San Francisco - the trip up north - Mendocino and Eureka

To start with I spent my time in California in San Francisco, staying with my very good friend. But Easter was coming up and we wanted to go out and see some things as well - so for the weekend we packed out bags and checked out the maps - and then we drove off. Up north... I have spend a resonable amount of time - for being a tourist - up north in California, but I have been more inside the country, state, than along the ocean, and this time I wanted to see the ocean.
Originally I had planned to go up north myself, to give my friend some space, but it turned out that he was more than interested to come with me, so I saved the travelling for the weekend - perfect.

California coastline is absolutely outstanding, it is very dramatic, with very steep cliffs, plenty of hills, and very rough landscape. This area is still very much an area that is still changing, in a way, there are movements in the earth on a regular basis - earthquakes as the land moves, but storms and rains also impact the coast line. No wonder the whole area looks so amazing, it is nothing like the soft and very naked cliffs in Gothenburg, Sweden, just like the Scandinaivan mountains have been worn down and shaped by the ice during the ice ages and have much softer profiles - and are much less high - than the Alps, the cliffs in California haven't had time to be worn down the way the Gothenburg cliffs have - so it is green, lush, and with very sharp edges - similar to Norwegian fiords in that sense, but still very different.

Driving along the coast in California takes time, that's something one must count on. But it is worth it, it is definitely worth it! The sound of the ocean and the smell of the sea, there are few things in life that makes me as calm as this! I am simply in love with the sea!

Mendocino, California

Our goal the very first day was Mendocino, a small village where I had not been before, but a village/town I had heard a lot of good about - it is a a little art colony, more or less. Fact is I got so inspired when I was there that I went and bought new art materials when I was back in San Francisco, and returned to drawing and painting, something I hadn't really had time to do in a while. In Mendocino was wishing I had my materials, but instead I had to paint with my camera...


Mendocino... A beautiful little place right on the coast, just south of the more well known town of Fort Bragg, with the big military base. Mendocino was very "unmilitaric", if one can say that. It feels very alternative, I wonder if there is anywhere as laidback as Northern California...

There is only one thing to be aware of with Mendocino, and more particularly Mendocino Village:  This is not a party city. This is a nice little place I definitely want to return to but no, it is not a party city. It is a small town and we even struggled to find a restaurant that was open, as we were there a bit off season. There aren't really any big hotels, but some very nice little Bed and Breakfasts, which anyhow tends to be more relaxed, and far more personal. We booked in advance and if one wants to be sure to get a good deal, that is clearly the way to do it - there isn't as much competition here as elsewhere so if you are unlucky you can pay a lot for the room...

But as I said, I loved Mendocino - and I am thinking about coming back and attend one of their weekend art courses, possibly. I would not want to go in the winter though, I don't want to even imagine what the roads here may be like in the winter, and how long it may take to drive them if it is icy....

But the whole area has a lot to offer, if you like the nature, its winding roads, its cliffs, the seaside. I was hoping to see some grey whales, they migrate this time of year, but we weren't successful - for the whales I think you really should take a whale watching tour...