I was headed to Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California. I had learned about it years ago, and had been wanting to see it ever since because the beach is said to be covered in sea glass. Many years ago the area had a dump site in the water, which led to all the broken glass.
I walked the dogs down to where I was told Glass Beach was, and although it was a pretty beach, there were only small bits of sea glass. In the pictures I had seen, there had been much more, and I was disappointed. I asked someone else at the shore if this was the right place, and they said it was.
I decided to walk the trails that stretched alongside the ocean. The water’s edge was full of cliffs and flowers, along with those ground squirrels I love so much. It was beautiful.
Then I came to a section with signs that said, “Don't collect the sea glass," and at the bottom of a cliff ahead, I saw people exploring. I made my way down to the shoreline, which was slightly difficult because the cliff was steep and slippery. When I got down there, I saw the entire beach was covered in sea glass. It was breathtaking and I was thrilled.
My guess was that they used the other one as a decoy so that people wouldn’t steal all the sea glass. This one was hidden, and there were only a few other people down here. Google maps even took you to the other beach.
I hung out down there as long as I could, taking in the beauty of the sparkles and different colors of the sea glass, and enjoying the sounds of the ocean. Eventually Sophie, my pup, got bored and started digging holes, sending sand and glass everywhere. That’s when I decided it was time to go. And for once, I followed the rules and didn’t collect any of the glass to keep. This place just seemed so special, I didn’t want to take away from the beauty even a little.
There were more trails I hadn’t yet explored, and as I continued along the cliffs above the ocean, it got even prettier. Plants crept over the edges, reaching towards the ocean, with pink flowers popping up here and there.
Eventually I came to a part that had a narrow trail leading to a little peninsula just big enough to sit on. I crawled along the trail and sat for a bit, but we were so high up with water on three sides that Sophie got scared and wanted to go back. As I turned to go back, I felt my pocket get lighter. To my horror, my phone was gone. I looked down and it was about five feet below on a little cliff ledge. I had no clue how to get it, or if I even could without killing myself. I needed my phone, though. It is my lifeline for living on the road, showing me where to go, where to get water, free places to camp, safe overnight parking, etc. Also it held all my pictures from my travels, it was filled with precious memories.
I slowly used plants as handles to climb down the side of the cliff, hoping the roots would hold. I also had Sophie’s leash in one hand, and she was in a panic up above. Finally my feet reached the very small ledge, and I was able to grab my phone. But now I wasn’t sure if I could get back up without falling to the rocky beach far below. Feeling my heart pounding in my chest, I used a mixture of the plants and Sophie’s leash to hoist myself back up to safety. After I was able to slow my breathing and thumping heart, I decided to head back to the bus. I’d had enough excitement for one day.
The next morning I was back on the road, making my way slowly toward Oregon, which took me through redwood forests. There was a road that ran through the area called The Avenue of Giants. Driving through it felt magical. The trees were so big and tall you couldn’t see the sky, and it was like driving through a cave made of trees.
Along the road there were lots of places to stop and hike into the forest. The trees were unlike any I had ever seen. Not only were they huge in diameter, they soared to the sky.
There were also many cute little shops to stop at along the way.
I drove until I came to Arkata, California, a city that a traveling friend told me I should check out. I stopped and began aimlessly wandering around, and noticed tents set up in the distance. I wondered if there was a farmer’s market going on. Once I got closer though, I realized whatever it was, it was way bigger than just a market. Multiple streets were blocked off, and in the center was a park with a huge stage and hundreds of people. Apparently they have an Oyster Fest once a year, they take it very seriously, and I lucked out and happened to be there the one day they had it. I stayed and listened to the music for a bit, but discovered I preferred the music they had at a smaller stage I had found off to the side. I spent the day dancing and wandering around looking at all the vendors’ wares.
Eventually a guy who introduced himself as Jacob started talking to me and asking me which oysters were my favorite. Once I told him that I hadn't tried any, he insisted on buying me some. I had two different kinds, one was raw and the other cooked, and although there were different toppings mixed in, I don’t remember what any of them were. However the cooked one was my favorite.
After waking around together for a bit, Jacob asked me if I wanted to go to the beach and have a fire. We rode out in his truck and he stopped at a store to get steaks along the way.
The beach was beautiful, there weren’t many people there, and I loved that the dogs were allowed to run around free.
We set up a fire by some large rocks on the beach, hoping the rocks would help protect the fire from the wind. We stayed until sunset and the sky filled with stars.
The next day I was on the move again. I wasn’t spending as much time as I had hoped in these places, but I was on a mission to make it to Oregon for a Rainbow Gathering.
I left California and drove up into Oregon until I was too tired to keep driving. I found a random pull-off deep in the woods where I could sleep. The next morning I had my pup Sophie tied up on a long leash to the back of my bus while I was making breakfast. Thomas and Maggie were wandering free. When I peeked out to check on Sophie, all I found was her snapped leash sitting there on the ground. That dog is an escape artist.
I started wandering through the woods looking for her while Thomas and Maggie followed behind. We stumbled upon part of a beautiful, giant skeleton of what appeared to be an elk. The whole spine, and some ribs were there, and I was able to find the skull not far away. I love bones and have always collected skulls, so I was thrilled.
I had to leave it there, though, and continue my search for Sophie. As we were walking, I looked off into the distance and noticed one lone wolf. He was standing still and staring into the sky. He was beautiful, but seeing him also made my heart skip a beat knowing he could eat any of my animals as a snack. I quickly retrieved Thomas and Maggie, placing them safely in the bus, then went back to find Sophie. Luckily, I eventually found her bounding through the woods, happy as a clam, and unharmed.
Now that the animals were safe, I went back to collect the bones and figure out what I was going to do with them. I thought about only taking the skull, but I couldn’t bare to leave the spine behind. I ended up taking the entire thing and fastened most of it to the hood of my bus. I used bungee cords, rope and electrical wire. It was a bit of a hodgepodge, but everything stayed in place, and Maggie and Sophie were thrilled to have bits of the rib bones to chew on.
Then we hit the road again, excited to be heading into Oregon’s Ochoco National Forest for a Rainbow Gathering.
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