Shelter Cove with Kids

Day 5-6: Shelter Cove with Kids or 
                       "The Beginning of the Lost Coast of California"

After spending a few hours hunting for treasures at Glass Beach, we headed north for the town of Shelter Cove.  To call Shelter Cove a "town" seems like a stretch. It is more like a small grouping of homes, bed and breakfast style hotels, and a few restaurants sitting on a very secluded beach. Shelter Cove is the start of California's "Lost Coast,” a stretch of coastline that is undeveloped, remote, and surprisingly untouched.  The steepness and challenges of the coastal mountains made this stretch of coastline too costly for state highway to establish routes through the area, and as a result communities in the Lost Coast region such as Shelter Cove, Petrolia and Whitethorn remain romantically secluded from the bustle of the rest of California.

Things to do with kids in Shelter Cove:
1. Lunch at Cape Mendocino Tea House. A kind and quirky couple just shy of retirement run this wonderful tea house. The husband took our order for delicious shepherds pie and then the wife took a break from her bridge game to whip up the food. Our pot of chai tea was delicious and the homemade food reminded me of going to grandmas. (Well, not my grandmas, because she didn't cook, but it reminded me of someone's grandma.) The husband/owner even had a box of little prizes for my daughter to choose from. (She picked the bubbles.) The owners are scheduled to retire as of August 2012, so hopefully the new owners will keep up this wonderful spot for tea and food in Shelter Cove. (Try checking yelp for updates info on owners.) Cape Mendocino Tea House is located in the center of the small town, across from the lighthouse, at 1176 Lower Pacific Dr, Shelter Cove, CA 95589. 

2. The lighthouse and the rocky beach below. Just across from the Tea House is a restored old light house that is perfect for exploring. The volunteers manning the lighthouse are friendly and knowledgeable about the area, so feel free to run any questions by them!  Past the lighthouse, stairs descend to a rocky beach. Kids will love scrambling over the craggy rocks on the ocean and looking for crabs in the pools of water that fill the gaps in the stone.

3. Black Sands beach. Just a few miles from the heart of town is black sands beach, a beautiful stretch of beach that was mostly deserted when we visited.  This is the start of the “Lost Coast Trail Hike.”  To get there, follow Beach Rd until it dead ends at Black Sands Beach.
There is a sign indicating the King Range NCA and the main parking is up top. Visitors will need to walk down the sidewalk to the beach access.

Black Sands Beach is also the start of The Lost Coast Trail Hike.  From here, hikers begin the three day 24 mile hike along California's rugged and remote Lost Coast.  Obviously, this is not a kid-friendly hike, but while we were at Black Sands Beach we did watch a group of hikers start the journey and we daydreamed about coming back with out the kids someday to walk the wilderness beach hike ourselves.

Accommodation in Shelter Cove:
There is plenty of accommodation in The Cove.  Most costs around $200/night for bed and breakfast style lodging, but there are also two very low budget hotels for around $125 right down by the water.  Check out yelp for recommendations.

Because we were traveling with a three year old and an 11 week old, we rented a two bedroom cabin on VRBO.com just a few minutes up the hill from the ocean.  The cabin was spacious and absolutely beautiful, and it had a stunning view of the water.  Our three year old Stella loved the wrap around deck and large jacuzzi bathtub. A family of deer even came to graze outside of our windows each morning! This was gorgeous accommodation and well worth the price (approx $200/night).

How to get to Shelter Cove:
Continue north on the 1.  Then travel north on Highway 101 to Humboldt County.  [Look out for cars parked along the side of the road at a great swimming hole just after joining Highway 101.] At the second Garberville exit, turn west towards Redway. Garberville or Redway are your last chances to shop at a full-fledged market, so stock up here for an extended stay in the Cove.  Take your time to travel the 24 miles to Shelter Cove.  The road is twisty and steep at times, and watch out for potholes on the not-so-well-maintained county road.  (But at least it is paved.)  Save your brakes on the last steep incline down into the cove by placing your transmission in the lowest gear and go slowly.  The windy decent into the cove takes about 45 minutes.

