Summer Programs at MacKerricher State Park
California State Parks announces free, guided interpretive programs at MacKerricher State Park.  These programs will be presented every week through September 6, 2009. All programs are led by park staff or volunteers.

As you can see, the colors ranged from green to yellow to orange to deep red from one plant to the next, making for swaths of color below the hill. You can still find the occasional bunch of grapes that was missed in the picking. These were pinot noir grapes, and while the resulting pinot is excellent, they weren’t particularly tasty in the raw. I love the deep almost-indigo blue in contrast to the wild yellows and reds around the grapes.

The Goldeneye tasting room is a charming building nestled between several restored apple-drying sheds. They host group events on the patio outside, with its barbecue grill and Dutch oven and fabulous view. Out in the middle of the vineyard on a manicured path, they’ve placed a pavilion with picnic tables. What a spectacular place to enjoy a picnic or some cheese with a fine wine!

One look at this photo says it all about Gualala Point Regional Park as a great picnic spot. Visible is the Gualala River with the town showing on the right.

While a coastal community, Gualala is part of a “banana belt” that seems to exempt the area from the fog which often shrouds towns north from Elk to Wesport in late spring and summer.

About the Name
From Gualala.com: “some people call it gwa-LA-la, but the natives call it wa-LA-la, from the Kashaya Pomo Indian phrase, “ah kha wa la lee” which means, “Where the water flows down”, which makes sense–for the river goes out to the ocean right across from the center of town, right by that big sand bar where the whales stop for lunch every year.”

Oh So Cool …

The downside is the wind. Cooling ocean breezes are present alot as you might expect on a hill high above the Pacific. Still, it also can be t-shirt weather. In any case, come prepared for any weather, but also be prepared for a wonderful picnic. And forget to check out the park museum.

There are trails that take you along cliffs or down to the beach. Of coure, photo opportunities are limitless.
Bruce’s Best Best: take the Sea Ranch coastal access trail south for more sweeping ocean views, coves with spectacular crashing waves. You’ll cross streams along the way. A you can following trails along one stream that takes you to a small waterfall. Or bring a kayak or canoe and ply the Gualala River. While the ocean is always in the low 5o’s, requiring a wetsuit, the river in summer is warm enough for please swimming.

Supplies: two supermarkets in the four block long town have everything you need. But fish restaurants an outdoor barbecue on Main Street (Highway 1) offer tempting take-away.

“I was teaching a class on what to do with all those wild pastel colors in your box,” explained local artist and gallery owner Suzi Long, owner of “The World of Suzi Long” on Ford Street near Kasten in Mendocino Village.

Driftwood fires and barbecues are allowed on Big River Beach, a part of Mendocino Headlands State Park. Is there any wonder why this is one of our picnic favorites?

Location: drive on Highway 1 a couple of hundred yards south of Mendocino Village and make a left at the north end of the Big River bridge. The road takes you to a parking area along the beach and river.

Supplies: Harvest Market on Lansing or Corners of the Mouth market, Mendocino Deli and Lu’s Kitchen on Ukiah.

Dawn’s Early Light

I got up before dawn recently to capture a photo of the bay, Big River Beach and the morning light falling on the the Village from the overlook vantage point. There are few other spots on the Mendocino Coast with so much atmosphere. Waves crashing on the rocks. People strolling on the sandy beach below. Surfers. Kayakers. And the historic village of Mendocino on the opposite cliffs.

It may to be breezy, so bring a sweater or jacket and hat.

There’s picnic food at the Mendocino Deli, Harvest Market, Lu’s Kitchen or Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino.

Even if you come just to snap a photograph or share a personal moment with a significant other, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a special place. And one of our new “favorites.”

This Saturday, (August 4) you can join the docent-led Summer Bloom Walk; the current summer highlights are Begonias and Fuchsias. Or you can join storytellers as they spin their tales at the Meadowlawn Stage – be sure to bring a blanket and a picnic lunch. Also on Saturday the Audubon Society is leading a beginning birding walk. The Gardens provides a habitat for over 100 species of birds.

If you haven’t visited the Gardens in a while, don’t let another weekend pass by. I hope to see you on Saturday. Look for the couple being led by the two black poodles!

1. Point Cabrillo Lighthouse – you sit on picnic benches next to this restored 1909 lighthouse (one of a handful still operated by the U.S. Coast Guard as federal aids to navigation) – and look out to sea. The lighthouse is located in the 300-acre state owned Point Cabrillo Light Station & Nature Preserve. Actually, picnic tables and benches are scattered around the preserve. Besides picnicking, Point Cabrillo offers hiking trails, bird watching, marine wildlife and history exhibits and a gift shop lighthouse. If you can’t get enough of the place during the day, you can stay overnight at the Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo, located in the original Head Lightkeepers Residence. One of the amenities is a nighttime lighthouse tour by innkeeper and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary lightkeeper Jim Kimbrell. No entrance fee. Park at the visitor center and walk .5 miles to the lighthouse. Restrooms available. Wheelchair accessible.

