Wed North to Mendocino

We had a heck of a time finding a place for breakfast! Bodega Bay doesn't have much to offer anyway, but being here in what is still off-season, the "go to" breakfast place was closed. We ended up at the dining room at The Tides, a fancy resort. After breakfast we poked around the marina for a bit before hitting the road. We learned that Bodega Bay was the location for the Hitchcock movie "The Birds"! Another sunny day although a bit more hazy/foggy.

From Bodega Bay up to about Salt Point (xxx miles) the road stays close to the ocean and offers many places to view the rocky coastline, mostly as parts of Sonoma Coast State Beach. From that point on, all the way up to Point Arena, there is no access! The windy road hugs the cliffs with twists and turns. We pass through a place called Sea Ranch, which we found was a large planned community going back to the 60s. The ONLY real town we come through today was Gualala. We found a grocery store that provided stale pizza slices or lunch.

Our best stop of the day came further north at Point Arena where we toured the lighthouse. The original tower, built in the 1870s, was destroyed in the earthquake of 1906. The current tower is the replacement which was decommissioned in the 1970s. The complex is now owned and maintained by a non-profit. I straggled up the 150 steps to the top for a fantastic view.

After Point Arena, following up on a review we had read, we took a "scenic route" inland on an unnamed road up and over the mountains to Boonville. Then north on rt 128 through Anderson Valley and back to the coast. This valley was home to acres and acres of wine grapes and wineries, along with some apple orchards. Then the road passes through some impressive Redwoods.

After a walk on a beach, we arrived in the tourist town on Mendocino by 5:00. We didn't have advance reservations so we ended up at the Blue Door B&B. Very nice and within walking distance of everything. The town is noted for its Victorian homes and false-fronted Main St buildings,  a la the Old West. We walked to dinner at Patterson's Pub.

Tomorrow we continue north.