August 13th, 2014

I leave Orr Hotsprings just after lunch and arrive in Fort Bragg at the end of the afternoon at the home of my longtime friend, Louise.  The Mendocino coast in summer is a land of fog and cool temperatures, though a few miles inland Mendocino County is warm and sunny.

Here is Van parked in front of Louise’s house:

 

The house is set among redwoods just north of town:

 

In her garden out back Louise grows much of her own food.  The area has a very long growing season:

 

Here’s Louise and her dog, Oso:

 

Dinner this evening is salmon poached with dill…

…with vegetables and salad from the garden:

 

Louise with her son Isaac:

 

The next day Louise and I drive inland to visit another redwood forest, Hendy Woods:

 

I’m not going to show you all of my photos; you’ve already seen plenty of redwoods, but a few of these are worthwhile to give you an idea of the size of these trees:

 

Here’s Louise standing inside one of the burnt-out trees:

 

…and on top of a fallen stump:

 

There are some interesting tree sculptures here too:

…and up close:

 

But we don’t only visit redwoods. We also go wine tasting at several of the area’s many wineries. Here’s just one of them, called “Toulouse”:

And some of our purchases:

Notice the goose on each label.

 

On the way home we find a perfect place on the Navarro River for a swim:

But it’s getting late:

 

The next day Louise and I take a long walk in the morning, and in the afternoon we go for a bike ride along the Navarro River:

Notice the fog. We’re at the mouth of the river, just a few steps from the beach.

Louise, after an hour’s pedaling:

And me, looking fat and out of breath:

By now the sun has appeared and it’s getting warm.

The road goes on…

…with its share of wildflowers…

…and the ever-present poison oak:

 

At some point we get side tracked onto this trail while looking for a place to swim:

But it’s getting late and we have to turn around. We must have done about 15 miles.

Evening comes and Isaac makes us an excellent dinner; some friends of his come over, Michael and Alexandra. Unfortunately, I forget to get out my camera. The following morning I leave Fort Bragg, heading north again, but first we go out for breakfast.

Louise and Isaac at the restaurant:

It has been a wonderful few days on the Mendocino coast.