Building Ties, Book 3 of the Never Alone series, will be published in a matter of days. I am excited to share this story with you!
I fell in love with the Northern California coast during a road trip a few years back. In fact, I was so inspired by this trip that I began writing these novels shortly thereafter! I wish to honor this lovely and under-represented part of our glorious state, so I have always chosen photos taken in Humboldt County for my book covers. It is the setting of the story, after all. This cover continues the theme, taken in Trinidad, CA.
Leaving San Jose first thing in the morning, we made the first stop of our journey at my sister’s place near Point Reyes, CA. We don’t get to see her much, given that she lives a few hours away.
This is a shame, because Kim is one of those people that fall under the category of “so incredibly talented I can barely believe that I know her.” Not just that, though. She’s an unfailingly kind, gentle soul with a heart of gold. She just happens to be a phenomenal artist on top of everything else.
Liz with big sister Kim… late 1970s.
It was serendipitous that her home lay directly on our path up the coast, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to stop in for a visit…and to spy on her latest works of art. She never disappoints, that sister of mine. Want me to prove it? Check this out. https://www.kimfordkitz.com
After a walk in Point Reyes and a delightful visit with sister and my brother-in-law, we hit the road again, making our way to Mendocino, Glass Beach, and the drive-through tree, for no other reason but to play tourist. We’re only human!
We were sad to discover Glass Beach pretty much picked clean of all of the sea glass it was named for, but we purchased a few bags of glass at the local store to contribute back to “the cause.” (Kind of ironic that littering the ocean was the goal, but, there you have it.) It was still a lovely beach, though!
Next up was the drive-through tree, because what self-respecting person could pass up the opportunity to drive through a freakin’ tree?
I found this to be a hair-raising but highly necessary experience. I had to keep reminding myself, “the SUV ahead of us made it through, so my little Ford Fusion can, too, even if it looks as if I will take down the tree and everyone around it. Or get stuck in the middle of it and need to escape out of the trunk.” I was sweating buckets, much to the annoyance of my eldest son, who assured me the entire time that we had tons of room. I guess I have depth perception issues. Or generalized anxiety disorder.
Anyway, here’s a snapshot just before going through it.
…And here’s a snapshot of us in the tree. With “plenty of room.” Sheesh.
Inside the Drive-Through Tree
We survived! And my car did, too!
Next stop: Garberville, CA: the first town in Humboldt County that I wanted to investigate. I disappointed myself a little, because I am certain I neglected to dig deep enough into this town. We ate a delicious lunch at a diner on the main strip amongst incredibly friendly staff and locals, but we didn’t see much else of the town. I couldn’t figure out how to navigate around. Why, do you ask? (I hate to pass blame, but I will, anyway.) Mostly due to the distractions provided by my fellow travelers. Why was I so distracted, do you you ask? Because this, ladies and gentlemen, was when the highly distracting whining commenced.
I mean, serious whining…and lots of it. It started in Garberville, and lasted for days. It went something like this. “Mom, I know you want to live in a small town, but this is tiny!” “There’s nothing to do here!” “Mom, why do you keep saying these towns are cute? Puppies are cute! Babies are cute! Towns are not cute!”
Whatever. Why did I bring the kids, again? I could have just left them home with a bowl of water and a bag of bread, right?
Anyhoo, after a drive through the gorgeous Humboldt Redwoods State Park, our next stop was Ferndale.
My little guy exploring the beach in Ferndale, CA, despite the overcast day
We were then treated to dinner at a casual and fun local bar and grill by our old neighbors, Beth and Mike (best neighbors anyone could ever ask for), who had recently moved to Ferndale, much to our dismay.
We explored the adorable neighborhood and beaches of Ferndale the next day. (Yes, I called it adorable. My boys can just bite me!)
A stock photo of a few Victorian homes in Ferndale. Cute, right?
The verdict? Personally, I loved it. The Victorian-style homes and the quaint downtown area were a perfect fit for what I would want in a future home town. That being said, I admitted to myself that it wasn’t the right place for the boys. It was that simple. (Still, I was already itching to retire at a place just like it. Mental note for future me!)
