Days 4-6: Shelter Cove and The Lost Coast

We left Mendocino thinking it would be a short drive to Shelter Cove, the primitive hamlet on the Lost Coast. It's 100 miles between the two points, up the Pacific Coast Highway and around the Lost Coast before cutting in on Briceland Thorn Road. Two to three hours, the gas station attendant told me.

It took us seven hours, landing us at our cabin just in time for the setting sun. I think this reality just about sums up how wonderfully interesting Northern California is.

Glass Beach ended up stealing way more time than we imagined, with the endless coves and rocks and enough glass treasures to keep Stella going forever.

 

And then, out of sheer luck because Stella had to suddenly Pee, halfway between Mendo and Shelter Cove, we ran into this swimming hole. We turned the car around, changed into our suits and spent the afternoon swimming and cliff jumping in the warm waters of the Eel River.

The drive down into Shelter Cove required 1st gear and motion sickness tablets. It's twenty-five miles from no where, tightly pushed up against the Pacific without another paved road in. The google map alone made my adventurous heart melt.

Our cabin overlooked the Ocean and the deck is where we spent most of the evening. When Stella walked into the cabin, she loudly exclaimed, "it's amaaaazzzing!" Enough said.

We lunched the following day at the yummy Cape Mendocino Tea House, where our chef danced between the kitchen and a game of bridge with friends. Good thing we got a taste of the Peach Pie and Chai tea. Lyle and Marylin are retiring August 28th.

The rest of the day was spent exploring Shelter Cove and Black Sands Beach, the trail head for the Lost Coast Trail and home to more black rocks and pebbles than you can imagine.