Pacific Coast Highway
California Part 3 is about travelling in Northern California. The series An Ode to Pacific Coasting is a collection of articles about the Pacific Coast and a sort of review of Danielle Kroll’s book, Pacific Coasting. Author of travel books such as East Coasting, Danielle writes and illustrates from her own experience. In Part 1, we covered Southern California and in Part 2, Central Coast.
In this article: San Francisco | Muir Woods | Golden Gate National Recreation Area | Russian River | Fort Ross | Mendocino | Fort Bragg and Glass Beach | Drive-Thru Tree
San Francisco
San Francisco has changed a lot.
From my childhood road trips, I still a windy city with steep roads. I visited it most growing up visiting family over the holidays. As an adult living overseas, SFO was the airport I flew into the most to transit to Vancouver, Canada. Sometimes I’d meet my mom and sister first for a spot of shopping, staying downtown near all their favourite shops. Over the years, we’ve seen many stores, including a great yarn place, close up. Most recently, I spent Christmas in Half Moon Bay, close to San Francisco.
Getting to San Francisco from the south
Driving north to San Francisco, Danielle Kroll suggests in Pacific Coasting these stops: (click on + to read more)
The Farmstead 25 Swanton Road, Davenport, California. Open daily 8AM to 5PM. Find baked goods, jams, seasonal fruit, drinks, food, and merchandise. SwantonBerryFarm.com
Founded in 1983, Swanton Berry Farm was the first commercial organic strawberry farm in California. It was certified organic in 1988, as well as having union farm workers. When in season, head to Swanton Berry Farm on the weekends for picking your own strawberries from 9AM to 6PM. $8/pound.
Buying organic isn’t 100% feasible 100% for the time for many people. If this is you, strategic purchasing is what I suggest. Thin-skinned fruits, like strawberries? I always get organic.
1999 Pescadero Creek Road, Pescadero, California. Open daily 9AM to 8PM. Known for its fish tacos.
Growing up in Vancouver, I didn’t have a lot of Mexican food. My favourite Mexican and my favourite Spanish restaurants closed down as well. Here in California, there is so much tasty Mexican food. When my sister came to visit, she was excited for it. She went to art school in LA.
Danielle Kroll’s suggestion is a popular Mexican restaurant inside a gas station. Never judge a book by its cover.
It just goes to show you never know – some of the best food I’ve had? A hole-in-the-wall eateries.
Mercado & Taqueria de Amigo serves up authentic food. It’s not such a “hidden gem” since it’s been picked up by Sunset Magazine and New York Times. In this day and age, having a cash-only place is also great.
86 Cañada Road, Woodside California. Open 10AM to 5Pm for general admission ($45). Entry is by time slots. No refunds due to weather. Multiple types of tours. Available for school field trips. Filoli.org. (650) 364-8300
Filoli, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, is a California Historical Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally built between 1915-1917 for Williams Bowers Bourn II (1857 – 1936) and his wife Agnes Moody (d. 1936). Filoli stood for “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.” Fi-Lo-Li.
The Roth family purchased Filoli after the Bourns’ death in 1936. You may recognize Lurline Matson Roth by her maiden name. She was the daughter of the founder of the Matson Navigation Company. If you live in Hawai’i, you know of Matson, along with Pasha Hawaii, the two companies protected by Jones Act (The Merchant Marine Act of 1920). The Roths expanded the garden at Filoli, adding Woodland Garden, a swimming pool, and a teahouse. In 1975, Lurline Roth donated the 654-acre estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Filoli has been open to the public since.
Just 30 miles south of San Francisco on CA-92, Filoli is nested in the Santa Cruz Mountains. What is now Filoli (also known as Bourn-Roth Estate) was once the village of Ssupichom, in the ancestral lands of the Lamchin tribe. Filoli was part of a 12,545-acre parcel that was granted to John Coppinger in 1840. Ranchos, large tracts of land, were given by Mexico for political and economic alliances. Before being logged, redwoods once towered in the area.
