We reached the ocean

Wednesday at the beach

On Wednesday, we left the wine country and headed for the coast on Highway 20. When we got to Highway 1 we started to look for a campsite. I couldn't believe they were still all full - in the middle of the week! We tried Russian Gulch and were directed to Van Damme State Park where we were gifted with a spot in the parking lot right on the beach. Well, that was pretty exciting - watching the waves and all the people in their boats, kayaks, and canoes enjoying the water. It was quite an afternoon.

On Thursday we took a walk in the park's pygmy forest. This is a hard pan area with poor drainage so the soil has become very acidic. Consequently, anything that grows here is very stunted. There are 60 year old cypress trees that are only a few feet tall and the trunks are 1/2 inch in diameter!

Don at the Pygmy Forest

We drove along the rugged coast through old logging towns. This area was the home of the Pomos until the arrival of Russian fur trappers in the early 1800's. It was covered with trees until the brig, Frolic, sank and the salvagers noticed all the trees. So, that started the logging industry. Now, the area is really fueled by tourism. The town of Mendocino is a registered historic district. The homes are still in their original state, including 3 story water towers and outhouses (turned into small dwellings or flower gardens). We headed for the redwoods in the afternoon.