Wright's Beach Campground

My Highway 1 journey continued with me driving back south through Fort Bragg, down the Mendocino Coast, all the way back to Bodega Bay. I’m not a fan of driving near cliffs, but I’m working through my fears and handled the drive wonderfully. It helps that I got to drive slow through all the switchbacks as that reduces my anxiety, plus I always use the turnouts when a vehicle ends up behind me.

There’s an awesome small campground called Wright’s Beach where you basically camp right up on the beach. There’s about 9 sites that actually have beach front access but I was in the next row, claiming the last site that was available by chance when I booked it two days prior.

Even though my site wasn’t beach front, it was still lovely with trees all around, giving me some privacy from neighboring sites. It almost felt like a cool tree cave and made for some nice ambiance while Maverick & I hung out on my bed with the rear doors open.

When I arrived in the late afternoon, it was very gray with a low marine layer, but I still enjoyed my time on the beach watching the waves crash. Some kids were flying kites since the winds were perfect for it; one was a gorgeous butterfly that flew bright and high. Then around 7pm, the fog lifted to beautiful blue skies and it was absolutely stunning! I watched an incredible sunset (posting that next), and enjoyed a lovely fire while eating dinner.

The Perseid Meteor Shower was still going on, so I climbed up my van and laid on my roof rack to enjoy the show. I had a wonderful view of lights blazing through the night sky with so many stars and constellations to gaze at.

I woke up to a gorgeous sunny day, the first non-foggy one of my trip, and spent some more time on the beach enjoying the waves and blue sky before I had to leave. This is definitely a spot I want to camp at again!

For more photos from the campground and beach, check out my Instagram post!

Westport-Union Landing State Beach

Just North of Fort Bragg, before Highway 1 heads inland to 101, there’s some lovely first-come, first-serve camping at Westport-Union Landing State Beach. There are a few different camping lots, so I selected the one with the least amount of campers and ocean side parking for the view.

After settling in, I went down to the beach to enjoyed the waves and walked about half the length before my legs got sore from the sand giving away with each step. I found a great rock to sit up against and watched the ocean waves crash for an hour.

Once back at the van, I read my new book Blue Mind for awhile, took Maverick for a walk, and then cooked dinner. Ended the night with a foggy sunset and a fire pit. I love how the flames reflected off my van! 

Check out my Instagram post for more photos!

Fort Bragg & Ocean Views

I enjoyed a lovely lunch with beach front views in Fort Bragg last week after a wonderful camping experience in the Timber Cove area. Despite the foggy weather along most of the coast, there was a nice patch of blue skies in Fort Bragg with the fog layer over the ocean.

As I drove off from Ocean Cove earlier that morning, I took some photos looking back at the beautiful campground on the cliff. The pics I took don’t so it justice but it gives you an idea of how cool the place is.

I always love it when you come around a bend and see the beautiful California coastline, so I couldn’t help taking pics whilst I was driving.

See my Instagram post for all these photos!

Ocean Cove Campground

Just north of Jenner and Timber Cove, there is this awesome campground on a cliff overlooking the ocean. I read about this place the day before I left on my coastal trip and had a feeling it would be amazing. Ocean Ocean Cove is a beautiful first-come campground with great views from pretty much any spot!

I found a great site near the cliff and parked so I could see the ocean from my bed with the rear doors open. It was slightly foggy when I arrived, but since I love the ocean breeze, I didn’t really mind.

I spent the afternoon reading whilst listening to waves crashing, then made dinner, and ended the evening with a lovely fire and Maverick’s nightly walk. I woke up to blue skies and a gorgeous view, ate breakfast, packed up, and then continued on my trek north.

Ocean Cove is definitely a campsite I plan to stay at every year. It’s not too long of a drive yet far enough away from home to feel like you got away. Next time I plan to stay a few nights and really take advantage of the views and campground!

For more photos, check out my Instagram post!

Highway 1 North Of San Francisco

I never drove the stretch of Highway 1 north of San Francisco to Fort Bragg myself, so I decided to get away from the heatwave and enjoy the coast for a few days.

It was a bit foggy once I got to the coast, but since I dislike being too hot, the change to cooler weather was much appreciated. I stopped at a small turnout after driving through Bodega Bay to eat lunch and enjoy the ocean view.

It’s a nice feeling to take photos of my beautiful van in picturesque settings. I especially love all the Cypress trees along the coast. These trees have always struck me as beautiful since they grow in harsh conditions on cliffs and fog, plus I love how they form their canopy structure with the wind.

Did you know that there are 11 species of cypress that occur in California? Sadly 7 of these have been assigned a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B (rare, threatened, or endangered). These include Santa Cruz, Tecate, Gowen, Monterey, Piute, Pygmy, and Cuyamaca cypress varietals. One of the main reasons for this is climate change and human-induced changes to the natural fire regime. If the interval between fires is too short, trees are unable to reach reproductive age before the next fire, often causing cypress to be replaced by adjacent vegetation types. Thanks to California Native Plant Society for this info.

For more photos, check out my Instagram post!

First Van Trip Was A Success!

First van trip was a success! I went to Pinecrest Lake with my friends and enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to set up a tent, canopy, air mattress, etc. I parked on fairly level ground and got situated quickly!

I used my induction stove for the first time that night. At first I was getting an error message and had to figure out what it was without having internet. Figured out that you have to have your pan on the stove for it to make the magnetic connection before it will turn on. It’s a smart safety feature, but since I forgot my manuals at home, it took me a few minutes to figure out.

I slept well in the van. I fit perfectly from head to toe and the bed is very comfortable. I cut a queen fitted sheet so it fits the u-shape bed in order to keep the upholstery from getting all furry and dirty from my cat Maverick. I generally sleep hot, but with the windows open and the cooler nights, I was perfect with just a blanket.

Maverick did really well in the van. He got comfortable quickly, laying on my lap on the drive up (as he usually does), then laying on the counter and induction stove so he could look out the sliding door. He also loves hiding on the drivers seat under the zebra table, which I had swiveled to the right of the kitchen counter for additional surface area.

I had the screens up and they worked great for keeping the bugs out and making Mav feel safe inside. That extra barrier gives my cat the feeling that he’s protected from the noise and people outside.

On the third day, I accidentally overloaded my lithium ion battery. Since I was parked under trees, my battery wasn’t getting a full charge from the solar. When I went to cook, I forgot to turn off the fan which was on high. Between the fridge, the fan, the water heater, and the stove, I had too many appliances draining the battery so it shut down. But with a quick charge from the engine, I got it back online.

Overall, I learned a lot on how I use the space and where everything should go. I love the placement of the fridge as I can easily get drinks while standing outside the door. Swiveling the seats in is very convenient as it opens up the space. I love my van!

For more photos, check out my Instagram post!