California's Fort Bragg

   Mention Fort Bragg and most folks think of the military installation in North Carolina, and not the coastal town in California. Below is a map of California's Mendocino County. See the coastal town of Fort Bragg mid-way down the county's coast on Route 1? 

     Getting to Fort Bragg requires several hours of driving because it's on "Shoreline Drive" (Route 1) which is a winding, twisting, hilly road not recommended for large rigs. At Leggett, I happily split off from the major truckers/tourists' Route 101 onto Shoreline Drive. There's still quite a bit of touristy traffic, but it's mostly cars and the road has plenty of pull-over spots for slow-pokes like me.

     Just as I enter Fort Bragg, there's a beautiful grove of Eucalyptus trees.

     During the past month of my mostly coastal travels, from Alaska down to Fort Bragg, it's been foggy, sometimes smoky, but mostly misty, cool and foggy for the entire day. It's rare to see the sun let alone feel the warmth of the sun. Plus the glacial-blue ocean this far north packs a raging, mean, nasty punch when it slams against the jagged rocky shoreline.

     I can understand why folks who live here are affected by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder); feeling depressed by not enough sunlight. But there's a local remedy! Good friend David had suggested visiting the Mendocino County Botanical Gardens which has 47 acres of "botanical bliss fronting the Pacific Ocean". Entre ici mon ami . . . .

The bliss begins here . . . (click here for accompanying Bach music).

Sit a spell if you tire.

Or sit here if you prefer and ponder the role of nectar.

These flowers can speak for themselves.

That's all folks :)