In March, I took a road trip from Boise, Idaho to Mendocino, California with my mother. This is a photo post of the sights I saw along the way to our destination…..
Our first stop was in Bend, Oregon, where we stayed at the Hampton Inn near the Old Mill District mall, along the Deschutes River. While my mother rested, I went out and took some photos of the surrounding area and mall during the later afternoon into dusk time frame. Bend struck me as the kind of town that appeals to and encourages active folks who like to play outdoors!
The next morning, we headed out early, taking Highway 20 through Sisters and over to Highway 126. 126 follows the Mackenzie River, taking us through towns with funky names like Rainbow, Nimrod and Vida. Along the way, we stopped to enjoy the views of Mount Washington, the ridges of Three Fingered Jack and Sahalie Falls…..
We continued to follow 126 into Florence where Highway 101 intersects. We resume our trek through Florence, over the Suislaw River and into the Great Dunes country. I didn’t know Oregon had such massive dunes!
We made a stop in Port Orford where the fishing boats are not docked but hauled in and out of the water using a huge lift. When the boats want to head out to sea, they are lifted off their trailers and placed in the water. Upon return, they are hauled out of the water and placed back on their trailers.
In Gold Beach, we stopped to see the Cat Houses which were built by the local community to house the feral population of cats. The local veterinarians voluntarily spayed and neutered the cats to keep the houses from being over crowded. Some residents actually “adopted” various kitties and would watch over them.
We stopped in Brookings to have lunch on the waterfront.
These are some images of the coastline along Highway 101 of the Oregon and California coast….
Late in the evening, on the second day of travel, we arrived in Crescent City, California where we stayed the night. After breakfast the next morning, we continued down Highway 101 toward Fort Bragg which is where we will stay for the duration of our visit to Mendocino. Just the sound of the name Fort Bragg lends itself to the assumption that it is a military town; an Army town. However, really it is a town that was the main sight for a civil defense during WWII. It is also a popular place to watch the grey whales transit up and down the coast. Mendocino is just ten minutes drive down the road.
With Fort Bragg as our home base for the next five nights or so. From here, we visited the Glass Fire Gallery which is in Fort Bragg. Also, the Skunk Train usually leaves from Fort Bragg, but that train was down for maintenance so we rode the Skunk Train out of Willitz. The road to Willitz intersects in Fort Bragg which made getting there easier than if we were to stay in Mendocino. Both, the Glass Fire Gallery and the Skunk Train have been detailed in separate, earlier posts. You can find those posts on my site.
It's All Relative.... 