Nature Lover’s Guide to a Northern California Road Trip

Not too many people take a Northern California Road Trip to explore the Northern side of the state. Especially from the Bay Area all the way up to Portland, OR. But I’m here to tell you that Yes, you need to definitely take a road trip through the Northern part of the golden state of California! It’s a completely different environment compared to the South. It is full of lush greens, giant trees, moody skies, small-town coastlines and fresh clean air! Trust me, it’s a nature lover’s paradise.

The husband planned this trip all by himself. He picked all the spots we visited and chose the different places we stayed as well. It remains one of my favorite trips that we ever took together. This particular road trip was during the Summer in July. We flew into San Francisco from the L.A. area and we rented a car, then drove our way North and ended up in Portland, Oregon, where we flew home from at the end of our trip. We visited several unique spots that are a bit off the beaten path. And others that are popular to tourists. Check out our itinerary below and add your favorite spot to your NorCal Road Trip!

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Begin your Road Trip from San Francisco, California

The city of San Francisco is a perfect destination to start your road trip up North towards Portland, Oregon. The city itself is full of delights and is a tourist attraction of its own. It houses the world-renown Golden Gate Bridge, so yeah, you just can’t beat that, right? It’s got great city sights, educational museums, incredible multi-cultural cuisines for the Foodies and of course, hiking trails. I recommend a Great 3-Day Itinerary for spending some time in Bay Area, written by locals at This Life of Travel. Make sure to check it out if you intend on spending some time in the city before your road trip. Henry and Zory provide a great list of “Frisco” destinations and tips for the best restaurants and more!

If you have limited time, Check out these City Deals for San Francisco! Don’t forget about the world-famous Alcatraz Prison! Explore the city with the hop-on and hop-off city bus tours, and the discounted Explorer Pass!

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Wine Tasting in Napa Wine Country

Once we left the San Francisco area, our next stop would be Napa Valley which is about an hour and a half away. For those who don’t know, Napa Valley is world-famous for producing the best California wine.
I’ve mentioned it before in a previous Paso Robles blog post that I’m not a wine drinker. But I sure can pretend! I don’t know anything about wine but I love visiting wineries and vineyards. They have the most stunning properties and estates that are mostly all open to the public for wine tasting tours. Our Top 3 favorite wineries in Napa Valley are Castillo Di Amorosa, Chateau Montalena Winery and V. Sattui Winery.

• Castillo Di Amorosa is a real-life European-style Castle situated in the middle of hundreds of acres of endless grapevines. They offer an incredible tour of the castle, and underground cave system full of barrels of their signature wine, which of course you get a sampling of during your tour.

• The Chateau Montalena Winery is a smaller property but they have a beautiful Chinese garden. Surrounded by a small pond where two lovely white swans live. Swans mate for life! It is 100% Free to stroll through the gardens and their property without having to purchase a wine tasting.

• The V. Sattui Winery is a perfect spot for a lunch picnic. They have their own in-house deli and cafe where you can purchase a variety of cheeses, deli meats, their custom wine and other assorted delicatessens that pairs perfectly with their vintage.

If you’re short on time, I highly recommend selecting a Day Tour below that will show you all the best that Napa has to offer. You just can’t pass on a full day enjoying some of the best Wine, Food and beautiful views!

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Visit the Small town of Albion, CA

Here begins our official road trip into a nature lover’s haven of gorgeousness! THIS is what Northern California is all about! We made our way to the coast where the small coastal town of Albion situates inside a little inlet cove. We stayed the night in a cute little cottage by the sea called Albion River Inn. The above was our view from right outside out back patio. Like I said, Gorgeousness!!!

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Hunt for Sea Glass at Glass Beach, Fort Bragg

Many, many years ago, I came across a stunning photo of a pile of colorful sea glass that had been tumbled by the ocean waves for decades. I found out the photo was taken at Glass Beach near Fort Bragg, which is only a short distance away from Albion. “Glass Beach is a beach adjacent to MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California, that is abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town.”

It’s become a popular destination for tourists and it takes patience and care to search for that perfect sea glass treasure. It’s been picked fairly clean in certain areas, especially close to the parking spots. It is actually NOT recommended to take the glass from the beach anymore because it is so scarce to find these days. But if you venture out further and really take your time to sort through rocks and seaweed, you may find some incredible goodies. This is a fun activity for families with children who love to explore. However! It is highly suggested to return what you find back to the sea afterwards so the next family can hunt for them on their vacation. If you’re looking for a sea glass souvenir, check the local town for the International Sea Glass Museum for a great educational experience on the beautiful sea treasure.

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Stroll Around the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

We can’t resist a Botanical Garden when we see it advertised or mentioned, so of course we made some time to stroll through the peaceful Garden by the Sea off the Mendocino Coast. It houses an assortment of whimsical iron artwork and a variety of plants and flowers native to the Pacific. In fact, they have a lovely Dahlia garden dedicated to one of my favorite flowers.

