Seven years back, our path turned sharply as we found ourselves on the back roads of California's North Coast. Stepping off the sidewalks of suburbia, we were literally searching for our lives... a way to live that held deeper meaning and satisfaction. We traveled the Coastline up the Monterrey Peninsula through Half Moon Bay, Marin and into Sonoma, mostly on historic Highway One. Having done our research, we had data on schools, population, distances, business and community make-up for each area, yet this information did little to prepare us for what we would find or more important, what we were looking for.
Traveling on further north, the highway narrowed, turns sharpened, pace slowed and everything perched precariously on the edge. Rugged cliffs, dense forests, meandering rivers, open lands and breath-taking views out-to-sea took us further than the odometer was saying. And as time and pulses slowed, senses sharpen. Does a sandwich and soda really taste that different on a picnic bench over looking the Pacific? Is air really that fresh, light so clear and sound so crisp? In fact, yes.
Enclaves, gathering spots and byways dot the roadway, becoming more distinct as the distance grows. Crossing into Mendocino County, there is a succession of villages...Gualala, Point Arena, Manchester and Elk (or historic Greenwood), each a small gathering with historic feel. Small inns, cafes, restaurants and shops in vintage building, old school houses turned museum and community center, a restored lighthouse, old theater, profuse gardens, and grazing cows on open fields stretching to cliff edge. Slow down and breath.
