Mendocino county - A Day Trip

Saturday brought an early morning fog typical of late summer in Northern California and we decided to hit the road to take in sights in our neighborhood - that being something in a couple hundred mile radius. Oh the joys of driving the American highways and byways. After traveling for 10 km an hour on average for the last month in a cramped vehicle in the disaster that is India, I was itching to let the six cylinders of our mini SUV open up and take me for a ride.

So we settled on several spots in Mendocino County (200 miles due north of us) to check out a few items not previously visited after hearing about it from some friends who recently did.

Heading around 70 miles north out of San Francisco on the 101, you drive into the town of Ukiah. Considered one of the most livable cities in America it is a town built on lumber - industry that is.

We broke journey here to visit a Buddhist monastery called 'city of ten thousand Buddhas'. A Mahayana school of Buddhism has monks from Vietnam that inhabit this landscape along with a host of cawing peacocks and hens.

Greetings Fellow Humans

What are you looking at?

Both species were in abundant supply as we strolled the grounds on a peaceful and cool morning.

The monastery is on route 222 (go east for about a mile and you run into it) before the next exit further north called Perkins ave.

Beating the drum - we got 10,000 (Buddhas that is)

After the walk in the monastery we were hungry and drove into Perkins where we got some lunchtime nourishment at a bakery run by Dutch migrants - place called Schat's. Open for over 30 years the next generation of Schat's continue to crank out whole host of baked goodies and pancakes and French toast that goes quick at breakfast.

Lunch Time @ Schat's, Ukiah

Since we reached closed to lunch time the menu had dwindled but we enjoyed some walnut cookies and focaccia bread along with a simple cheese and salami sandwich that reminded me of our visit to Germany.

Washed down with some hot and strong Chai latte at the local Starbucks we felt restored for the next leg of the journey that took us further north on 101 to a beachfront called Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, Mendocino county.

To get there we headed north on hwy 101 (for another 50 miles) and jumped on route 20 west in the town of Willits that took us through 40 miles of scenic redwoods and mountain passes to the Pacific Coast Highway or PCH or Route 1; where we turned north for a five mile run to the beach.

Glass beach is so named due to the ground and smoothed out glass pieces that the ocean worked on for decades and spit out, when the land was used as a garbage dump, empty glass bottles included.

Need Glasses? Its glass with some rocks - Glass Beach, Fort Bragg

Pacific churning some kelp

Very monastic - Jonathan Seagull?

Yellow Poppy - CA state flower

This was the northernmost point of our journey and a spot where someone who wants to enjoy the scenery on rails can do so by hopping on the touristy Skunk Train. The tour operators use the old lines left behind from the days when lumber was hauled on rail to the sea ports for exports.

Mural showing the days of the rail road - Fort Bragg CA

Train Depot

After loitering on the beach with some of the wild life we headed south to our next destination - Russian Gulch state park - about 15 miles south on hwy 1.

We did not actually venture in to the park which straddles the ocean but ventured east for 5 miles on route 409 which took us to a dead end. Here we left the car and hiked in for a couple miles to a hidden waterfall that runs down a rock face for about 30 feet.

Bridge over the Creek that becomes the waterfall

On the trail to the waterfall

Falling Water, Fort Bragg, CA

Not much by way of water but quite soothing and serene a spot amidst giant redwood and local ferns.

It was a perfect end to our sojourn out on a otherwise warm day. We drove back home by 9 that night after filling up on some faux Italian (Olive Garden) cuisine. Very hearty as in bad for your heart but delicious soups and bread.

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected. I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot. It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is. Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy. It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff? Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality. So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing? Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...

The Central State aka MP

Narmada river and site of Omkareshwar Indore Rajwada or palace of the Lady Holkar Somewhat geographically centered in India is the hot landscape of MADHYA PRADESH. A region I had a faint memory of visiting as a young lad eons ago. Now in my (along with my best half) quest to get to know lands far and wide I got an opportunity to visit Indore city and surrounding areas in MP. It begins with an evening visit to a bustling old market selling native snacks both savory and sweet. It is the realm of jewelers who run night time street side restaurants once they close their primary operations at dusk. Think of it as desi style block party that I am told goes into wee hours of the morning. My impression was it is worth one visit. The humid and hot ambience along with crush of humanity doesn’t make for a pleasant dining experience but the sheer variety of foods sort of makes up for it. From piping hot coconut filled fritters to oodles of milk based sweet confections, I gorged on item...

Brown Motion

Search This Blog