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Home » US Travel » California » California North Coast Road Trip

California North Coast Road Trip

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon Jessica Randhawa
June 6, 2016


Last Updated November 19, 2018 | 0 Comments

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Photo dump from last weekend.

I’ll spare you guys all the details- besides, I would be writing all day, and my child will be up any minute. However, too often, personal photos and memories get pushed to the side and forgotten somewhere in the depths of my hard drive. This trip was too special. It was our first camping trip as a family and Octavian’s first time in a tent. It also happened to be his first time sleeping in a hotel (the tent part didn’t go so well).

It was first for all of us up the coast of California between Sacramento and Eureka (Manchester State Park is a beautiful spot to hitch a tent! and isn’t crazy crowded). The beaches were so clean, so open and almost always empty. Yep, Northern California, I think I’m in love.

Dog friendly beaches (off-leash)- just two of MANY dog friendly beaches up the coast, but each of these were incredible
Fort Bragg: Seaside Beach
McKinleyville: Clam Beach County Park

below: no name for this beach, so I assume it is part of Manchester State Park. From Shoreline Road we took Stoneboro Road and hiked the dunes to the beach. Well worth the hike and crazy winds. We were the only people on the beach as far as the eye could see.

A man walking down a dirt road

A view of a beach

A person sitting on top of a sandy beach

A man that is standing in the sand

A rocky beach

Campsite: Manchester State Park

The campsite didn’t even fill up! And it was a busy holiday weekend. First come, first serve, which was perfect for us since we had only started planning our little trip a week in advance and every single reserve in advance campsite was booked.

My husband, who has camped TONS in his 31 years of life placed this beautiful place on his top 5 list of places to camp. I agree. The only thing that could have made it better is if the wind hadn’t been so intense.

A little boy that is standing in the grass

A dog sitting in the grass

A dog standing on top of a grass covered field

A small dog on a leash walking down a dirt road

A dog on a leash walking down a dirt road

A person standing on a lush green field

A tree in a grassy field

Seaside Creek Beach:

Dog friendly, off leash. Exactly what we were looking for. We had almost the entire beach to ourselves and with the tide just having gone out, there were warm little pools for Octavian and Juniper to splash in.

I didn’t want to leave.

A group of people on a beach with Haystack Rock in the background

A person standing on a beach near a body of water

A man standing next to a body of water

A person swimming in a body of water

A man standing next to a body of water

Somewhere in Humboldt. I may have been sleeping when my husband pulled up. River site is not obvious and is actually quite hidden, but leave it to my husband to sniff it out.

A body of water

A person swimming in the water

A boy in a pool of water

A young boy swimming in a body of water

boy holding item

A group of people on a beach near a body of water

A young boy swimming in a body of water

A young boy playing with a frisbee in a body of water

Clam Beach:

Dog friendly, off leash. Parking is a pain, but otherwise the PERFECT beach. Seriously.

A group of people on a beach near a body of water

A man and a dog walking on a beach

A little boy standing next to a body of water

A dog that is standing in the water

A group of people on a beach

A close up of a boy on a beach

A man walking across a beach next to the water

A man and a dog walking on a beach

A person standing on a beach near a body of water

A baby in a body of water

A young boy sitting on top of a sandy beach

A young boy sitting on top of a sandy beach

Spontaneous stop off highway 299 somewhere between Eureka and Redding, CA. Once we got there it was pretty clear that it isn’t a well-known or often-stopped-at location.

A person sitting on a rock

A group of people standing next to a body of water

A man sitting on a rock next to a river

A little girl standing in front of a lake

 

 

About Jessica

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

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Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

About Jessica Randhawa

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

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Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

I’m Jessica, the chef behind The Forked Spoon, where I share my delicious recipes along with my kitchen tips and expert advice to transform your everyday cooking into a gratifying culinary experience. Learn more about me→

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