My Fort Bragg Birthday Adventure

“It’s discernable, the welcome sense of remoteness that comes over you in Fort Bragg. And with that distance from the ordinary comes a certain kind of freedom that you won’t find in many California coast towns. It’s a place where you can hike and bike, wine and dine, kayak and beachcomb. But even with so much to experience, there’s another reason people love coming back to Fort Bragg year after year. Call it North Coast Hospitality, but there’s a certain kind of neighborliness here, a lack of pretension and a spirit of community that stays with you even when the scent of fresh ocean air has faded.” ~ VisitFortBraggCa.com

Fort Bragg is a tiny coastal town 150 miles north of San Francisco. You’ll find the roar of city traffic is replaced by the soothing sounds of ocean waves. Their city lights are bright stars in a black sky. The air is fresh; the water clean and clear. Secluded beaches, walks to waterfalls, dog parks, and horseback beach rides thrive. Whales live there year-around, birding abounds, and if its redwoods you want to see, then Fort Bragg is the place to be.

I was introduced to Fort Bragg back in 1975 by my then boyfriend. We camped on Glass Beach (when it was privately owned by a lumber company), and he would dive for abalone while I would hike the bluffs and take photos, of course! Even then, I was struck by it’s amazing beauty and special energy.

Fast forward MANY years… having passed by the Beachcomber Motel several times in my travels (see above photo), I knew that I wanted to stay there. The location with its beach access and miles of bluffs (my happy place) called to me. Finally, about 10 years ago, I did exactly that. Since then, I have treated myself to a visit each year for my birthday and more often whenever I could. Most times I’ve gone alone - as this introvert’s way to recharge from a stressful life. But since this year has been a little “kinder and gentler”, I was joined by a very dear, lifelong friend who had never been there before - which made it extra special!

DAY 1

We started the trip by heading to the Sonoma Coast and stopping at Cafe Aquatica in Jenner for a morning treat of coffee and some of their organic, fresh baked goods. It was a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies and we just knew it was a good omen. (We also picked up their crab roll sandwiches to have later for lunch.) Our drive north took quite a bit longer than anticipated due to a lot of road repairs along the way, but we were on vacation and happy to be in each other’s company, so we didn’t mind at all.


Upon arriving in Fort Bragg, our first stop was Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens at the south end of town. We enjoyed our yummy lunch at their picnic tables before spending a few hours exploring the property, breathing in the coastal air, and taking pictures. With manicured formal gardens, a dense coastal pine forest, native flora and habitats, fern-covered canyons, camellias, rhododendrons, magnolias and conifers, heaths, heathers, and flower-filled coastal bluffs overlooking the ocean, the garden is a beautiful and worthwhile stop at any time of year.


We then headed to the Beachcomber at the north end of Fort Bragg. Once we checked into our room, I introduced my friend to all my favorite places on the nearby bluffs and beach. While the temperature was only 64 degrees, it actually felt hot in the sun. It was GLORIOUS!!! And when it became apparent that we were going to have a real sunset that evening rather than fog, we drove into town and picked up dinner from one of my go-to favorite restaurants, Cucina Verona. We shared a Roasted Beet Salad (golden beets, baby kale, goat cheese, grapefruit, shaved red onions, pistachios, and citrus-olive oil dressing), a Pesto Pizza (pesto sauce with chicken, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and mozzarella), and a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon while sitting on The Mates Deck watching the most incredible sunset I’ve ever seen. WOW! We topped the night off with making smores at the firepits on the deck - a yummy and perfect end to a perfect day!

DAY 2

We woke early and enjoyed our coffee with some healthy and delicious Morning Glory Muffins I made for the trip. Then we headed to the bluffs that lead out to the point directly across from our room to experience the sunrise. Not much surf that morning but my-oh-my the sky! Words to describe the incredible colors fail me at this point - so just enjoy the photos below that say it all.

Later that morning we drove the short distance into town to explore and enjoy Otis R. Johnson Wilderness Park - a hidden gem with seven acres of walking trails. With towering redwood trees, quiet, fern-filled canyons, and a creek, it’s a great place to unwind and connect with nature. Afterwards, we spent a little time visiting some shops in downtown Fort Bragg before going to Eggheads for lunch - it’s tradition! Eggheads is a favorite off-beat Wizard of Oz themed restaurant that serves great food. We both enjoyed the Scarecrow’s Louie Salad (lettuce, spinach, red onion, tomato, avocado, olives, sunflower seeds, jack cheese topped with a heap of Dungeness Crab and their special Louie dressing). SO good! For dessert (did I say it was my birthday trip?), we crossed the street to Mendocino Cookie Company and indulged in lattes and chocolate muffins. YUM!

