On the next leg of our "tree-filled" coastal adventure, you will backtrack from the Avenue of the Giants on Highway 101 to the town of Arcata and then continue north to the tiny town of Trinidad, California. Trinidad's offical website labels itself as the "smallest, oldest, and most westernly city in California." With only 400 folks inhabiting this coastal town, that very well might be true! Here, the bluffs will present you with your first elevated view of the Pacific coastline, with its shore strewn with tangles of beach grass and smooth driftwood logs.
Check out the white and cherry-red Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse (a replica of an 1871 structure), which leads you to a rocky, sheltered pocket of Trinidad Bay.
Heading back out of Trinidad, turn left off Main St. onto Patrick's Point Drive and follow it north until, east of Patrick's Point State Park, it ends at 101 North. You'll wind past several sandy beaches and above ocean coves where sea lions gather to bark and howl.
You can access more information about these two quaint towns by checking out the following information site for Arcata: www.arcatachamber.com and for Trinidad: www.trinidadcalif.com
The beautiful photo of the lighthouse was shot by Lee Cousey...thank you!
