CA: Riding the 101

To the coast!  The arrival of my birthday brought serious sand time.  As the FreedomWagen cruised North from Mendocino County, the coastline grew rugged and empty.  The sand was gold.  The space was abundant. Plus, the coastal communities spanning Port Arena to Fort Bragg met us with waves. This was my first time in California north of San Fran, and I could not believe that I had overlooked this area before.  It was my romanticized daydream of California circa 1970 come to life.  Even more excited was Beans and Isla.  The dogs had never seen the ocean before and they'd bark as the waves rolled in. We spent nights watching the sun set on the sea and setting bonfires.