San Francisco is many things to many people. The Victorian Houses. Golden Gate Bridge. These photos of the bridge and San Francisco were taken in 2020. We were headed south on our road trip to Pismo Beach for Thanksgiving. I’ve never seen the bridge so empty.
Silicon Valley. Cultural and subcultural hub. Fisherman’s Wharf. Museum of Modern Art. Mission District. Chinatown, the first in North America. The Gold Rush brought many people here.
2026 marks the 180th anniversary of Captain John Montgomery claiming the settlement of Yerba Buena, which would be renamed San Francisco the following year.
Muir Woods
Danielle Kroll’s Pacific Coasting has great illustrations, including one for what to look for in Muir Woods (photo). Located about 40 minutes from Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods was congressman William Kent and conservationist John Muir’s effort to save some redwoods from being logged during the Gold Rush. William Kent purchased this land in 1905 and donated it. In 1908 Roosevelt made it a national monument.
Do note that foraging is not allowed in Muir Woods, which contain over 200 species. Read more about the mushrooms in Muir Woods.
Northern California is where the Redwoods begin growing, first appearing in the Santa Cruz mountains. These beautiful majestic trees call visitors from around the world. It’s quite something to see them in person. The tallest Redwood stands further north.
If you’re only visiting San Francisco, Muir Woods will give you a glimpse of old-growth Redwoods, protected from the rampage of logging.
If you love the supernatural, Muir Woods has its share of stories, like the Witch of the Woods.
Witch of the Woods
This ghost story is about Katie Smith, the wife of a logger. She felt betrayed and under a full moon, she killed him with a logging peavey hook.
Whether it’s Katie Smith, separated lovers, a pirate looking for his buried treasures, Muir Woods is primeval parcel of wilderness. With its microclimate, fae-like settings, walking under the Redwood canopy, keep an eye out for doorways to the underworld.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation is 80,000 acres and three counties, San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateon. With over 130 miles of trails, this national park includes 37 natural and historic sites.
Sites of interest:
- Muir Woods
- Marin Headlands
- Alcatraz
- Presidio of San Francisco
- Fort Mason
- Lands End
- Milagra Ridge
- Mori Point
- Sweeney Ridge
- Rancho Corral de Tierra
- Phleger Estate
Did you know that as a US citizen or resident you can visit all national parks for free on fee-free days throughout the year?
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | ||
| Presidents’ Day Washington’s Birthday | Third Monday in February | February 16 | February 15 | February 21 |
| Memorial Day | Last Monday in May | May 25 | May 31 | May 29 |
| Flag Day | June 14 | → | → | |
| Independence Day Weekend | July 3 – 5 | 4th is Saturday | 4th is Sunday | 4th is Tuesday |
| 110th Birthday of National Park Service | August 25 | |||
| Constitution Day | September 17 | → | → | |
| Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday | October 27 | → | → | |
| Veterans’ Day | November 11 | → | → |
To celebrate 250th anniversary, California State Parks is celebrating with a free Historian Pass. Read the details here.
Pacific Coasting
Danielle Kroll’s Pacific Coasting is such a wonderful book. It’s a small hardback guide to travelling the Pacific Coast from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest. As a West Coast Canadian, roadtrips along the Pacific are childhood vacations we’ve done a number of times. Now being based in Central Coast in California, I have even more Pacific Coast road trips under my belt.
Pacific Coasting is a great resource to explore even more of the coast. There are many pockets unfamiliar to me, and Wade is a great resource as this is his home state and he knows both SoCal and NorCal well. He had also spend several years in Central Coast.
Central Coast is new to me. While I did visit Hearst Castle as a child, Central Coast is new in the sense of its culture and location. Smack dab in the middle of LA and San Francisco, locals fiercely identify as neither of these metropolitans, though many from these big cities have a second home here or have made it their home.
