Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Picto Blog _ Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County, CA

Once again, we decided to stay away from the crowds and go to a lesser known destination and enjoyed our spring break. 

Mendocino County, CA is not unknown. It is famous for its quaint artsy downtown and fabulous eateries… but we skipped it all to go to the Point Arena Lighthouse, CA

Approximately a 4 hour drive further north from the bay area, the light house marks the end of continental USA.  You can use the GPS blindly only to end up on the treacherous Mountain View Road or read up the maps and take 101 followed by either 1 or 128. 

US 1, is windy but so is 128. The advantage of US 1, its much more travelled and it's more alive. If you decide to take 128, please do not take the Mountain view road, take 128 and then take US 1 to Point Arena Lighthouse.  Plan so you are at your destination during day light hours. 

You're probably wondering why not take the route to the hotel first and then the lighthouse, well, because that's a little known secret of this place. The lighthouse has cabins right next to it.  The cabins are not inexpensive, but they are well worth the price and the experience is unlike any other. 

I hope you enjoy this trip. 

As we wound our way via 128

Once you take US 1 after 128, you will come across this random stop light. Please don't break the law.
It looks kind of crazy to have a stop light when there is no traffic, but this is a one way road for now. We stood here for 2 minutes :) 

The view as we entered the restricted light house area. 

And then we were blown away by this. 

The Point Arena Light House standing tall and proud. 
I stood for a very long time at this intersection, just staring at the ocean. It was mesmerizing and very calming. 
Complimentary Wine :) Happens only in CA. 
I stood here for  a very long time mesmerize and at peace. 

Birds of the same feather flock together. 

They crashed against the rocks only to come back stronger. 

As I stood staring at these ways, I realized the importance of "respect" for the ocean. 

The kids did not miss Wifi, all they had was this one kite, but it was enough. 

The Cypress behind the cabins. 

As the sun sets on day 1

… we realize how much there is to be thankful for.  

.. And the sun rises to give birth to another beautiful day. 
Day 2 starts with a tour of the Lighthouse. Yes, we climbed the 145 steps and spotted a whale.
The excitement was too much to capture on the camera. But we saw the spout and the guide confirmed it for us :)
He also mentioned that the light house is located on the Pacific Plate and the St. Andreas fault is only 5 miles away. 
Below that white surf, is an underwater mountain. We were told, until they knew better, ships have crashed into it. 
We then head to Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, CA.
The white is not sand, its tiny pieces of polished sea glass.
If you go, make sure you go to the left side of the beach and climb down into the little cove. 

Humans leaving their sad mark. 

Another breathtaking view _ this the right side of the glass beck, much more kid friendly. 

Wonder what their thoughts are? 



Just enjoy the view. 

One of the many caves and tunnels water winds its way through in Glass Beach. 

After Glass Beach, Next Stop is the Botanical Gardens. Sorry, I don't remember the names. Just enjoy these beauties. 







As we drove back, there was this rustic grocery store OR you can do what we did, go to Safeway in Fort Bragg, CA :)

The Market is open. 

Guiding the lost soul for decades

The wind was really blowing by now. 


The sun sets on another gorgeous day. 

Day 3: We decided to head back on US 1 debating where to stop for lunch. As the passengers continued to argue, the driver turned into this random place on US 1. 

It's an RV park? But we need lunch… 

And then we see this .. quaint little place.. MoMo's Galley. 

For a family that is constantly debating between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, this place was god send and the food was heavenly.  Absolutely fresh food cooked from scratch. Yes, we actually spoke to the chef Mo as he whipped up the most amazing Chicken Satay, Pad Thai and Ginger Chicken. A definite stop next time we travel this road.
Like them on FB at: MOMO's Galley on 2001 Hwy 1, Bodega Bay, CA

… And so ended a short but amazing vacation.

Hope you enjoyed this trip with me.. until next time. Keep traveling, even if it is virtual :) 



1 comment:

  1. Aww... Brought back some great memories!! Thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete