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Highway One – North to Fort BraggA Road Not Often TakenBy Sandra ScottIt’s our nature… when my husband and I reach a fork in the road we like to take the road less traveled. When we left San Francisco we headed north on Highway One instead of south. The scenery along Highway One North is just as spectacular as the trip south plus there are a variety of attractions that range from movie locations to coastal parks to historic train rides.
Plan to have a meal of fresh fish at one of the bay side restaurants in Bodega Bay, a fishing village made famous in “The Birds,” and one of the jumping off points for fishing and whale watching – and bird watching.
Mendocino, a picturesque seaside village perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, is a do-not-miss. Plan to stay a couple of days – you won’t want to leave – ever! Once a lumber mill town built by transplanted New Englanders, it thrived in the 19th century but during the 1930s the town and the lumber industry declined. Luckily in the 1950s artists discovered it. Now, the entire town with its restored Cape Cod and Victorian buildings is on the National Historical Register. If it looks instantly familiar, it is because it was the setting for “Murder She Wrote.” You may even recognize some of locals who had “bit” parts.
Highway One North is the perfect getaway regardless of the season. Bird watchers, train enthusiasts, nature lovers, and romantics will be entranced by the scenery, and enjoy exploring the small coastal towns, and be thankful they took “the road less take.” If you go: by Sandra Scott and John Scott |
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Start in Sausalito at the only hotel
on San Francisco Bay, Inn Above Tide. The boutique hotel hugs the shore with
views of San Francisco that can not be surpassed. Located next to Plaza de Vina
del Mar Park, with a water fountain flanked by 14-ft tall elephant statues, the
hotel is close trendy shopping and the ferry to San Francisco. As the sun sets,
relax on your balcony, watch the lights come on, and raise your glass of wine in
a final toast to San Francisco before heading north to Fort Bragg. It is the
perfect place say farewell to the Bay City. 
Head north to Muir Woods. One of
the most amazing things about Muir Woods National Monument with its magnificent
stand of old-growth redwoods is that it is so close to a metropolitan area. It
is only 12 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge. The main trail is an easy
one-mile walk along Redwood Creek to the 1000-year old trees in Cathedral
Grove. Take a walk with one of the park’s naturalists to learn more about these
amazing forest giants.
Continuing along Highway One there are
many state parks, vista points, and beaches to choose from. Fort Ross State
Historic Park has a reconstructed Russian fort while Salt Point State Park has Krus Rhododendron State Reserve with rhododendron that grow to an amazing 30
feet. 
The meticulously restored Victorian MacCallum House Inn makes an excellent base for exploring the coastal area,
wandering from shop to art gallery, or just sitting on the porch gazing out to
sea after a game of croquette. Guests will have trouble choosing between the
Main House, the cottages, and the three-story Water Tower with an amazing view
of the Pacific – all are equally unique and romantic.
Dining at the MacCallum House is a
gourmet experience but so is dinner at Little River Inn with the option of a sea
view or garden view seating. It has been in the same family since 1839. Check
out the family photo gallery on the wall. If you own a “hybrid” ask about
their special for hybrid car owners!
Spend a couple relaxing hours at
the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the only seaside botanical garden. The
mild maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons The easy walking path
wanders through formal gardens, a dense coastal pine forest, past fern-covered
canyons, and coastal bluffs overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean. Shh… walk softly
and you may see deer.
Just a few miles north of Mendocino is
Fort Bragg, a little less touristy but also an excellent base for exploring
Mendocino County. Almost everything is on Main Street including the Atrium
B&B. From the lovingly restored Atrium everything is just a short walk away.
Wander in and out of the shops, or a spend the day collecting glass and
exploring the many tide pools at Glass Beach. Return to share a glass of wine
and cookies with the owners in the covered atrium created by joining two houses.
Glass Beach is one of the most
unique beaches in the world. Years ago the area was a dumping ground for all
kinds of refuse including household garbage, which included lots of glass. Years
of pounding waves turn the bottles into polished pebbles of glass. In addition
to collecting glass, Glass Beach has a very interesting array of tide pools to
explore. 
A short walk from the Atruim B&B
is the Skunk Train station. The train got its nicknamed due to the original gas
engines, which prompted folks to say, "You can smell 'em before you can see 'em."
The line runs the 40 miles between Fort Bragg on the coast and Willits on US
Highway 101, making it one of the world’s premier train rides. It crosses 30
bridges and trestles along the scenic redwood route through two mountain
tunnels. The view from the restored rail cars through the cathedral of trees is
extremely impressive.