My sister’s in-laws have a lovely summer cabin in Charlevoix, Michigan. The first time I visited, I was delighted to discover dozens of fanciful houses in town, dubbed “mushroom houses,” designed by local architect Earl A. Young in the 1920s.
I had just stepped out of the car at Whaler’s Cove, one of the first stops along the drive through Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, when I saw it: a magnificent California brown pelican, standing on a rock 30 feet out in the water.
When I’d set aside part of the day to explore the Monterey State Historic Park, I didn't have the weather in mind. I was hardly enthusiastic about spending part of this glorious day in a museum.
Stroll through the tree-lined neighborhoods of Carmel-by-the-Sea and you’ll pass dozens of eye-catching houses, from froufrou gingerbread Victorians to thatch-roofed bungalows straight out of a fairy tale.
A highlight of my trip up Hwy. 1 for my VIAmagazine.com story was a stop at Ano Nuevo State Park, home of seals, sea lions, otters, and the animals for which the place is best known—the massive elephant seals.
I stopped at the Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. in Pillar Point Harbor. While they specialize in kayaking (as the name suggests), they are also at the forefront of the newly popular sport of standup paddleboarding.
Driving north on Hwy. 1 between Santa Cruz and Pacifica isn’t all about staring at the views over the ocean to the west. Look to your right and you’ll see acres of cropland, with many family-run farms that have been in the area for generations.
The sign at the Sheep Creek overlook promises “300 million years at a glance.” Looking north from this perch off of Scenic Byway 44, I asked my husband if he saw any Jurassic or Entrada or Permian formations.
