Camping and beaches and driving, oh my!

Since we've moved out to California, this was the kind of weekend I'd been craving. Finally, we planned a little getaway that allowed us to just go and explore. Friday afternoon we hopped in the car and headed northward to Lake Mendicino. I have to say I much prefer the "real" camping experience, where you hike to your site and there's nothing but you and the woods- Kyen campgrounds, as one would expect with drive-up campsites, was NOT like that (LOTS of big groups around us!), but it was right on the lake and a beautiful spot.


Captain seemed a little bewildered- "What do you mean, we're sleeping out here??" He marched around the inside of the tent and let out a couple of guard-dog barks during the night when he heard something, but eventually settled down and was happy to cuddle with us.

The next morning we explored the area a little bit and did a short hike near the campsite.

One of my favorite things about camping (despite not sleeping very well!) is waking up the next morning- the fresh air, the sun peeping through the trees- you can't help feeling rejuvenated!

We spotted 3 deer on our little hike! Captain was transfixed...Since it was supposed to climb to 95 degrees in the area, we decided to head coastward and take a leisurely route back home, stopping along the way. Here's Bodega Bay:
Of course, since there was a beach, there was digging involved:Tomales Bay, and its gorgeous views, blew me away.


We also drove along the Point Reyes National Seashore to Kehoe Beach:The fog just kind of consumed the cliffs:Back on the road:
And back into the fog:Check out the bridge!


The drive through the countryside from the campsite to the coast and down to SF was spectacular, filled with fields, country roads and cute little towns, plenty of cliffs and curves, and did I mention curves? We also saw a stag along the way, and I was in awe! I'd never seen one so close, it was a pretty cool experience. I kept thinking I should stop along the country roads to document every gorgeous hill and tree, but I must admit I was enjoying the driving too much. :-)

You can check out the full photo album from our weekend here:

Camping and exploring the North of SF coast-7-25-09