We then explored several of the neighboring towns, including Fortuna, Arcata (a cute little college town), and Trinidad (amazing and beautiful touristy town).
Trinidad, CA
After driving in and out of all of these small towns and exploring the neighborhoods, I began second-guessing myself. I couldn’t see us permanently living in any of these towns. Did I really want to live this far from my family? Did I really want to live this far from all the comforts my kids are used to? Did I really want to guarantee my eldest would never visit me again once he started college because he was convinced he’d die a slow death if he had to live in a small town in a rural area? (Drama, much?)
As for me? I really, really liked Humboldt County. A lot. And the price was right, too! But I was getting depressed because despite that the area was right for me, it wasn’t necessarily right for my boys.
Spite! Time to cheer myself up by doing touristy things. Trees of Mystery, here we come!
Paul Bunyan and Babe at the Trees of Mystery entrance
This place, located in Klamath, CA, sucked us right in and cured my blues like nobody’s business. I swear, if we lived closer, I would need season passes! https://treesofmystery.net
Have I mentioned how much I love redwood trees? Don’t you want to just curl up in there and read a good book? Or blog?
There were tons of different hiking trail options, some superiorly cheesy Paul Bunyan-themed photo opportunities, and also a gondola you could ride to the top of the mountain for an incredible view all the way to the ocean. Naturally, that is exactly what we did.
The best part of the trip? Getting all the way to the top of the mountain, preparing to see a gorgeous vista, only to have it suddenly cloud over and turn completely to mist when we got up there! My sarcastic eldest was like, “Wow, Mom! This is an incredible view! I see about three whole trees!”
That did it. All of the stress from the week released in an explosion of delirious giggles, much to the dismay of those unfortunate enough to be on the viewing platform with us. We must have looked like a bunch of loons, giggling hysterically at the trees!
The view from the top. See that foggy nothing beyond the trees? That’s the ocean. I guess.
Below is evidence that California might not be rich in ancient architectural history, as discussed in part two of this series when we visited Cambria, but here we see nature kicking architecture’s butt! Check out how old this felled tree is.
Thousand-year-old tree
OK, my mood improved, we continued our journey north. Though visiting Humboldt County was our main objective, we decided to give Oregon one more little peek. We visited Crescent City next.
Crescent City, CA
We didn’t stay long, but we all enjoyed the area. It was more spread-out than other beach towns. But once again, we liked it as a place to visit, not as a place to call home.
Our final stop was an unexpected one that I added to our agenda after a few conversations with some locals. We visited North Bend, Coos Bay, and the surrounding area. We happened across this cool pirate ship event they had going on in Coos Bay.
After a very long chat with a lovely woman at the visitor’s center about the educational system and other matters, we determined it wasn’t quite right for us either.
I was so damn sure I would find our future home during this trip! My heart was heavy. It was time for another pick me up! What is the best way to cure the heart of a woman desperate to find a new place to call home?
Yes! A cheesy road-side tourist trap! You are correct! We had absolutely no choice but to check out the life-sized dinosaurs amidst surprisingly lush yet well-groomed little forest at Prehistoric Gardens.
Prehistoric Gardens
The little park was clearly extremely well cared for and just…kind of adorable. It also had little educational markers throughout the park, that my youngest had to yank me away from several times, as well as a scavenger hunt game for the little ones.
Do not ever miss out on this if you come across it. I’m serious! Life-sized dinosaurs are the absolute best way to distract you from all your traveling woes.
Alright, so, bottom line. I gotta be honest. I came home after this trip feeling disappointed. Frankly, I loved Humboldt County, and if it were just me, I would move there. But it wasn’t just me. And, really, did I want to move that far away from family? I began to think not.
But wait. Not all of my family lived in California…
Despite that we decided against Cambria, I was encouraged that we found a place so close to what we were looking for in a new home town. So, we returned to San Jose feeling refreshed. We enjoyed exploring the beaches and neighborhoods, playing “touristy investigators,” despite that Cambria would not be our new home.
A few months passed as we scratched our heads and other body parts, unsure of where to explore next. That was OK, though. I knew this was going to be a long process. After all, there was only so much time a working single mom on a budget with kids in two different schools can spent wandering up and down the west coast!
