We all have our favorite places to visit (perhaps a bucket list for you and the dog?) … if we were traveling this Memorial Day weekend, there are a few favorite places to visit easily from Monterey County… Half Moon Bay, Bodega Bay, Napa, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Mendocino … We love them all… Still, here is a trip we are longing to explore again in a heartbeat… beaches, wine and cheese and chocolate and redwood trees… who could ask for anything more?
Wine countries
Our favorite pet friendly wineries…
Larson Family Winery
23355 Millerick Road
Sonoma, CA
707-938-3031
Navarro Vineyards 5601 Highway 128, Philo; (800) 537-9463; www.navarrowine. com. Doggie heaven. There are always treats and a bowl of water in the tasting room. Picnic tables are around the grounds, and there’s a fenced-in dog exercise area.
Toulouse Vineyards 8001 Highway 128, Philo. (707) 895-2828; toulousevineyards.com. Dogs are free to roam the big warehouse of a tasting room or outside on the loading dock.
(Contact me for a free list of pet friendly wineries in California)
Pet Friendly Avenue of the Giants
from Willits to Garberville is about 1 to 2 hours (twisty and windy) and then to Orick another 2-3 hours….very twisty and windy from Oregon to Crescent city (just beyond Orick) Orick is north of eureka and arcata
and Trinidad is just before Orick, or south of Orick on the way to Eureka and Klamath is just north of Orick a few miles
if you take the 5 rather than the 101 north, you wind up in Medford, Oregon…
Ruffing it in the redwoods
If your dog has a certain affinity for trees – and what dog doesn’t? – they’ll certainly enjoy a fragrant stroll among the tallest in the world. Humboldt County has some of the few places where you can let your dog scamper among redwoods. And while other regions boast of having a single off-leash dog beach, Humboldt has six of them – one of which awaits at the end of a scenic 5-mile coastal trail.
http://www.redwoods.info/showrecord.asp?id=2685
Beaches
Several County Beaches allow dogs to run without a leash on the wave slope within voice command:
Leash only
Little River, and Dry Lagoon.
http://www.friendsofthedunes.org/resources/dog/
http://www.treesofmystery.net/trails.php
Pet Friendly lodging
Motel Trees across from Trees of Mystery
http://www.treesofmystery.net/motetree.htm
$60 + per night
Rio Dell Clean, comfortable, AAA approved, & just a few minutes from the Wild and Scenic Eel River.
RATES STARTING AT $60
707-923-2721
Urban luxuries in a northcoast motel located in the center of a beautiful redwood forest.
http://www.sherwoodforestmotel.com/
Clean and comfortable stay at a reasonable price. Close to the redwoods. Travel packages for groups.
Humboldt County’s best in the budget segment. Close to Old Town. Indoor pool.
Perfect choice for a 30 day+ stay. Comfortable, convenient and affordable in the Eureka area. 53/day (30 day minimum).
stay far far far away from the eureka motel 6 worst place ever
http://www.redcrestresort.com/rates.html
visit to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center in Weott, 6 miles south. The friendly staff will be happy to answer all your questions. Then it’s time to go! Hiking, biking are literally at your doorstep and golfing is just a short drive away. Fishing, swimming, kayaking and rafting are possible on one of our six spectacular rivers. Search for shells and agates on one of the many redwood coast beaches.
Traveling North from Redcrest
Visit the Victorian Village of Ferndale which is listed on the Historic Register. See the many turn of the century homes and shops. Many movies have been filmed there, the most recent being The Majestic, with Jim Carrey. Don’t miss the cemetery, it’s awesome.
In the “Good Ole Summer Time”, Fortuna, Eureka and Arcata have an old-fashioned farmers market once a week, featuring all home made crafts and home-grown produce. Stroll the boardwalk and visit the quaint shops in Old Town Eureka.
Visit picturesque Trinidad, a fishing town with a scenic harbor. Hike on Trinidad Head and stroll along the beautiful beach and view the historic lighthouse. If pulling the handle of a slot machine makes your day be sure to visit the Casino in Trinidad.
http://www.trinidadcalif.com/lodging.html
Orick is about 20 miles north of the town of Trinidad
Sounds like music, reminds me of Orick, CA where we heard the elks mating
Visit spectacular Fern Canyon and Gold Bluffs Beach. Jurassic Park, The Lost World was filmed in the canyon, you don’t want to miss it. Watch out for the elk in the meadows at the Fern Canyon turn off and on Gold Bluffs Beach.
http://www.redwoodparkslodge.com/about/index.php
Traveling South from Redcrest
You don’t want to miss the Rockefeller Forest. Turn off of the Avenue of the Giants onto Mattole Road and drive through the largest virgin forest in the world, just 4 miles south of Redcrest Resort, where you will find the tallest trees in the world. Continuing on this road past Rockefeller Forest, the Lost Coast Loop will take you through Petrolia, where oil was first discovered in California. While driving the Lost Coast you will pass through the furthest western point of the 48 states. The Lost Coast Loop takes about 3 hours (you should start with a full tank of gas) and you will see the scenic back country, and end up in the Victorian Village of Ferndale.
Ever see a black sand beach? Take a drive to the scenic fishing village of Shelter Cove. Watch the fishermen clean their day’s catch. Watch the sea lions on the rocks or maybe you will spot a whale in the distance.
The rugged coastline of Humboldt County proved an obstacle to early road builders, and so Highway 1 gives up just north of Fort Bragg and heads inland to join up with Highway 101. This mostly undeveloped coastline became known as the Lost Coast. While some sections are only accessible on foot, there is one route, known as the Lost Coast Loop that provides a pleasant day drive that will take you through giant redwood forests, to the splendid scenery of the rugged coastline, and then end up in the Victorian Village of Ferndale. Works just as well in the other direction too. Just make sure you have a full tank of gas before you leave, as services are sparce.
