Sadly, Yosemite was our first major National Park disappointment. Our day for Yosemite just happened to be a Saturday with perfect weather, so we joined the crowds to see the sights. I had visited the park years ago as a child and remember the valley being a magical place of misty waterfalls and crazy climbers we could watch with binoculars. The tunnel into Yosemite Valley emptied us into a traffic jam we would fight for the next few hours. We were fortunate to find a parking spot by Bridalveil Falls, giving us one chance for a quick hike towards the rain shower the torrential falls produced. After leaving that parking spot, we searched up and down the valley for another one, hoping to eat lunch by Half Dome or get close to a trailhead. We did not find another parking spot until we were about to leave Yosemite. Fortunately, that final spot did allow us to eat a late lunch looking up at El Capitan. We used our binoculars to watch the climbers tackle the rocky face. We left the park in the afternoon and drove past several miles of cars waiting for entrance. I guess we were lucky. So we saw some misty waterfalls and watched climbers with binoculars; when crowded far past capacity, Yosemite just wasn’t magical.

Yosemite Valley

Our first parking spot – took a picture because it was quite the feat to have a spot at all

Nic bravely drove us through the busy Bay Area the next day, and we hit the coast at Bodega Bay, a town that was the northernmost point of our trip up the coast several years ago. During the drive, we hit a big milestone: 7,000 miles on the road! Thank you, God, for keeping us safe.

Point Arena Lighthouse

The Pacific coast overpowers every sense. We see the whitecaps, the deep blue tones of the ocean, the waving wildflowers and grasses, the contrast of the dark sea stacks against the white foam. We smell the salt, the evergreen and eucalyptus trees, the blooming foliage of late spring, the marine life. We hear the crash and pound of the waves against rock, the constant roar of wind, the cry of birds, the bark of seals. We feel the damp gusts of sea air, the strong sun, the sticky salt, the velvety smooth driftwood, the sand in our shoes. We haven’t tasted much that I can name, but our dogs have certainly sampled the many varieties of kelp and countless other things I try to pretend they’re not eating.

Views of Point Arena Stornetta Public Lands

Lunch break with binoculars

Our camping spot tonight

We have taken every opportunity to stare out at the Pacific, to contemplate eternity as we focus on the watery horizon. We have taken lunch breaks at pull-outs off Highway 1, and we watched last night’s sunset after eating dinner on the beach in a driftwood hut. Tonight tops it all with a free camping spot right on the ocean. We have a view we could never afford otherwise, and there’s a lanky strip of beach below us just waiting to be explored in the morning. The waves will be our lullaby tonight, as we pull the covers high to ward off the chill of the sea.

Our ocean view