North coast redwoods,Pt.Reyes to Ft. Bragg

Our trip started out for a couple nights at Samuel P. Taylor SP. This is the closest stay to Pt.Reyes National Seashore.
Having been to the area at Christmas time and wanting to get back to explore more of Pt.Reyes this is where we started out trip north.
We didn't want to do a lot of long driving on this trip,just see nature and relax.
Pt Reyes offers some nice walks from along the San Andres fault to the long walk to the northern tip of the point.
We had hoped to see the Tule Elk this time as we saw them all herded up in December.That was quit a sight.
Walking north on the trail the elk were scattered out more this time,with the bull elk rounding up their "ladies".
Our next stop was Russian Gulch SP just north of Mendocino.In Sept the park is first come first served and of the 30 or so sites only a couple were taken.This is a nice quiet place back in a canyon of the Russian Creek.
Wandered through Mendocino locating the bakery  we had visited years ago.It was still there and the goods were just as good as remembered.
The Big rived flows out to sea near town so this was a good place to take our new kayak for a nice sunny paddle on the river.
Didn't see any wildlife except for a heron,but there were few people on the water so it was peaceful.
Our last stop was Ft.Bragg to stay at MacKerricher SP.
In times past this place is usually full but after Labor Day they don't take reservations so there were some nice places.
Did some walking along the "haul"road and just enjoyed the ocean,not many people which was nice.
On our way home "south"we checked out some spots but being Sunday and with all the heat inland it seemed like everyone was at the coast.
The plan was to stay out last night back at Samuel P.Taylor,so we stoped and checked out things along the way.
Ft.Ross was nice hadn't been there for 30 years.The state has restored the buildings and made the place more like the original.
The long and twisty road is nice as long as there isn't a lot of traffic,which there wasn't.Everyone was still at the beach enjoying the cool fog.
Even though this trip was almost 700 miles being stretched out over the week made for short day drives.


                                          Tule Elk at Pt. Reyes

                                         Hwy 1 bridge at Russian Gulch SP

                                         One of my favorite buildings.The bank at Mendocino

                                         Had to snap this one of the weather vane.

                                         Our paddle on Big River,nice and quiet.

                                          The only wildlife.

                                         This sequence of the sun set I just couldn't pass up.

                                         Great surf,looking toward Shelter Cove.

                                         Don't know the scientific term for this,but I call it a "fog bow".
                                          It followed us most of the walk as the sun was coming up.

                                          This church caught my camera,I think it's in Elk.

                                         Ft. Ross in the fog.It was great seeing it after many years.