Location: about 3 miles north of Mendocino Village and 6+ miles south of Fort Bragg on Point Cabrillo Drive.

Supplies: Harvest Market at Mendosa’s (Lansing Street in Mendocino) or Mendocino Deli (Ukiah Street) across from the Mendocino Post Office. Or if you come from Fort Bragg, try the delis at Safeway or Harvest Market. You also can buy all the fixin’s (no deli, just off the shelf stuff) at Caspar Beach State Beach on Point Cabrillo Drive on the way to the lighthouse.

2. Russian Gulch State Park Bluff Picnic Area – This is a spectacular and relaxing setting with shade and sun and a short walk to a blow hole, a natural cave with no roof (open to the sky). The force of the waves entering the cave creates a huge spray of water, blowing it out the top. You can stand above the blow hole, surrounded by a fence, and enjoy the show. Or you can, lay on a blanket in the sun or walk to the campground and hike one of the many trails. You pay a day use fee then drive a short distance to the bluffs overlooking Russian Gulch Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Barbecues are available, so consider bringing charcoal briquettes and something to grill.

Alternative picnic sites in the park: follow the North or River trails to the Russian Gulch Waterfall where there are two benches that will each seat four people. There you can sit among the redwoods and ferns and watch the water cascading over a 40-foot high cliff. But the waterfall is a popular place and there is no guarantee a bench will be available (since there are only two). You can take a chance or simply take the North Trail from the campground – few people travel this spectacular trail – and find a place to sit on a log in the forest somewhere along the way.

Location: on Point Cabrillo Drive just off Highway 1, 1 mile north of Mendocino Village.

Supplies: (see above)

3. Pacific Star Winery – the only winery on the Mendocino Coast, located about 20 minutes north of Fort Brag. You can sit on benches on high cliffs that give you a sweeping 180+ degree view of the ocean, from Fort Bragg to the Sinkyone Wilderness. Pacific Star makes a multitude of wines and most of them are available for tasting.

Supplies: The Harvest or Safeway Market deli’s in Fort Bragg; the market in Cleone, less than a mile north of the entrance to MacKerricher State Park or the market in Westport.

4. Ten Mile Beach /MacKerricher State Park – as the name implies, this is a long stretch of sandy beach with easy access at Ward Avenue off Highway 1. Although this is part of a state park, there is no parking entrance fee. As beautiful as it is, there are relatively few people who walk more than a half mile onto the beach. Grab your knapsack, load it with food and drinks and head down the beach for a mile or more, find a warm spot in the sand dunes or sit on a driftwood log. There isn’t a more beautiful beach anywhere on the California Coast.

Supplies: Fort Bragg (see above) or Cleone Market, just a half a mile south of the Ward Avenue left turn which takes you to the parking area near Ten Mile. The park also offers free wi-fi, which you can access for free within 200 feet of the visitor center.

5. Big River Beach/Mendocino Headlands State Park – this ever changing sandy beach, a new addition to Mendocino Headlands State Park, is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Big River right below the historic village of Mendocino. How many people are present depends on the weather. On a sunny day, you’ll see people digging in the sand, walking along the shore, collecting driftwood, playing volleyball or just hanging out people-watching. Midweek or anytime the weather is not calm and sunny, you’re likely to find the place all to yourself. From the beach you can launch kayaks, go surfing, walk in the woods up the old logging road or fly a kite. You also can collect driftwood and build a fire (no permit required), so bring your hot dogs, marshmallows and other fixin’s for samores.

Supplies: Harvest Market on Lansing or Mendocino Deli or Corners of the Mouth market across from the post office on Ukiah.

Bruce’s Best Bets: if you want something different for lunch, check out Lu’s Kitchen on Ukiah Street, just off Lansing in Mendocino Village.

State Park property, the 300-acre nature preserve that surrounds the lighthouse provides a wonderful backdrop for enjoying a care-free lunch.

Afterward, tour the Lightkeepers Museum, the Lighthouse, or walk a half-mile north to Frolic Cove, where in 1850 a Gold Rush Era retired opium trading ship sank with all cargo.

As you wander along Point Cabrillo’s trails, stay a safe distance back from the edge.

Be swept away by the beauty, not by the waves.

Getting There: from Highway 1, take Point Cabrillo Drive (from the north or the south) to the light station.