One annoying thing about Central Coasr is that while San Luis Obispo does have a regional airport, we have to get to LAX or SFO to fly internationally. Everywhere I have lived, the airport was never more than a 15-20 minute drive.
When I flew back from Hong Kong, I took the Pacific Surfliner home from LAX. It’s relaxing and easy. I stayed at an airport hotel and took the free noon airport shuttle back to the airport for the paid shuttle to Union Station.
Russian River
When we did a camping roadtrip a few years ago, we were in the area and I researched campsites along the Russia River in Sonoma County. There are many. One I looked at was Schoolhouse Canyon Park, about two miles east of Guerneville.
The river’s original and native name is Ashokawna, meaning “east water place” in the Southern Pomo indigenous language. From Mendocino County, its 110 miles flows through Sonoma County into the Pacific Ocean, about 100km or 60 miles north of San Francisco. After the Sacramento River, Russian River is the largest in the San Francisco Bay area.
Camping and staying at Russian River is popular with a multitude of choices.
It turns out that many years ago, on a surf trip, Wade camped one night near Guerneville. He headed into town for a beer and a bite to eat. In a few bars, he got some strange looks. In my mind, as he was telling me the story, a horror movie plot was unfolding. He found a bar across the street and feeling comfortable, he asked what was up with those bars. The guy asked him if he noticed the name of the bar.
I looked it up on maps. At the Rainbow Cattle Pool Table is a LGBT bar and apparently at that time, there was only one bar-restaurant that wasn’t. So I guess Guerneville is LGBT-friendly.
Wildhaven Sonoma Glamping
Located near Healdsburg, Wildhaven Sonoma Glamping offers cabins and glamping tents. The Riverside cabins, just a short walk to the Russian River, can sleep from two adults to two adults plus one or two kids. Looking for more of a camping experience? Try their glamping tents – Riverside, Premium, and Standard. These have three bed types – 1 queen bed, 2 queen beds, and bunk beds.
Glamping has been around for a long time now. My own glamping experience was in Devon, United Kingdom. That was the summer of 2013, a trip with my friend and her kids, a last-minute trip for me, and my first trip after my separation. It was such a great adventure for me, for so many reasons. That trip launched my casual travel photography website that documented life, a kind of diary for myself.
Guerneville 5 & 10
16252 Main Street, Guerneville, California. Open daily 10AM to 6PM. (707) 869-3404. www.Guerneville5and10.com
Danielle Kroll recommended this shop, opened since 1949. Here you can find your fun river things, like flip flops, baby floats, and beach chairs. I love the colourways they offer. Forgot your knitting or crochet project? Supply up here. You can put everything in their branded Guerneville 5 & 10 tote.
Guerneville 5 & 10 looks like a fun store to browse in and grab some souvenirs.
Fort Ross State Historic Park
About 12 miles from Jenner, where Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean, is Fort Ross State Historic Park.
In 1812 the southernmost Russian colony was founded here. You can see preserved and reconstructed structures, such as the original fort which is made from Redwood planks. Other sites to visit – Fort Ross Visitor Centre and Museum, Fort Ross Library, Sandy Cove and North Cove, and Historic Orchard.
The Russian fur-trading outpost of the Russian American Company was there until 1841. These are the ancestral lands of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians and along with the Ross settlement, visitors can also learn about Metini Village.
Until July 6, 2026, you can get a free Historian Pass, giving you and three others access to various State Historic Parks, including Fort Ross SHP.
Fort Ross Visitor Centre and Museum
According to the California Parks website, this is an impressive Russian, Alaskan, and Kashaya cultural museum north of San Francisco. They have a bookstore that may entice history buffs.
Fort Ross Library
Opened to members of the Fort Ross Conservancy to use the library, Fort Ross Library provides the most research material on Russian history available north of San Francisco.
Sandy Cove and North Cove
Both Sandy Cove and North Cove are places to visit for their tide pools. Sandy Cove, as indicated by its name, is sandy while North Cove is more rocky.
