BEAUTIFUL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Day 163 – We spent the day driving to some of our favorite places in this area. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the Humboldt Botanical Gardens, which was really nice the last time we were here.
Ah, it feels really good to be back in northern CA! The thick fog had rolled in this morning when we got up. It gave everything a mysterious look and a damp feel. As the fog was burning off, some areas seemed to be enveloped in black, grey, and white, while other areas lit up brightly as the sun filtered through the haze. At the first look from the top of a cliff off a winding road, the deep blue Pacific Ocean with the waves crashing onto the sand below us, took my breath away. So gorgeous, so wild. It’s so nice to feel the moisture in the air rather than the dryness and the dust of the desert. I know plenty of people prefer that dryness and warmth, but I really, really love the ocean.
First we stopped at a sandwich place, Fresh on Main Street, in Fortuna and got lunch to go. We headed north towards Arcata Marsh, a favorite birdwatching place. On the way there, we stopped at the Humboldt National Wildlife Refuge. We stopped at a pullout, wandered around a bit, and took some pictures. We continued on the Refuge road, climbing into the hills and back down again to the Ocean, taking South Spit Drive along the dunes. More pictures, before and after stopping for lunch by the dunes. We spent all of the morning there, then drove back to Highway 101 passing marshes, farms, and beautiful countryside.
We drove north to Arcata Marsh, but when we got there the parking lot by the entrance to the trail didn’t seem safe for us to leave our vehicle there. So we skipped the hike and drove the rest of the Marsh drive. It, too, had changed since we were here in 2017. We didn’t spend much time there, just headed back south on the 101 until we reached the exit for Ferndale. We took the drive west to Ferndale, a somewhat trendy, Victorian town which is just charming. The drive was very peaceful and beautiful.
After getting gas in the Honda, we returned to Fortuna and had an early dinner at La Costa, a Mexican restaurant we ate at in 2017. They serve authentic Mexican food, and it was still good. Back at the RV it appeared the girls had slept all day; they were ready for some company. Our drive tomorrow should be nice with lots of redwood trees and ocean views as we head for the Smith River Recreation Area not too far below the Oregon border.
For more detailed information about Riverwalk RV Park & Campground, click here.