good recipes.

Basically, I was just resting & letting my soul catch up w/my body again. Tonight I’m in Bakersfield, and then I’ll be in Fresno for Thurs- Sun.

Coming down into the Valley from AZ made me realize all over again that California is still “home” to me, whatever home means. The Mojave is blooming, but seeing those green-furred hills with live oaks… well, it’s one of my homeplaces.