I must admit…..northern California was what I imagined. While the Redwood Forest was beyond writing home about, the rest of the towns that trickled along the coast were similar….motels were fairly bland even the higher end ones, and restaurant and cafe options were limited.
The views of the coast were spectacular however and this is clearly the draw….not as breathtaking as the Monterey to Big Sur coast, but worth a frequent stop to meander.
From Crescent City close to the border all the way south along the coast, we stopped in most of the interesting towns worth exploring, including Patrick’s Point, Trinidad, Arcata and Eureka. The latter is the largest town among them, so my hopes were up that we might find a juice bar.
No such luck although many we asked claimed Eureka had a few organic supermarkets bound to cater to our needs. “Can’t miss it – you’ll see the LARGE cow facing the parking lot.” Large cow? What planet are these people from? By whose standards? David and I were both bemused by every set of directions we received and after several passes up and down the main drag, we were ready to give up and then alas, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. THE COW. The small cow on the wall, indeed facing the parking lot.
No wheat grass but we were able to find some organic nuts and fruit for the car cooler. Funny what a transition the cooler made; full of champagne, wine and soda from numerous summer parties when we left Boston to nothing more than nuts, fiber cereal, blueberries, juice and fruit by the time we reached the California coastline.
We seemed to hit Eureka at the prime of tourist season. While oddly quiet during the day, the streets were bustling in the evening with hour long waits at every restaurant in town. We had dinner at Mazzotti’s, which like our choices the day before, was worth the wait. Old Town is worth a gander – most of the fleabag flophouses, sleazy sailors’ bars and pool halls along First, Second and Third Streets have been renovated to create a new trendy feel along the coast – a smaller but western version of a Newport perhaps.
Gotta love these views.
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
