Homesick, me?  No way… not with all of my wonderful adventures.  Yet crossing the border into California felt like coming home.

Having dealt with our share of fog in WA and OR we blew right through the pea soup in Eureka and headed straight for Avenue of the Giants.  This world-famous scenic drive  runs through Humboldt Redwood State Park.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

After staying the night at the worst RV park of the entire trip (it shall remain nameless) we were anxious to get back to the coast so we left the 101 and jumped onto Highway 1 in Mendocino County.  The white knuckle drive on the winding narrow road was so worth it for when we hit the ocean… NIRVANA!

Our first stop was Westport State Beach- Union Landing.  It was perfection.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

We camped right on the bluff overlooking the Pacific for $11 a night (no hookups).  With sailor showers we can last 3 days without having to refill the fresh water tank.

@ 2011 Richard Broadwell - Westport State Beach

We turned on the iPod and dined every night at sunset with a roaring fire.  I’m talking prime real estate here with million dollar views!  Check it out.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

Talk about a perfect sunset!

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

Even though we were nearly out of water we didn’t want to leave, ever!

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

One last picture of me in my favorite spot!

The northern part of Highway 1 follows the pristine Mendocino coastline with it’s rugged canyons, fog-shrouded cliffs, and windswept cypress trees.  It rivals, if not exceeds the Big Sur portion of the same highway.  This coast was so stunning, so isolated, and so beautiful I wanted to cry at the thought of leaving.  But then we got to the Sonoma coast.  More bliss and crab chips to come!

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

We stayed just north of Fort Ross at the Ocean Cove Campground.  It was a private RV park with no hookups on 20 oceanfront acres that borders Stillwater Cove State Park.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

We would walk the bluffs everyday where one of my humans would negotiate the headlands, with waves crashing on either side, just so she could point her phone south towards civilization and try to get a cell signal.  And it worked!  We still needed to know  the world was turning without us.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

Our night sky!

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

After we negotiated many miles of hairpin curves on the cliffs heading south we stopped in Bodega Bay where they filmed Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS.  Sheez, did they really have to watch it again?  I was careful not to excite any birds after that.

We hit San Francisco during an unusually early winter storm so no good photos to post but we loved walking the city and had a fun dinner with San Fran city girl, Amber!

On to Half Moon Bay where I was reunited with Bella, my BFF from the very first post – Girls Gone Wild in Lake Havasu.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell - Half Moon Bay, CA

I was disappointed my fiance Charlie was unable to make it, but I was so glad to see my other homies, Eileen, Jason, Susan and Bob!  Unfortunately, I had come to think of the trailer as MY big dog house, so I was a little territorial when Bella first arrived, but I finally chilled enough to have a sleep over.

We continued south to Santa Cruz and stayed right on the beach where it was hot, hot, hot!  Love those Indian summers on the coast.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell - Seacliff State Beach

Feeling guilty about lounging on the beach everyday we headed inland towards the Sierra Nevadas.  It felt good to be back in the mountains.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell - Yosemite National Park

© 2011 Richard Broadwell - June Lake, CA

© 2011 Richard Broadwell - June Lake, CA

© 2011 Richard Broadwell - Convict Lake

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

This picture was taken on my last day in the wilderness.  Over the last 5 months we had visited 20 National Parks, 6 Canadian National Parks and countless State Parks covering over 15,000 miles.  I didn’t want it to end!

But instead of freaking out – I got my party on as we arrived in Los Angeles just in time to see my boy and brotha from anotha motha DJ S.co at The Roosevelt Hotel’s huge Halloween bash!  I was rubbing elbows with the glitterati all night. Luckily I got the memo about this years costume and wore my tutu.

© 2011 Richard Broadwell

When we hit the CA desert near Palm Springs it was full circle back.  Tired but happy, our 5 months on the road have been the best times of our lives.  So good in fact we’ve decided to keep going for another year, at least.  Who knows, we may never stop…

Coming up next:  Baja, Here We Come!