Adeline Ropion

Tomales Bay: I remember the morning I set off. The sky was white with fog. It was very early. I wanted to reach the coast before it all lifted. I was shrouded in the thick mist when I got to the coast. I did the entire loop from Point Reyes to Tomales Bay and back again - stopping where I felt like it - finishing off with a beautiful windy walk on a secluded beach. A perfect day.

Point Cabrillo & Pacific Star Winery: The walk to the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse did not give away the rewarding sights once we got closer to it. The skies started rolling in bubbly sweeping patterns; the small maritime museum revealed secrets of long ago. Enchanting. A little further up Hwy 1, past Fort Bragg -stands the Pacific Coast Winery, located on a unique bluff formation eroded by time to reveal the most spectacular cliffs and deep water caves.

Montaña De Oro State Park: 8000 acres of sandy beaches, craggy bluffs, streams and canyons coated in wild flowers make up this beautiful California State Park. A hop and a skip from the parking lot through a short forest trail, I reached the top in no time. The view - the view I say again. The fog wanted to lift. The sun was eager.

Mendocino: I return there time and time again. The rugged cliffs, the tide pools, the coves, the inlets, the fog, the waves, the beaches, the sand, the driftwood, and the lingering light of the soft air. Though tourists flock to this beautiful part of the coast, I am able to feel as though the land is mine alone. I love to look in the distance.

Elk: Not too far from the Navarro River that juts into the Pacific Ocean, is this blink-and-it's gone treasure. Drive slowly to notice the turnoffs to the beaches. Grab a picnic of treats at the deli and hike down to the beach. I t can be windy, it can be sunny, it can be beautiful - it is always a pleasure to explore this area.

Van Damme - Russian River Gulch : Everywhere we could stop along that northern California coast, we did. The wild flower season was languishing on the land, persisting past its springtime glory.

Pismo Beach: the day was grey; the light was soft. I was not particularly smitten by the area, but the lines I saw turned into visual graphic patterns - the kind I like. Soon the grey. the taupes, the faded blues chimed in - all was well in the land.