Long, long ago, I knew I wanted to visit the majestic redwoods on California’s northern coast. These have always been my favorite tree, despite never seeing one except in articles or photographs. I followed those early stories about tree-hugging hippies illegally camping high in a massive redwood tree to save...
Small Town Farmer’s Market
Today’s walk through the Arcata, CA farmer’s market was under crystal clear blue skies and 60 degree/light wind weather. Always fun to wander aimlessly through a small town’s farmer’s market, and especially when it is in a completely different part of the country than home. Held around the town’s downtown...
Driftwood & Flotsam: Sea-Tumbled Art
One my favorite pastimes is aimlessly wandering a beach looking for seashells or interesting objects washed ashore. On recent day such a walk at an Arcata, CA, beach near a jetty revealed some amazing, and monstrous, examples of driftwood tumbled by the sea. Click on any image to start a...
The Siren Song of the Sea
One thing I looked forward to when I got to California was the drive up the coast via Pacific California Highway 1. It did not disappoint. At times it is a challenging drive with curves and extreme drop-offs (often without guard rails), but the scenery more than makes up for...
Waiting for the Knock on the Door
One of the few times (to me) in van life that’s on the margin is stealth parking on an urban street in hopes of getting a quiet sleep for the night. In California it is far more difficult than any state I visited to do this. Most of the usual...
Worth It
As I thought about driving the California coast from south to north, I hoped I could find places to camp for the night along the ocean. Sounds of relentless surf are so soothing and grounding yet not always easy to find such a place to overnight in a van. In...