Lost Coast

There's still a small craft advisory for the passage south from here, so we rented a car today and drove to the Avenue of the Giants and the Lost Coast. Great names, and the scenery lives up to them. We walked a short loop trail along the Mattole River, among the redwoods. Then we headed across the King Range to Shelter Cove, where we intend to anchor the evening after we sail south from here. Conditions looked good there, so we headed back north via some amazingly steep and winding back roads -- passing through Ettersburg, Honeydew, and Petrolia. On the last leg, between Petrolia and Ferndale, we passed very close to our nemesis, the dreaded Cape Mendocino. The picture makes it look fairly benign, but opinions are unanimous among the fishers and recreational boaters here that we should wait for milder winds. Last stop of the day was Ferndale, with its cute Victorian homes and storefronts.