Historic Orchard
Alongside the plums, pear, and apple trees are the trees grown by the Russians. Quince, olive, peach, and bitter cherries. Some of the original trees from the Russian American Company still stand.
Mendocino
Mendocino is now a quiet seaside village overlooking the Pacific. Founded in the 1850s, it was once a booming town with saloons. The decline of the lumber industry gave way to an artists’ colony. This town is walkable and if you’re a fan of Murder, She Wrote, you’re already familiar with the area as Mendocino’s Cabot Cove is Jessica Fletcher’s home. Settled by East Coasters, the architecture is New England-style Victorian.
murder, She Wrote Festival
This is an annual spring festival and fundraiser in Mendocino. The Kelly House Museum is one of the event venues. Year-round the museum also offers walking tours of the filming locations of this beloved TV show.
Kelly House Museum
45007 Albion Street, Mendocino, California; free admission; April to December – open 11AM to 3PM Thursday to Monday; January to March – open 11AM to 3PM Friday to Sunday; www.KellyHouseMuseum.org
Driving north on Highway 1, about fifteen minutes before Fort Bragg is the Kelly House Museum. If you’re a history buff, this is a stop for you.
Built in 1861, it was the home of William and Eliza Kelly. While it stayed in the family for many years, even becoming a rental, it ultimately fell into disrepair. If it were not for two women and the co-founder of Jack in the Box, this house would not be here today.
The two women are Beth Stebbins and Dorothy Bear who moved from Palm Springs to Mendocino in 1969. With a mutual interest in the town’s history, they established Mendocino Historical Inc (MHRI) in 1973. Their search for a headquarter led them to the Kelly House. However their fundraising was insufficient to secure the property.
Robert O. Peterson, the founder of Jack in the Box, purchased both the Mendocino Hotel and the Kelly House in 1975. He has his roots in Mendocino, where his father was born and where his grandfather ran a lumber mill. He gifted the Kelly House to MHRI which later became the Kelly House Museum.
Kelly House Museum offers group tours and walking tours. It also holds events such as Murder, She Wrote Festival. You can view YouTube videos of some of their past lectures, including The Chinese Contribution to Mendocino.
The Chinese in Mendocino
The first Chinese family to immigrate to Mendocino is the Hee family and fourth-generation descendants continue to call Mendocino home. As early as the 1860s, Mendocino had a population of 500 to 700 Chinese. This was before the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), which banned skilled and unskilled Chinese from immigrating to the US for ten years. With certifications, the Chinese in the US faced potential and likely deportation. The Geary Act extended this 10-year ban for another ten years. In 1902, the ban was permanent until all exclusion acts were repealed in 1943, when China became an ally in World War II. Still, there was a yearly quota of 105 Chinese immigrations. It wasn’t until 2011/2012 that the Chinese Exclusion Act was condemned by the Congress.
Many Chinese left behind starvation and hard times to seek a better life, with the Gold Rush calling to them. Chinese men also worked as water slingers, cooks, and launderers at redwood logging camps in Northern California.
orth Coast Chinese population grew quickly, particularly in the redwood logging camps where men served as cooks, launderers, and water slingers. By the 1860s, Mendocino was home to 500 to 700 Chinese.
Kwan Yin Temple
45160 Albion Street, Mendocino, California; free docent tours Saturday 12noon to 3PM and Sunday 11AM to 2PM May to October; www.KwanTaiTemple.org.
One of the oldest temples in California, the Kwan Yin Temple in Mendocino dates back to the 1850s. From its website, $12 of virgin redwood was used to build the original red with green trim structure. In 2001, the temple was restored and rededicated, retaining its simplicity.
The fourth generation of the founders, the Hee family, continues to be its stewards. This is also the only remaining Kwan Tin Temple on the Northern California coast and a testament to the Chinese living here in the 19th century. In 1979, it received California Registered Historic Landmark status.
