Northern California Trip: Manchester Beach State Park

I returned from the big California trip a little over a week ago: my feet have healed, my cardiovascular system has recovered, the photos are processed, and I'm ready to share!


I kept finding myself saying "It's so pretty" throughout the entire trip, no matter if we were driving along Route 1, in Manchester Beach State Park, Yosemite, or San Francisco. As is suggested by the above map, the first segment of our trip was to drive along Route 1 up the California coast from San Francisco to Point Arena.


A Mini Cooper is an awesome choice for so much driving. So many winding roads and hills. We finally got to the Manchester Beach State Park campground and set up our tent. It was mostly empty, and absolutely stunning. A grassy field set against a cow pasture, with mule deer wandering through during twilight, and echoes of the ocean to lull you to sleep.


The beach was too chilly to swim in (I wore jeans and a fleece jacket), but it too was rather deserted. It's kinda lovely to have such places to yourself. Our time at the beach was spent visiting the Point Arena lighthouse, eating amazing steak sandwiches in a tiny little town that had an actual grocery store, catching the last of the Perseid Meteor Shower, and sharing our campfire with a fellow camper from Switzerland.


After the allotted two nights camping in Manchester Beach State Park, we headed to Fairfield, California where we visited the Jelly Belly Factory and bought way too many of the sugary treats. Pounds and pounds worth. All the strawberry-flavored beans. And chocolate covered beans. And Belly Flops.









There's more photos up on my flickr account.

• Manchester Beach State Park, 1.5 days
• Napa Valley, 1 day
• Yosemite Valley, 3 days
• Mariposa Grove, 1 day
• San Francisco, 1 day