I've been driving every day since leaving Vancouver. It's been great, but pretty soon I want to find a campground that I like enough to stay at for a few days. The drive to Mendocino from the north was quite challenging, as was the drive out, back to 101. Probably the most challenging driving yet, and I suspect it'll have been some of the most challenging driving this whole trip. Lots and lots of switchbacks and sub-30 mph driving. Yesterday was terribly rainy, too, which added to the challenge. The Brave was all fogged up, so I had to drive with the window open to try and get the windows to defog. All in all it was a somewhat exhausting day of driving and I didn't stop at any of the wineries in Napa valley because the thought of getting out in the rain was just completely unappealing. I think today I'm going to stop at a winery in Sonoma so I can check "go to a winery" off my list. I mean, I have to go to one, right? I'm here in wine country, USA, aren't I?
People have started gawking at my Alaska license plates. I had a guy at a gas station ask me if I drove all the way from Alaska, and the lady at the campground office last night was taken aback as well. It's kind of funny. To me California isn't really that far away from Alaska. I remember when we were camped over in Cape Cod in 2007 people were really amazed. We had probably driven the furthest of almost any traveler! The different reactions from people are interesting. Some people are amazed, others are concerned, and most people ask me why I'm traveling. I guess most people under the age of 55 have some sort of reason for traveling.
dress/thrifted :: shoes/market publique
The last few days I've looked in my closet and wanted to put on absolutely none of my clothes. Nothing in my closet looks like how I feel. I really just want to pack it all up, send it home and start over. Of course, that's not going to happen because then I really will have nothing to wear. I think it's just that everything I have is so colorful, and I'm really just in a dark, muted colors type of mood these days. It's probably just autumn finally taking hold. It's rained the past few days and the dull colors and cozy vibes of my environment are seeping into my aesthetic. I just want all the stuff I have in my brain to suddenly exist and be in my closet.
I decided to take the Avenue of the Giants instead of 101 on my way from Arcata to Mendocino. It runs parallel to 101, but is like 1,000 times more amazing. I love driving through the enormous trees, you feel like this tiny mouse scurrying through the forest. I could seriously walk through the woods for days. Everything is soft and mossy, and all the fallen trees are a natural playground. Someday I'm just going to walk into the woods and never come back.
43 musings:
these pictures are my favorite so far!
Beautiful pictures! I like your dress, it looks cute on you! xXx bisous!
When I drove through northern California I took the Avenue of the Giants and it totally blew me away. I'm from the midwest in an area with lots of trees but I've never seen anything as majestic as the redwoods. Enjoy your time there!
Oh wow what an amazing place, I'm loving hearing about your adventures so inspirational xoxo
Seeing the redwoods in California is something I've wanted to do forever, they must be so beautiful and even more amazing in person!
Muted colour or not, I really like the dress you're wearing here. Perfect for fall, I think.
super cute, I love that outfit in the redwoods! I'm so glad you made3 it :)
If you head through Santa Cruz, you should hit me up ;)
Love the dress- so cute! Very beautiful pictures - I love the redwood forest. So pretty! :)
The pictures are amazing, I love the last picture with the massive root haha! I like your dress too, the colour is such a nice shade.
The top photo makes me think of Anne of Green Gables! I love it!
Ahh these pictures are incredible. That top one--I can smell redwoods right now just looking at these.
That's such a cute outfit! :)
Some of my family lives up in Mendocino, I love visiting there. If you need to stock up on supplies, Fort Bragg is great.
For state beaches, I would suggest MacKerricher State Park, it's gorgeous!! There's also a beach called Glass Beach, which is covered in sea glass. It's tiny and really cool, and I'm pretty sure it's part of MacKerricher State Park.
Hope you have fun up there! :)
Amazing photos! I am loving your trip! Quick question, What do you tell them when they ask, why are you traveling? I know people seemed to be amazed that your traveling alone.
"Someday I'm just going to walk into the woods and never come back."
I wholeheartedly second that statement.
Also, I got so excited upon seeing that dress - I immediately assumed it was from Modcloth or something, and then got bummed that it's thrifted. That's like my dream dress. Love!
Hope you get to go to a winery! I was out in Sonoma and Napa last fall my favorite was the Robledo Family Winery in Sonoma.
http://www.robledofamilywinery.com/
Beautiful pictures! I love your dress. I went to Mendocino and Sonoma a couple of years ago, they are both lovely. Hope you have fun.
seriously...divine photos..and an even more divine experience....love the woods..and its really cool that you dress according to you mood...!!!!!
much love
take care...and have a great journey ahead...
I wouldn't associate the U.S with wine..