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Explore the Redwoods of Klamath, CA

Visit the Trees of Mystery Park

The Trees of Mystery is a super fun and unique nature park to visit for the entire family. Kids of all ages will enjoy it. But don’t expect a theme park, it involves easy hiking and even an aerial Sky Trail tram ride. Plus a new Canopy Trail that allows you to climb up high and “hike” among the canopies of the giant redwood trees. It’s a fun and educational stop that takes you through meandering trails framed by ancient giant redwood trees the likes of Paul Bunyan and his pet ox, Babe, would traverse!

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Hike Down to the Secret Hidden Beach

Across the road from the Trees of Mystery is a motel. If you look across to the right side of the motel, you will see a small opening among the bushes and trees about a few yards away from the motel. This is the secret opening to the secret hiking trail that leads you down to the secret Hidden Beach. The hike is a short distance and should take about 20-30 minutes. But it’s worth it because it leads you down to an exclusive beach that’s practically empty. It’s littered with driftwood and the view is stunning! We arrived close to sunset and trust me, it was breathtaking!

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Drive Through the Incredible Avenue of the Giants

The Avenue of the Giants is a stunning 31-mile stretch of road that stretches alongside the 101 Highway, framed by giant redwood trees as far as the eye can see. This is the scenic drive that ends all scenic drives. It’s like entering the secret world of Ferngully! If you’re my age, then I’m sure you’ll remember this animated movie from the 90s. This is basically where fairies live if they lived in California.

Also known as the State Road 254, the Avenue of the Giants is part of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It is a must-see bucket list to add to your Northern California Road Trip. Keep in mind that the road loops back in the opposite direction under the 101 Highway, so be careful not to start heading backwards if you are on a schedule.

It is said that these forests is where Bigfoot dwells, so make sure you keep an eye out for the hairy beast!

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Hike Among the Redwoods at Hobbs Wall Trail

If you’re a hiking enthusiast, then Northern California is a dream come true for you. For the best hiking trails in the area, I highly suggest visiting All Trails, which have the best hiking information. We chose to hike Hobbs Wall because it was only 3-miles and an easy hike. We were literally surrounded by the most incredibly lush green foliage as far as the eye could see. And giant red wood trees towered over us like ancient Gods that protected the forest from high above. We felt so small among these great giants of Mother Nature.

We almost expected dinosaurs to lurk around each corner. Instead, we cam across giant bright yellow slugs that looks like Banana Pepper Pepperoncinis that were longer than the length of your finger! Yes, you heard me right! Here’s a photo to prove it!

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*BONUS Stops for your Northern California Road Trip

Up Close and Personal with Mount Shasta Volcanoes

If you have the time to drive inland, away from the California coast, then I highly recommend making your way to the Mount Shasta area. We didn’t get a chance to visit this stunning mountain-scape during this particular road trip, but we made a stop here many years ago before we made a habit of taking photos of our trips. It’s got great camp grounds, lakes, hiking trails and waterfalls such as Mossbrae Falls and McCloud Falls. In fact, check out the detailed Mount Shasta guide at Back Country Cow blog for an extensive guide.

Rejuvenate at the Incredible McArthur-Burney Falls

Another incredible stop that I would highly recommend is McArthur Burney Falls. It’s located inland and not along the California coastline, but it’s a stop worth making if you decide to venture inland on your road trip up in Northern California. In fact, it’s rather close to the small town of Redding, California. You can visit the Falls and Mount Shasta together in a long weekend trip perfectly.

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Entering Oregon

Where Did We Stay on our Northern California Road Trip?

The hubby did a fantastic job finding some great accommodations for us during our NorCal Road Trip. Our two favorite spots are listed below and you soon see why they are our favorites.

Albion River Inn – Albion, CA

We only got to stay one night at the Albion River Inn but it was a delightful spot located high above an inlet off the Pacific coastline. The inn had approximately 12 little cottages, each with their own back patio balcony with the most gorgeous view. The interior of our cottage had a fireplace, a cozy bed, plus all the amenities you could ask for. The property also had their own restaurant that had great food. I would rate this place 5/5 and would definitely go back and stay longer if we could.

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Historic Requa Inn – Klamath, CA

The Historic Requa Inn is over 100 years old and is true to its name. It is a charming Bed and Breakfast located in the small town of Requa where the Klamath River meets the Pacific ocean. Surrounded by dense redwood forests, the family owned establishment is managed and ran by two generations of Yurok Natives that are indigenous to the region. It houses over a dozen rooms with private baths and a family style dining room with an in-house chef.

Our room was dreamy and I wanted to stay there forever. It had the perfect lighting and view of the river and ocean right across the street. In the evening, we were able to walk a short distance to a high spot to view the sunset. I would highly recommend the Historic Requa Inn for couples, it is a charming and romantic destination.

Update: They have recently added two new private Stays to their Inn. The Requa House and the Requa Cottage which are both private AirBNB bookings which can accommodate larger occupancy.

I hope you get to add a few of these recommended places from our itinerary to your own Northern California Road Trip. And of course, never hesitate to email or comment below if you have any questions. Happy travels!

XOXO Patti & Ilya

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