One day, we found ourselves casually chatting with family members at a party, explaining our slapdash, thus-far fruitless search for a new home town.
“You should just move back home, Elizabeth. You could rent my townhouse in Foster City,” my mom suggested.
I sighed, immediately rejecting the idea, as much as it pained me. Would it be nice to live in Foster City? Sure! I loved growing up in San Mateo, the neighboring town where my mom and stepdad still live. I also lived in Foster City for two years or so. The problem? The cost.
“I would if I could, and it would be so nice to be closer to family, but we would still have the same financial situation. Foster City is such a beautiful and expensive place to live, you might as well take residence at a resort! I want to actually save some money at some point,” I explained as gently as possible.
(Just to give you a general idea, here is a stock photo image of Foster City. And yes, the whole town is just as pretty.)
“What about Humboldt County?” someone asked. (I honestly can’t remember who.)
“Ehhh…” I responded, having spent absolutely no time in that area.
“Yes! You have to check out Trinidad. Trinidad is so pretty!” my brilliant and beautiful niece said with a huge, encouraging smile. Who could say no to that face? Not this auntie. Not ever.
Okee dokee! It was time to get back to the oracle to check out Humboldt County.
My head exploded. I must have stared at that website for two hours straight, clicking on different links and drooling at the expert photography (wishing I had that kind of skill with a camera but also knowing the photographs were likely not even doing the area justice).
Why did I become immediately obsessed, you ask? Let me backtrack to explain.
One of my favorite places in the universe is Mount Hermon, CA, which is located in the Santa Cruz mountains.
My boys with cousin, Skylar. Mount Hermon, CA
Like Humboldt County, Mount Hermon is also totally packed with gorgeous, ancient towering redwoods. It is technically a town, but Mount Hermon mostly consists of a ginormous conference center with several different camps (the kind of camp with cabins, not the kind to pitch a tent). I have been a regular visitor to Mount Hermon since I was a little girl. In fact, here is a pic of me during one of my first visits.
The field at Mount Hermon, CA, somewhere around 1980 or so…
Cute, right? I know. The clashing hair ribbons are my favorite part. Moving on.
Mount Hermon hosts all kinds of activities, especially these days (I highly recommend the ropes courses and zip lines), but Mount Hermon’s claim to fame are the weekly family camps and the camps just for kids, which I attended every chance I possibly could growing up. I loved it there and still do. It is the place I have always felt the most at peace: spiritually centered and clear. It has always felt like a second home. See that look on my face right there? Yeah. Can’t fake that joy.
Oh, here’s another one after a week-long camp several years later. I look exhausted, like I didn’t brush my hair all week, and like a gained a few million freckles. (Or is that dirt? Probably both.) But my eyes speak volumes in this photo, don’t you think?
Redwood Camp, Mount Hermon, CA
I could do seventeen posts on Mount Hermon and why I love it, but that isn’t the point of this post, so here is a link to the Mount Hermon website if you want to fall in love with it, too. https://www.mounthermon.org
Where was I, again? Oh, yes. Humboldt County. Focus, Liz!
OK. Humboldt County reminded me so much of wandering through the trails and walking through the creek in Mount Hermon, I got goosebumps. I mean, Mount Hermon has always felt like a sort of home to me, we were looking for a new home, so…
Stock Photo I found of the Tree Tunnel in Humboldt County
The biggest problem I had with my research into Humboldt County was determining how to narrow my search! Every place I researched seemed to have access to a fabulous beach, majestic redwoods, or both. And the housing was so reasonable! What to do?
Finally, I decided to print out a map and just pinpoint the areas I most wanted to explore. From there, I made an agenda. Yes, you heard me. An agenda! I know the word, thank you very much, and I know how to create one! Though I tend to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-and-regret-the-consequences-later kind of gal, there was too much to explore to risk it. I didn’t want to miss anything.
I decided we would take the long way up north, traveling along the coast in order to see as many small coastal towns as we could along the way. To make it manageable, I decided to break the drive into sections and stay at a different hotel each night.
Stock photo: drooling over the beauty of Trinidad, CA
I had a good feeling about this trip. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking, “This is it! I know it!”