I just noticed your regrowth, it's mega! But with your epi curls it doesn't look bad at all - in fact it looks great :)
Not to be rude or discouraging, but HOW do you afford to travel like this? I would absolutely love to travel the way you do, but there is just no way to afford it.
I like your dress a lot.
@Taylor
I saved up money for about 9 months, living at home and working 40 hours a week at a relatively well paying job. I also have some income off of my blog, which also helps.
one of my favourite outfits you've ever worn. i love that dress and the shoes... it's very zooey deschanel, love it. :)
i didn't think california and alaska were that far apart, i live in orange county and i swear i see more alaska plates than you would think - so the gawking confuses me, too! weird! i love the avenue of the giants... one of my favourite places. it's so magical and majestic.
Yes! you should totally go to a winery on your visit through Napa don’t pass up a new experience. and as for people thinking Alaska is far I would think the same even driving in the car I see license plate from states not to far away and instantly question in my head what there visit here is for? or how they like it here? haha I guess just my curiosity wishing you the best.
The way you are talking about your closet is exactly how I feel at the moment. Nothing looks tempting enough to wear I guess. I love these pics with the mossy trees. It looks breathtaking. I hope one day to travel a long ways, just for the fun and adventure of it.
i also drove through the avenue of giants during my road trip from yakima, wa to la, ca. did you get the chance to drive the brave through a redwood? also, you should stop by the monterey aqaurium and a quaint town next to monterey, pacific grove. they have cute lighthouses and amazing views of ocean. plus, i believe its butterfly season.
I totally know what you mean about wanting to start all over with your closet. I feel the same way lately! I just want some neutrals and realize I have a closet packed with crazy colors. Oh well, I'll have to make do. :)
WOW, these are some of the most powerful photographs I've seen since I started following you - and that's saying something because I always get a great sense of mood and place and emotion in your photos. You have a true talent, I was really blown away by this set, sorry to gush. Probably my favorite fall set I've seen yet this year.
Amazing! You really do look like a tiny person in the land of giants. I love it!
Did you see the glass beach in Mendocino?! It's amazing.
I truly love the last shot so much. This whole set is so gorgeous and your shoes and hair clip are so pretty too!
Beautiful, lady!
Great shots as always! Beautiful look...
Lovely blog!!!
You look like Alice in Wonderland in the last pic! Such an awesome forest!
Little school girl, but not in the cliche way. Adorable.
I realize I am a day or two late, as I have actually been out of town as well. But I did mean to contact you to say you must come down the 101 in CA, through Arcata (which is currently where I am residing) as it is a beautiful part of CA, def. a challenging drive, but worthe the utter amazing trees you captured. Glad you enjoyed it and made it safely! The area and the trees do not get any less amazing with time, I am still awe-struck whenever I drive south towards the Bay Area.
These photos are so amazing. You look so wonderful too! I'm loving reading your adventures so much (and majorly jealous!) :)
I love this outfit and the post is making me long for the big green forests of the west coast...I can definitely see people being surprised by the plates and I'm mildly concerned about you traveling alone--mostly b/c I don't think I could do it (unless I had an Irish wolfhound with me...then I would totally go the long ranger/hermit route).
Back home, there's a foot/cycle path planted with beech trees on either side. I call it the Avenue of Kings, I think in real life it's just called the Avenue, but I love walking along it, seeing kids play, runners train, families walk underneath it. I like to think they've been there for centuries, keeping an eye.
If I see many more of these amazing forest shots I may just have to throw some essentials in a bag and get a train as far away from where I am as I can and live in the woods for the rest of my days.
I love this, it's so cute :)
and the scenery is just beautiful!
commonsenseandstilettos.blogspot.com
stay at the big lagoon county park campground if you're still in that neck of the woods! i took a cross-country road trip this summer and stayed there for a night and it was incredible. the lagoon/beach there was one of my favorite places to explore.
that hair is gorgeous! and the dress too :) i love the setting!
What an amazing forest! It's like something out of a sci-fi movie... Love your pictures!!
:)
Shoe
thingsididmyself.blogspot.com
How many days is this driving adventure of yours, an dhow much clothes did you pack? For someone constantly being on the move, you always look amazing and refreshing!
Hi, I love your blog! This may be weird, but I think I took a picture in the exact same place in Mendacino! here's the picture http://bp0.blogger.com/_SbxXfc86mig/R_wZjvAgaeI/AAAAAAAAADg/_SJNveTmEp8/s1600-h/DSCN6772.JPG
haha, sort of random...anyway! I love your blog!
~Caitlin
red woods... have to see them some day... you are so polite. If people asked me a Q like "why are you traveling?" I would be tempted to start acting out some dramatic answer like "I'm searching for my lost mother/ the Holy Grail/" "We're filming the Amazing Race here next week, don't you know?" "Geo-caching! Everybody's doing it"....
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