Visit this Kwan Yin Temple to learn about altar settings such as the ceremonial food offerings, incense, a simple bamboo mat for kneeling prayers. This temple is a remembrance and dedication to the early Chinese residents of Mendocino, whose history has mostly been lost.
Where to Stay in Mendocino
There are many accommodation choices in Mendocino, such as Bed and Breakfasts and inns.
MacCallum House
The MacCallum House is a historic Mendocino inn and landmark. It was built by William Kelly in 1882 as a wedding gift for his daughter Emma. Her nickname was Daisy. This inn is beautiful and sits in the centre of Mendocino.
Accommodations consist of 33 rooms, each different.
- The Main House offers six rooms in the original style of the house, with some having claw-foot baths and sleigh beds. Room 4, Donald MacCullum Room, is known to be haunted. Donald was Daisy’s son. Certain odors arise for certain people, not everyone.
- Seven cottages, some including private yards, fireplaces, and hotels; pet-friendly
- The Historic barn has six rooms, some with river stone wood-burning fireplaces, a hot tub, and sauna; pet-friendly
- MacCullum Suites are located in a mansion a few minutes from the Main House; more modern with gas fireplaces; close to Mendocino’s famous graveyard; pet-friendly
- The Jedediah Smith Residence is MacCullum House’s vacation rental located in the village
Into Murder Mysteries or Ghost Stories?
If you are into murder mystery, snuggle up with a copy of Murders In Mendocino by Rosemary J Palermo. The author’s research into memoirs, newspapers, and court records is found in this book of true stories of the early Mendocino County families.
Or if you’re more into ghost stories, check out the Kelly House Museum for any tours with local haunting tour guide, Rob Hawthorn. Hailing from the little haunted town Walnut, Rob moved to Mendocino in 1995 and over the years, he’s collected nearly 200 ghost stories. He was invited to stay at houses known to be haunted. And of course, there is the historic Mendocino Hotel which has its fair share of stories. Or the Justin Packard house, with a wailing woman and a ghost who plays the piano. The house Rob himself moved into was haunted. The lady at the top of the stairwell, known to shove women down the steps. A few people he knew who saw the ghosts were actually pushed.
Railbiking Tour Along the Noyo River
Take a 25-mile guided tour along the Noyo River into old-growth Redwood groves. You’ll go over 12 wooden trestle bridges and stop at Camp Noyo. Here you will have a picnic and refreshments prepared for you. Before heading back, you’ll get time to swim in the Noyo River, take a stroll in the Redwoods, or just relax in nature.
Fort Bragg & Glass Beach
On our camping road trip, we didn’t have plans except to get to Trinidad and back south for our next trip, to San Diego by certain dates. I would have loved to visit Fort Bragg for Glass Beach. Here, you can still find coloured glass smoothed over by the ocean since the days the area was a dumpster in the 1900s. Located on the north side of Fort Bragg, Glass Beach was referred to as “Dumps” by residents. Look for signs to lead you down to the beach. Time it with low-tide and enjoy your visit in the tide pools.
Chandelier Tree or Drive-Thru Tree
On our road trip the highway had a bunch of detours and I had to give this a miss.
However, the Drive-Thru Tree is a highlight.
Located just before Leggett which sits 1,000 feet above sea level, inland from Fort Bragg, the Chandelier Tree is located in a privately-owned grove, the Underwood Park. This is a day-use park with trails and a gift shop and is opened daily from 8:30AM to dusk, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas days, when it’s closed.
The Drive-Thru Tree is a 2000-year-old Coastal Redwood and estimated to be 315 feet. In 1937, an opening was carved out. Vehicles can pass through the tree which continues to grow. The The fee to drive through is $20. If your car can’t fit, you can walk through for $15, also the fee for motorbikes. The address is 67502 Drive Thru Tree Road. Dogs are allowed, even on the trails, when leashed.
This is the gateway to Humboldt.