Mesmerizing. That is the word that comes to mind as I look out my window to the Pacific Ocean. Huge stone formations rising from the depths are causing the sea to do a work-around to make its way to shore. The rhythm of the waves and the kelp make me feel as if I am floating and I’m still sitting on shore!

Ok, enough of the dreamy stuff. I’m in Elk, California, which for some reason was renamed because someone thought Greenwood wasn’t good enough. Or maybe Greenwood did something to piss someone off at the exact moment that an Elk crossed the road. No, actually, it was renamed when post codes came into being as there is another Greenwood, California, that apparently wields more power than this sleepy community in the middle of nowhere. This is a place that requires a fair amount of effort to get to. No casual drive-by tourists here. It is about 3 ½ or 4 hours up the coast from San Francisco and a bit further from Sacramento. Can I just say that the coastal range in Northern California is massive? It took nearly 3 hours of zig zagging on narrow two lane roads to cross from the east. It was worth it.

The cliff-lined coast is beautiful and rustic. It reminds me a lot of the northeast coast of England, near Robin Hood’s bay. There is beautiful walking along the beaches and cliffs, tumultuous seas, and lots and lots of fog. Long stands of cypress and eucalyptus line Highway 1 and the journey along it doesn’t disappoint.

Did I mention the innkeepers here at the Greenwood Inn? Can you say crunchy? Holy cow, I feel like I’m in a deck of tarot cards, surrounded by divine loving earth mother power. I’m not much of one for that sort of thing, but I do have to say that it does feel comforting in a strange sort of way. Oh, and the shop here is really a return for me to Asia. All things Buddha. And I mean all. I’ve never seen so many different sizes, shapes, pictures, carvings, statues, jewelry etc. all in the Buddhist theme. If you can’t get enlightened here, where can you?

This isn’t a place to come for sunshine…but who needs sun when you can become enlightened? It’s generally overcast or foggy, but is a welcome change after spending a few days in the heat-drenched valley wilting in the 100 degree heat. Refreshing…yes that’s what the brochures say.

Running is challenging. You have two options: run about a hundred lengths of the short beach being sure to watch the tidal charts or, stick targets on your chest and back and run along Highway 1. If the cars/caravans don’t get you first, maybe you’ll be lucky and be grabbed by a bear or mountain lion. Ok, I just thought of a third option – I’ll call it the Karla option. You could run down the cliff, and back up in 10 intervals, taking care not to lose your footing on the scree in either direction. Hmmm…that would put Montrose Hill in perspective.

The particular cliff I chose to walk down this morning was interesting because it was not only nearly vertical (not kidding) but someone was kind enough to secure some rope for assistance. The top half was ordinary cotton rope that you could get a good grip on. The bottom half, unfortunately was somewhat different. This rope was yellow plastic/nylon rope…I don’t know what it’s called but it’s the sort of rope that you might tie down something on top of your car with, or attach to an anchor on a small row boat. Can you say rope burn? My hands look like I’m a suicide wannabe with bad aim.

For the gastronomically inclined, I would highly recommend the Mendocino coast. There are loads and loads of good wineries (and some microbreweries) and you can taste for $5 rather than $40 down in Napa or Sonoma. The coffee is great as well, and the ladies here harvest their own veggies out of their gardens, making meals that are fresh as the air is to breathe. The air smells so good that you immediately feel happy you are lucky enough to be breathing it. Seafood is the order of the day and you can get it prepared any way you like.

So, if you think you might like a coastal vacation where you can really just be, this is the place for you. No cell phone reception, no internet access and no television. It’s a little piece of heaven.

Happy Trails,
Vic