Along for the ride: Mendocino, CA

After lunch Cork, Cathy, Peter and I stop at the Mendocino Highlands State Park. It's a great time for a hike as the fog is lifting and the trail along the cliffs is surrounded by open fields of blooming wildflowers.

Splinter and Leisure

Setting out along the cliffs

This part of the California coastline is honeycombed with small coves with many nooks and crannies - perfect for smuggling operations. In fact, smugglers have been especially active at least three times.

First in the 1800's untold thousands of Chinese laborers were brought ashore here to work in the Transcontinental Railroad and in the gold fields. Despite strong racial biases and harsh working conditions, the Chinese stayed and through their perseverance and ingenuity, they became a respected segment of the population. As Sandy Lydon points out in his book, Chinese Gold: The Chinese in Monterey Bay Region, the Chinese saw opportunity in mustard seeds that could be converted into a saleable product while others just saw weeds.

Secondly, Prohibition during the 1930's provided a boom time for smugglers bringing in thousands of gallons of alcoholic libations to help satisfy thirsty San Francisco.

Lastly during the 1960's and probably even to the present day, bails of marijuana and other drugs were brought in under the cover of darkness (see How Mendocino County went to Pot: Memories of Life in the Mendocino Redwood Country in the Last Half of the 1900s). It was during this era hippies and the back-to-the-land movement got established in the area.

Today, looking out from these cliffs I wonder how many lives were lost as contraband came ashore under the cover of darkness. It had to be dangerous with this hazardous coastline, especially in heavy seas without modern navigational systems.

Walking along the trail, it's hard to not to notice the many wildflowers in bloom.

California Poppies

Wild radish seed pods & red Indian Paintbrushes

Yarrow

Seaside Daisy

Close-up of California Poppy

???

Mallow

Douglas Iris

Ice Plant

Although Mendocino started in the rough and tumble times of the lumber and fishing industries, it has become more refined over the years, catering to refugees from city life in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bed & Breakfasts and fine dining restaurants are often completely booked on weekends and during holidays. In addition, the many secluded beaches make this area a favorite for honeymooners and lovers.

Vestiges of Mendocino's hippy heyday can be found along the trail.

Trail ogre/guardian ?

Flower barfing Tiki

Declarations of love carved into a trail-side bench

Nature lovers taking a break (Peter, Cork and Cathy with Mary and Checkers)

As much as we enjoy the hike, it's time to move on and set up camp for the night.

Town of Mendocino from the Highlands

After only a 20 minute drive north on Hwy 1, we turn left at MacKerricher State Park.

Sign at entrance

Grey Whale skeleton by check-in station

The next day dawns with beautiful sunny weather - perfect for walking the dogs along the beach.

Puppies are waiting

Peter on leash duty

Gnarled tree

MacKerricher Beach

For lunch Cork and Cathy take us to their favorite pub in Fort Bragg, the Piaci Pub and Pizzeria (the Sicilian pizza is great). After lunch we wander around the town. Our first stop is to check the status of the Skunk Train, which unfortunately is only running a truncated schedule due to a section of down track. We all like the more down-to-earth atmosphere of Fort Bragg versus Mendocino as it still retains more of it's blue collar origins.

Cathy & Cork by mural of the Skunk Train station

Tattoos anyone?

Amazing how big the original trees were in this area

That afternoon we take another hike along MacKerricher's beaches, where we find colonies of sea lions lounging on the rocks.

MacKerricher beach

Coastal pond

Cathy and I branch off on the path less traveled around a pond just a short distance away. We pretty much have the place to ourselves seeing only one or two other people.