By the time we finished our lunch, it had started raining. It was a light rain that lasted only a short while - I told my friend that Mother Nature just wanted to make sure she got the full “Fort Bragg experience”. We had come prepared so we donned our raincoats and headed to the north section of Noyo Headlands Park (a series of stunning bluffs converted from 82 acres of the former Georgia-Pacific mill site) and the above mentioned Glass Beach (a old dump site where shards of broken bottles, windows, and other debris have been worn down over decades by the rolling surf to completely smooth “sea glass”). We explored Glass Beach (not much glass there these days) and walked the paved pedestrian/bike trail that runs south along the beautiful Fort Bragg coastline - enjoying the stunning views of tide pools, beaches, rocky cliffs, and the mighty Pacific ocean - to the point called Compass Rose near the southern end. Since the rain had stopped and we had some time left before dinner, we drove the short distance north to MacKerricher State Park for a stroll on the Laguna Point Boardwalk Loop trail for even more beautiful views of this amazing coast.

Upon returning to the motel, we walked out to the Cypress trees overlooking the bluffs and sat on a log just watching the ocean and chatting before dinner (no photos - just being). It was obvious that there we weren’t going to see a sunset that night but, at this point, we didn’t mind. So we headed back into town to try out a new fine dining restaurant I’d found online, KW Saltwater Grill, for my special birthday dinner. It’s website listed all the things I look for when searching - 100% sustainable ingredients from local organic farms, local, wild-caught seafood, and 100% grass fed meat - and it did not disappoint! Lovely atmosphere, great service, and “to live for” food! I had Petrale Sole with roasted fingerling potatoes, and Brussel sprouts with lemon thyme aioli. My friend had Scallops with shitake mushrooms, baby carrots, cauliflower and fresh herbs. It was SO good! Dessert was Lemon Creme Brulee with a shortbread cookie. YUM! ….and another perfect day.


DAY 3 - My actual birthday!

As soon as I opened my eyes, my dear friend sang Happy Birthday to me. After a few tears and some time reflecting on how grateful and humble I felt, we headed to the office again for the “good coffee” and enjoyed more Morning Glory muffins. After that, it was back outside to greet another sunrise - this time heading south across the Pudding Creek Trestle Bridge to hike the bluffs between the motel and Glass Beach. Not only were the colors of the sunrise beyond words AGAIN, the surf became bigger and noisy, AND the sky was clear enough that the sun came out and lit up the whitecaps - which I absolutely LOVE. On our way back to the motel, my friend noticed the big waves out near the point so, of course. we headed back there one final time before packing up and saying farewell to this amazing place!

While we said good-bye to the Beachcomber and the town of Fort Bragg, the day was still young and we headed south towards Mendocino to Russian Gulch State Park. I’ve always wanted to go there, but it is rather secluded and I didn’t feel comfortable going on my own. So, this was the day! We set out on what I thought was going to be a 4 mile out and back hike to to the waterfall. We enjoyed the beautiful trail along the creek but soon realized that the 4 mile part was just to the waterfall TRAIL. OOPS! No worries….we were on an adventure so we kept on going… and going… and climbing and climbing. We were beginning to wonder if we would ever get to the F…ing waterfall and if it would be worth it. I even asked someone who was coming down about it and they assured us, “it’s really cool”. So we kept going and they were right - it was definitely worth it.

By the time, we finished the waterfall hike and also visited the famous bridge and picnic areas there, it was almost 2:00 p.m. and we were starving!!! Fortunately, the Mendocino Cafe was just a short distance away. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed a glass of wine and our delicious lunch. I had Chicken Thai Wrap that was amazing and my friend had a Crab Cake sandwich. And we shared a slice of Chocolate Mousse Pie for dessert - cause my birthday, right?

I wanted to show my friend the incredible beauty of the Mendocino Headlands Trail, but we had already clocked in 10 miles so far that day - so we just hit a few spots. Guess we’ll just have to go back again!

But wait…. before we left I had to visit Mendocino Chocolate Company for some of their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels to take home with me. I may or may not have had one at the time….YUM!!

Then, with out bodies, minds, and spirits overflowing with good vibes, we drove back via Hwy #128 and enjoyed the stunning views of redwood forests and autumn colors of the trees and vineyards between Navarro and Cloverdale. Then onto Hwy #101 South and home to Graton.

What a great way to celebrate my 71st birthday! I’m SO grateful to my friend, Joan, for trusting me and hanging in there for it all. We ended up covering 18 miles of GLORIOUS ground in the 2 1/2 days we were there - which was way more than I’d planned. ALL the food…..OMG - SO GOOD!!! And everywhere we went people were so friendly, helpful, and kind. Best of all was having a kindred spirit to share it all with. Absolutely delightful in every way.

“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” ~ Marie Davis

JoAnn Newton is a Master Massage Therapist, Certified Diet Counselor & Holistic Nutrition Educator, and Spiritual Counselor with a private practice in Graton, California.

Happy, Healthy Living!

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