Perspective

I met Charmaine at the Grandfather Tree extravaganza of stuff that surrounds a giant redwood. She is from South Carolina but has lived west for years and worked here for two. I asked her why all the kitsch down in these trees...
She said it was because the trees are beautiful and it was a way to draw attention to them and let people enjoy them. I believe her. We take pictures of one another under the Grandfather Tree.

Might I Suggest

As a trained professional, I have the industry know-how to recommend the very best. For the NorCal coast, I offer the following suggestions...
Buy taffy and a beach activity at Candy & Kites Shop in Bodega Bay.

Send a postcard.

Look at this church south of Gualala and The Sea Ranch community.

Walk out and watch waves explode.

Let the Kitsch Begin

Many stories have been based on what happens when you go into the dark woods. About 15 miles north of Fort Bragg, the coastline becomes too rugged for the Highway 1 so it takes off east into the forests. The last trickle of Bay Area weekenders have petered out miles earlier, about the same time all those cute cottages disappeared.


The redwood forest seems to swallow everything. But the people have fought back with the most damning weapon of all, Kitsch Americanus.

Hunters, test your wits with the Chipalope, it is rare AND elusive. It should not be taken lightly.


The onslaught begins in Leggett with the Drive-Thru Tree and does not end until the Last Chance Liquor store at the Oregon border. As you'll see, the redwoods win in some stretches of road and lose badly in others...


For a complete guide to this area of endless superlatives, visit roadsideamerica.com

Just Charming

Mendocino on a sunny spring day is the end of the search. There are a lot of tourists, a few of whom take photos outside the front gates of private homes, but it doesn't matter. The wide-open feel of the grasslands and the little streets and the big ocean and the Big River down the way to swim in as the tide reverses its current and it flows upstream... it's a tough town to leave. And there are all these water towers that look like backyard treeforts of the luckiest child in the world.

A Silent Suggestion

The Yellow Existential Experiment

It is often difficult to pull oneself out of the present situation and take a big-picture look. From within the Banana Yellow, the world seems glorious: the northern CA coast streams by, the wind flows through my ample locks, Michael Bolton is cranked. But at one tunnel of cypress trees on Point Reyes, a little voice told me to think about the other people for a second. The innocent road-trippers passing me on perhaps their only chance to cruise Highway 1.

The tunnel of trees provided a perfect testing ground. The comparisons left me slightly ashamed of my own shadow.

Honk If You Brake for Scenic Pullouts