Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fares $3.25-7.75)
operates bus 65, which travels between Mendocino, Fort Bragg, Willits,
Ukiah and Santa Rosa daily, with an afternoon return. Bus 95 runs between Point Arena
and Santa Rosa, via Jenner, Bodega Bay and Sebastopol. Bus 75 heads north every week-
day from Gualala to the Navarro River junction at Hwy 128, then runs inland through the
Anderson Valley to Ukiah, returning in the afternoon. The North Coast route goes north
between Navarro River junction and Albion, Little River, Mendocino and Fort Bragg,
Monday to Friday. The best long-distance option is a daily ride between Fort Bragg and
Santa Rosa via Willits and Ukiah ($21, three hours).
North of Mendocino County, the
Redwood Transit System
( 707-443-0826;
www.hta.org
)
operates buses ($3) Monday through Saturday between Scotia and Trinidad
(2½ hours), stopping en route at Eureka (1¼ hours) and Arcata (1½ hours).
Redwood
Saturday between Crescent City, Klamath ($1.50, one hour, five daily) and Arcata ($30,
two hours, three times daily), with numerous stops along the way.
COASTAL HIGHWAY 1
Down south it's called the 'PCH,' or Pacific Coast Hwy, but North Coast locals simply call
it 'Hwy 1.' However you label it, get ready for a fabulous coastal drive, which cuts a
winding course on isolated cliffs high above the crashing surf. Compared to the famous
Big Sur coast, the serpentine stretch of Hwy 1 up the North Coast is more challenging,
more remote and more
real
; passing farms, fishing towns and hidden beaches. Drivers use
roadside pull-outs to scan the hazy Pacific horizon for migrating whales and explore a
coastline dotted with rock formations that are relentlessly pounded by the surf. The drive
between Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg takes four hours of daylight driving without stops. At
night in the fog, it takes steely nerves and much, much longer. The most popular destina-
tion is the cliffside charmer of Mendocino.
Considering their proximity to the Bay Area, Sonoma and Mendocino counties remain
unspoiled, and the austere coastal bluffs are some of the most spectacular in the country.
But the trip north gets more rewarding and remote with every mile. By the time Hwy 1
cuts inland to join Hwy 101, the land along the Pacific - called the Lost Coast - the high-
way disappears and offers the state's best-preserved natural gifts.
