Synopses & Reviews
From sprawling beaches to dramatic cliffs, the landscapes carved out by the mighty Pacific Ocean have been a destination for adventure and discovery since the earliest Spanish explorers arrived in the 1600s. While here and there the coastal wilderness has given way to California’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities, the backroads and mountain lanes afford countless opportunities to experience the quiet of nature or explore the history of centuries-old communities. Visit sleepy fishing villages and historic landmarks of the Old West; hike through lush wilderness and fish in clear mountain streams; or catch some waves at one of the many pristine beaches along California’s glorious coastline.
With glorious color photography and detailed descriptions, maps, and directions, Backroads of the California Coast offers two dozen fascinating and scenic journeys through some of the nation's most glorious landscapes.
Synopsis
Backroads of the California Coast takes you past the Golden State’s crowded theme parks and popular beach destinations to quiet, historic, and scenic getaways, the kind of places that first drew visitors to this land of sprawling sunny beaches and dramatic mist-filled rocky cliffs and coves. In twenty-four driving tours off the well-trodden Highway 1 and Highway 101, the grandeur of the place where the Pacific Ocean begins is celebrated—showcasing everything from the 1940s glamour of Catalina Island on the south coast to the central coast’s picturesque winelands and the north coast’s romantic fishermen’s villages. The pinnacle for those heading west since the 1600s, the California coastline also is still home to historic Spanish ranchos and missions, relics of the state’s mining past, as well as cool, magnificent redwood forests, lush mountain valleys, hidden coves where sea lions play, and well-preserved estuaries perfect for bird-watching. All are highlighted within these pages with glorious photography and an informative text, luring you to explore some of the most stunning landscapes in the country.
Synopsis
From sprawling beaches to dramatic cliffs, the landscapes carved out by the mighty Pacific Ocean have been a destination for adventure and discovery since the earliest Spanish explorers arrived in the 1600s. While here and there the coastal wilderness has given way to California s largest and most cosmopolitan cities, the backroads and mountain lanes afford countless opportunities to experience the quiet of nature or explore the history of centuries-old communities. Visit sleepy fishing villages and historic landmarks of the Old West; hike through lush wilderness and fish in clear mountain streams; or catch some waves at one of the many pristine beaches along California s glorious coastline.
With glorious color photography and detailed descriptions, maps, and directions,
Backroads of the California Coast offers two dozen fascinating and scenic journeys through some of the nation's most glorious landscapes.
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Synopsis
Glorious photographs and detailed descriptions offer journeys through exquisite coastal landscapes, from sleepy fishing villages to historic landmarks, fabulous fishing streams to pristine beaches.
About the Author
Karen Misuraca is a travel, golf, and outdoor writer from Sonoma. She is the award-winning author of The California Coast as well as Our San Francisco, Backroads of the California Wine Country, Quick Escapes from San Francisco, and other travel books. www.karenmisuraca.com
Gary Crabbe is the owner of Enlightened Images Photography and the photographer for Voyageur Press’s Our San Francisco, Backroads of the California Wine Country, and The California Coast. www.enlightphoto.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
North Coast
1.A Northern Outpost to Smith River Redwoods
Sidebar: Jedediah’s Trees
Sidebar: Canopy Adventure
2.A Arcata Marsh and the Humboldt Lagoons
Sidebar: Fern Canyons and Gold Bluffs Beach
Sidebar: Tallest Living Things
3. A Victorian Ferndale on Humboldt Bay
Sidebar: Avenue of the Giants
Sidebar: Lost on the Coast
4. A Anderson Valley on the Navarro
Sidebar: Mendocino Winelands
5. A Russian River Roundabout
Sidebar: Green Valley: King of Pinot Noir
Sidebar: A Picnic in Armstrong Grove
6. A Sonoma County Farmlands
Sidebar: Fishermen of Bodega Bay
7. A Beaches of the Sleeping Maiden
Sidebar: Point Reyes National Seashore
8. A Guarding the Gate: Marin Headlands
Sidebar: A New National Park
9. A Tiburon Peninsula to China Beach
Sidebar: Angel Island
10. A San Francisco Bay Meets the Pacific
Sidebar: Golden Gate Park
Central Coast
11. B Skyline to Sea: San Mateo Coast
Sidebar: Stagecoach Stop
Sidebar: California Coastal Trail
12. B Foggy Vineyards, Sunny Riverbanks: Santa Cruz Mountains
Sidebar: Roaring Camp Railroad
Sidebar: The Rhone Ranger
13. B Cruising into Santa Cruz
Sidebar: Beach Boardwalk
Sidebar: Historic Wilder Ranch
14. B Cowboys and Cabernet: Carmel Valley
Sidebar: Carmel-by-the-Sea
15. B Rim of the Bay: Monterey to Pebble Beach
Sidebar: Steinbeck’s Salinas
16. B Santa Lucias Meet the Sea: Big Sur
Sidebar: Henry Miller’s Hideaway
17. B Moonstones and Elephants: the Cambria Coast
Sidebar: Mr. Hearst’s Castle
18. B Seven Sisters of Morro Bay
Sidebar: Born Again: Avila Beach
Sidebar: Land of Chardonnay
South Coast
19. C Nipomo Dunes and the Gaviota Coast
Sidebar: A Tent in a Canyon
Sidebar: Clams in Pismo?
20. C Syrah and Saloons: Santa Ynez Valley
Sidebar: Queen of the California Riviera
21. C High Valley Shangri-la: Ojai
22C Cliffs and Coves of the Palos Verdes Peninsula
23C Left My Love in Avalon: Catalina Island
24C Secrets of Newport Beach: Crystal Cove
Sidebar: Balboa Island Boardwalk
25C Dana’s Pilgrim and the Swallows of San Juan Capistrano
Sidebar: Laguna Beach
26C North County Getaway: Flower Fields and Phalaropes
Sidebar: Leo Carillo Ranch
27C Punto de Los Arboles, the Rarest Pine
Sidebar: Los Penasquitos Preserve
Sidebar: Wild and Wet San Diego