Bev and I recently vacationed a few days on the North Coast. We checked in at the Lighthouse Point Resort just outside Point Arena on Friday, June 10, using a timeshare exchange. Our unit was a stand-alone cabin with living area, kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and bathroom. It was not luxurious, but quite comfortable. Here is the view from our front porch (but our only picture of the place doesn’t do it justice).

The highlight on Saturday was a visit to the Gualala Arts Center, where we saw an exhibit of local art by Scott Chieffo. We were particularly intrigued with “Seal’s Eye View No. 1” Point Arena Stornetta Public Lands, a screen replica of which can be viewed here. Most or all the original works in the exhibit were printed on dye-infused aluminum, a process that produces a frame-less print of stunning detail.

We also spent a lot of time enjoying the patio outside the Center, with its gardens and sculpture.

On Sunday, we met a friend of Bev’s at her “second” home in Sea Ranch for lunch and a two hour hike on some of the countless trails between her house and the coast. Here are two of the scenes along the way.

On Monday, we had lunch with another friend of Bev’s who lives in Fort Bragg, followed by a great visit with her at her home. Afterwards, we spent some time in and out of the shops in Mendocino, followed by a marvelous dinner at Cafe Beaujolais. The restaurant reminded each of us of separate experiences there many years ago. The only problem with dinner was that the image of the hour’s drive back to Point Arena along a very winding road interfered with the driver’s enjoyment of wine.

On Tuesday, we made a serendipitous connection during breakfast with a guide, Margaret Lindgren, who operates “Unbeaten Path Tours.” The highlight of the entire trip was the two hour Stornetta Lands Tour. Margaret was a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, highly communicative guide. Not only did she describe much of the current geology and geological history of the recently designated National Monument, but also she showed us a nest that two falcons had built a couple months earlier. Three chicks were in the nest and the parents were placing fresh meat on the ledge outside the nest in order to encourage their independence in eating and learning to fly. What a sight (through binoculars, of course). Margaret and a colleague had discovered them preparing for and building the nest earlier. Click here for more information about her tours. We recommend her very highly.

Tuesday evening we returned to the bustling freeways to make our way home on the Peninsula, having reminded ourselves how fortunate we are to live in such a gorgeous location.