From Manchester Beach and the Mendocino Coast we moved on to another of our favorite spots on the northern California coast, Trinidad. There we camped among giant redwoods at the Emerald Forest of Trinidad RV Park, a park we have visited and enjoyed several times in the past.

Our trip from the Mendocino Coast to Trinidad went well, but was white-knuckled at times as we navigated the curvy road and steep grades of the Fort Bragg – Willits Road, CA-20. We chose the Fort Bragg – Willits Road as our exit from the Mendocino Coast to avoid even more curves and switchbacks on Highway CA-1, between Fort Bragg and Legett. The CA-20 is heavily used by semi and logging trucks, so is suitable for larger RVs, but there are some very tight curves with no shoulder where a large rig must swing out to clear the mountainside. Oncoming traffic sometimes made clearing the turns with a wide enough margin difficult. We were certainly relieved as we arrived in Willits and could continue our travels on the much more comfortable Highway CA-101!

During our eight night stay at Trinidad, there was often coastal fog blanketing the area – fog which would generally burn off by the late afternoon, before rolling back in sometime in the evening. While the fog lent a great sense of mystery to the towering redwoods and to the craggy rocks along the coast – vaguely seen dark forms looming out of the mist – it also blocked many of the grand vista views in the area. Still, this is all part of the coastal experience and we enjoyed every minute of it.

During our stay we enjoyed exploring around the historic town of Trinidad, visiting the memorial lighthouse, harbor and working pier, and having dinner at the Seascape Restaurant on the pier. We also took drives along the coast to Patrick’s Point State Park, Humboldt Lagoons State Park and to several of the area Redwoods parks. The dogs even got to play on the beach and in the surf, again – they had a blast!

On several days, we took drives out to see the majestic Redwood forests, visiting Redwoods National and State Parks, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and the Humboldt Redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants scenic drive on old Highway 1. It is an altogether awe-inspiring and humbling experience to walk amidst these giants.

On the day we drove the Avenue of the Giants, we also took the drive across to the Lost Coast and back to Ferndale. The Lost Coast scenic drive winds along very narrow, curvy and rough black top roads, through towering stands of redwoods, climbing and descending in steep grades and sharp switchbacks through the coastal range, before arriving on the desolate and wind-swept Lost Coast. Views all through this remote area are stunning and well worth the drive, just allow for plenty of time to savor the trip. The scenic drive ends in the historic Victorian Village of Ferndale – a town we would love to explore further our next visit. We completed our day trip running a few errands in Eureka and stopping for dinner and a micro-brew at the Lost Coast Brewery. A perfect end to a perfect day!

We were sad to say goodbye to Trinidad and already look forward to our next visit. There really is so much to explore around here we’ve just scratched the surface. On each of our visits we found the guide, 101 Things to Do – Humboldt County, an invaluable resource for planning our adventures.

That’s all for now. Take care and enjoy the journey!