Shirley and Bob Visit Fort Bragg, CA
Thursday - Sunday, May 4 - 7, 2023

We decided to spend three nights in Fort Bragg at an airbnb (32460 Pudding Creek Rd, Fort Bragg, CA 95437). It was a fun trip with mostly nice weather (a bit of drizzle one day), a pleasant cottage to stay in, and good sights, including seals on the coast.



Thursday, May 4

We had a nice drive to Fort Bragg from Santa Rosa (about 125 miles and three hours). As the pictures below show, the drive is quite pretty, especially along Hwy 20 which heads west out to the coast going through the Jackson Demonstration State Forest.


We arrived before we could check into the airbnb, so we got lunch from a grocery store and parked where we could view the ocean. We ate our lunch in the car to avoid the drizzle and watched a crow eating his on a fence post in front of the car.

In spite of the occasional drizzle, which was quite light, we drove up to and walked over the Pudding Creek Trestle which crosses, yes, Pudding Creek. Many people had put locks on the railings, we believe couples expressing their love. From there we walked out to the ridge above the shoreline, listening to surf crashing and viewing the wonderful sights, including many flowers. As we returned across the trestle we had nice views of sea gulls, also on the trestle


Wallflowers

Friday, May 5

A wonderful day with a little occasional drizzle, quite cool and windy on the coast. We visited one of our favorite sites - the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, where the rhododendrons were in magnificent bloom, along with many other flowers.

We first walked out to the coast, then looped around and came back into the gardens, where we took lots of pictures of flowers.



Yellow Rose
Rhododendron
Rhododendron


Calla lily
Baby Blue Eyes
Baby Blue Eyes


Tidy Tips
Rhododendron

We go down to Mendocino, following the road that goes along the coast and stopping at one point to look at the ocean.


Then we drive on to Mendocino. It is a fun place to visit. We walked around the town, visited art galleries including the Mendocino Art Center (where we saw snakes and a dog eating a rabbit), bought lunch at a grocery store and ate in one of our favorite, hidden away, picnic places, where we fed two ravens.

Also stopped at a chocolate store and got a piece of chocolate truffle.

In the evening we watched Ticket to Paradise, a movie in Bali starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, which was enjoyable.

Saturday, May 6

We start the day by traveling north of Fort Bragg to MacKerricher State Park, a very pretty coastal park. We walk along boardwalks viewing the ocean and many squirrels. And seals. Just before we left the park we also visited a pretty lake across the street from the park.



Spot at least 12 seals above



We then drive back to Fort Bragg and we visit the Simply Succulent market where Shirley finds a couple of succulent plants to bring home.

Afterwards, we drive back to Fort Bragg, buy lunch at the grocery store, then drive to Mendocino where we eat at a picnic table near a church. Then we walk down a path to the beach and enjoy watching families and dogs play in the sand and in the water.


On the way back to our airbnb we drive to the Cabrillo Light House, park a distance away, and walk the paved road down to the light house. We ask if we can go up, but are told there are only certain times that is allowed because it involves climbing up a ladder and someone must be there to guide. We walk along the ridge above the shore and get to see yet more seals.


Sunday, May 7

We pack up, load the car, and take one last walk across the trestle. There is a goose that appears to be nesting on a rock wall leading down to Pudding Creek and a chance to photograph more flowers.

We drive home, stopping briefly at a pull-off on Hwy 20 that gives a good view of the surrounding forested mountains.

We also stop at McDonald's in Willits where Shirley gets a Fillet-O-Fish sandwich (it's too late to get her favorite - the Egg McMuffin - which is served only at breakfast) and Bob gets a vanilla ice cream cone. Healthy eating is a centerpiece of our health philosophy.

As we drive south along Hwy 101 we stop at an open air sculpture site just off the highway near Geyserville that is not too interesting. After that we stop in Windsor, get lunch at Oliver's Market (pretty much our favorite grocery store) and eat at a picnic table in the nearby Windsor Town Green.

Photos by Shirley and Bob

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By Bob:

Bob Phillips [phillips bob 27 at yahoo dot com - no spaces]
Santa Rosa, CA
February 23, 2023