Next stop on The Two Week Lost Coast Trip: Arcata or "An Ideal Launching Point for Incredible Outdoor Daytime Adventures"

Have you been to Shelter Cove with kids?  What other suggestions could you give to travelers visiting Shelter Cove with their kids?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Glass Beach with Kids

Day 4: Glass Beach with Kids or 
                                "A Kids Treasure Hunting Dream"

After spending three lovely days in the foggy little coastal town of Mendocino, we took an entire day to make the 100 mile drive to our next destination in Shelter Cove. Our first stop along the drive was Glass Beach, a treasure hunting kids dream that is easily accessible and very exciting for kids!

Located in Fort Bragg, Glass Beach earned it's name because the shore is literally covered in small round pieces of sea glass, or as my daughter calls them, "Pirate treasures!"

The sea glass has an interesting back story. In the early 20th century, Fort Bragg residents threw their household garbage over the cliffs above what is now Glass Beach. They discarded glass, appliances, and even cars. The land was owned at that time by the Union Lumber Company, and locals referred to it as "The Dumps." Various cleanup programs were undertaken by the city through the years to correct the damage, but much of the glass trash was never cleaned up. Over the next several decades the pounding waves cleansed the beach, wearing down the discarded glass into the small, smooth, colored trinkets that cover the beach today. Nature had found a way to turn the trash into treasure.

In addition to digging through the plethora of rounded ocean glass, Glass Beach has a wonderful array of tide pools to explore.  Crabs, mollusks, and many aquatic plants make their homes in these every changing environments.  Of course, tide pools are best at low tide.

We absolutely loved this beach and high recommend it for anyone driving through this stretch of California!  

How to get there:
From Highway 1N (also called Main Street while you are in Fort Bragg), turn left onto Elm Street.  (A small gas station is on the corner of Main and Elm.)  Drive about three blocks to the end of Elm St and park along the street.  Follow the various wide and brief trails in front of you down to the beach and explore the glass sandy beach with the rest of the treasure hunters!

Next stop on The Two Week Lost Coast Trip:  Shelter Cove or "The Beginning of the Lost Coast of California

Have you been to Glass Beach?  What other recommendations could you give to travelers with kids in this area?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Mendocino with Kids

Days 2-4: Mendocino with Kids or 
                              "A Quaint Little Foggy Town on the Bluffs"

Mendocino is a idyllic small town on California’s Northern Coast.  Just 166 miles north of San Francisco, it is composed of a cluster of New England-style captains' homes and stores on headlands overlooking the ocean.  Stay right in town and you can walk literally everywhere.  Walk to lunch at a variety of restaurants serving organic, local fare and then stroll over to hidden trails that cut through the blackberry and coastal bramble and lead to the beach.  Early morning fog and small town charm make this a magical destination.  We spent three lovely days here, and it felt like a true getaway. 

Things I loved about Mendocino:
1. The drive in. The windy CA-128W traces its way through small towns for 55 miles before opening up to stunning views of the coast.  We stopped in several of the small towns (that are really just a collection of stores and restaurants along the road) and explored with the kids.  The drive itself was an adventure.

2. The foggy mornings. Mendocino is covered in a romantic fog much of the time, giving the town a magical feeling.

3. The short hike/walk from town to the cliffs. Across the street from the Mendocino Hotel, there are several short trails to the bluffs overlooking the ocean. My daughter led the way through the wild flowers and bramble to the stunning Mendocino cliffs over looking the coast.

4. The wild berries. My husband was constantly side tracked by the abundance of wild black berries. He feasted on them every chance he got.

5. The beach at low tide. Just behind the Presbyterian Church on Main Street is a short trail leading down to the beach. The steep but solid stairs lead down to a lovely white sand beach, rock cliffs, and the mouth of Big River. Warm tide pools form all over the soft sandy beach during low tide. It is great fun for the kids.

Best kid friendly meal:
Frankie's Pizza and Ice cream - This delightful restaurant had live music the night we arrived, and the upstairs relaxed seating boasted a small kids play area with a kitchen. My daughter quickly made some friends, and we all had a great dinner. The organic pizza, locally made bear and ice cream were delicious as well!

What we missed (but wish we hadn't):
Stopping at the local wineries and farms on the drive in would have been such fun. We've taken kids to vineyards before and they always seem to love exploring while we do very quick and light tasting. Plus there are some great family farms on the 128 as well.  Unfortunately we left for Mendocino too late in the day to be able to make any detours, but if we could do the drive again, we would be sure to stop at the Gowan's Oak Tree apple orchid and the Navarro Vineyards. 

Next stop on The Two Week Lost Coast Trip: Glass Beach or "A Kids Treasure Hunting Dream"

Have you been to Mendocino with kids?  What other suggestions could you give to travelers visiting Mendocino with their kids?

The Lost Coast Trip - A Two Week Trip with Kids on the Northern California Coast

An Introduction:
Our little family of four packed up and headed north from Los Angeles earlier this month for a road trip adventure. I wasn’t sure what to expect. My daughter was three years old and my son was 11 weeks. Would we find enough kid friendly activities to keep my daughter satisfied? Was there more to do for kids than simply visiting children’s museums and zoos in new cities? We weren’t sure, but we were itching with the travel bug and determined to find out.

What we found was a long stretch of coast brimming with enough excitement for even our adventurous little girl. Beaches full of treasures, fog-laided towns, lost coastal roads, and magnificient hikes in the wild outdoors. So if you are looking for a getaway with the kids on the West Coast, load up your car and head for the stretch of coast between San Francisco and Arcata, CA.

Planning:
It didn’t take much planning to pull off our two week trip.  My husband had been compiling a list of “must see’s” for a while now (all of which I will share with you through out this blog), but we didn’t actually get around to arranging details until about a week ahead of time. 

I knew that if we were going to stay sane for the two week adventure, we had to have accommodation booked all the way up the coast.  Determined to stay away from hotels (and deciding to avoid camping because my son was just two months old), we turned to VRBO.com to look for houses we could book.  On average, we were able to find accommodation for about $175/nigh total, including all taxes and fees. 

We couldn't be very picky because of our limited prep time, but we did have a few simple rules when booking accommodation. 
1. Each place had to have at least one separate bedroom. I couldn't have my newborn wailing and then my three year old not sleeping. We had to have separate sleeping spaces.  This did mean at one point that my daughter ended up on a mat in the bathroom, but we made it work!
2. As much as possible, stay directly in town. We were going to be doing a lot of driving on this trip, so when it was time to end the day and grab a meal, I wanted to be able to let the kids walk. Stell loved stretching her legs and getting some exercise, and it helped her to be less bummed about our daily outings in the car. Plus, I could walk around the corner from a lot of accommodation to get coffee!
3.  Stay a minimum of two nights at each destination. Packing up our stuff was time consuming, so the longer we stayed the better. Plus longer stays gave the kids a chance to settle in.

We also made sure to bring along dark sheets and a staple gun! The first thing we did when arriving at a new place was to tack dark sheets up over the windows in our three year old's room. The darkened room helped her to sleep in just a little bit extra in the unfamiliar space.

The Route:
Day 1: San Francisco
Day 2-4:  Mendocino with Kids or "A Quaint Little Foggy Town on the Bluffs"
Day 4: Glass Beach with Kids or "A Kids Treasure Hunting Dream"
Day 5-6: Shelter Cove with Kids or "The Beginning of the Lost Coast of California"
Day 7-11:  Arcata or "An Ideal Launching Point for Incredible Outdoor Daytime Adventures"
During our time in Arcata we drove the Mattole Road (or "The Best Undiscovered Stretch of Driving in All of the United States"), explored Fern Canyon (or "An Incredible Kid Friendly Hike Straight Out of Jurassic Park") and played in the ocean and tide pools at College Cove (or "One of the Most Beautiful and Private Beaches in the World.")

Follow the links above to check out more about how to visit each of these incredible destination with your kids in tow!

Have you been on a trip like this with kids?  How much did you plan ahead of time?  What tips would you share for booking accommodation with kids? I would love to hear from you in the comments!