Kim and I continued with our quest to seek out and find all eleven lighthouses in Oregon with a day trip out to Bandon, between Gold Beach and Coos Bay on the Oregon coast. This time we set out to find the Coquille River Lighthouse.

We found Bandon to be delightfully charming with plenty of cool cafes, galleries and mom and pop gift shops. It is perhaps most famous for its Circles in the Sand annual event, now in its tenth year, where groups of artists create mesmerizing labyrinths and other elaborate designs in the sand on a mission to spread love, joy and kindness.  Unfortunately our visit didn't coincide with the event but we saw the lovely wet, sandy beaches, perfect for this style of artwork.

We stopped in the old town for an early lunch in a beautiful old building that housed a co-op of local artists. We sipped our specialty coffees and we each had a lovely bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers, dill and lotsa freshly squeezed lemon on top. Delish! We then mooched around the artists stalls, enjoying the diverse artistic styles and media. I enjoyed the sculptures made out of reclaimed plastic and other debris found in the ocean. I especially loved the crested puffin that reminded me of the macaroni penguin. I have a bit of a thing for penguins and puffins as they are loyal, eccentric and comical, a bit like me.

After lunch we walked around the old town marina where we saw an array of colorful boats bobbing on the river, saw the skeletal wooden legs of bygone docks, listened to the barking seals and screaming gulls, did a bit of window shopping, and generally mooched around town.

We then returned to the truck to get the most advantageous view of the Coquille River Lighthouse. Built in 1896, the purpose of the lighthouse was to light the entry way into the Coquille River and to provide safe passage for local fishing vessels through the perilous sandbars. As well as the lighthouse, a fog horn was also built at the site to help guide boats through to safety when it became too foggy even to see the light. It was first lit on February 29, 1896 and it was the last official lighthouse to be constructed on the Oregon Coast. The lighthouse was fully functioning until 1939 when it was decommissioned and an automated beacon was installed on the south jetty to take its place. 

From our viewpoint across the Coquille River, we found it to be a quaint little lighthouse with a bright red base, whitewashed walls and dark top, only 47 feet tall, built adjacent to a squat octagonal keeper's house and boathouse. Through the rising mists it looked beautiful.

After taking numerous shots of the lighthouse we explored the southern end of town through Kronenberg County Park and onto Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint. By the time we got there, the mist had descended and was swirling around the rocks making a spooky scene worthy of the witches of Macbeth. The words "something wicked this way comes" turned over in my mind. The black rocks below resembled witches hats and the churning ocean became some kind of  powerful potion. Once again we had stumbled upon nature's magic. I was mesmerized and let the mist swallow me as the wind whipped my hair and took my breath. Fabulous!

The Prehistoric Gardens on the US101 between Gold Beach and Port Orford was first established as a tourist attraction in 1955 when 23 life size dinosaurs were sculpted and then homed in the most beautiful ancient woodland. 

It was a misty morning when we arrived and there was not another soul in sight as we were greeted by a huge T-Rex in the car park. Nestled in a valley pocket and protected from the elements, the vast ecosystem of temperate rainforest appears to flourish in a tropical, prehistoric fashion.

The garden itself was made up of huge ancient trees, many over 300 years old, with an undergrowth of lush ferns, moss covered rocks, common skunk cabbage with the most enormous leaves, and prehistoric algae clinging on for dear life wherever it could find purchase. The early morning light lazily blinked its way through the mist and the trees.

A gentle walk around the hushed garden was magical. It cast its morning spell over us as we wandered through the garden to find one colorful dinosaur after another. It was glorious. I can't quite express how lovely and perfect this mystical morning stroll around the Prehistoric Garden was for us all. 

We really fell in love with Dunsmuir, so Kim and I set off to explore more of the little town, located about an hour north of Redding, California.

I had never heard of the town before, but I was aware that my dear cousin Pippa was in touch with the local Mount Shasta Goddess Temple and was astonished to discover it was located in Dunsmuir. I had to find it! Having visited Glastonbury in the UK so many times and enjoyed its spiritual vibe, especially Glastonbury Tor that is believed to be the heart chakra of the world, I was excited to delve deeper into the history of Mount Shasta, believed to be the root chakra of the world, and connected energetically to Glastonbury.
 
Kim and I sauntered through the town, most of which seemed to be shut down for the season, peering through the windows, enjoying the murals and the honest, down-to-earth sense of community. There was a huge art gallery filled with excellent work in various mediums from local artists.  

Of course we found the home of the Mount Shasta Goddess Temple at the Sacred Well Metaphysical Store. I explained my cousins connection with Yeshe and the Temple to Albert, the kind gentleman behind the counter. He made us feel very welcome. Of course I had to buy a moon shaped obsidian crystal that just called out to me. 

​A lovely low key afternoon. ​

Autumn is a cosy time of year.

Its a time for woolly socks, long scarves and pom pom hats, pumpkin spice laced goodies, patched cardigans and patterned tights, misty morning breath, slow falling leaves, all things plaid, foggy windows, fireplaces and sheepskin rugs, maple syrup candles, dogs in costumes, rich colors of hunter green, mustard yellow and muted maroon, curling up with a Colleen Hoover paperback, fresh baked batches of cinnamon cookies, pine cone collections and of course snuggling up to loved ones. So, in the spirit of Autumn, we set off to Hedge Creek Falls in Dunsmuir, about twenty minutes south of our campsite in Weed, California.

The waterfall was in a magical, fairy forest filled with wood nymphs whispering of wolves and woodcutters. Dancing orbs of light dodging and weaving through the colorful trees played naughty tricks on one another, laughing with glee. Underfoot, pine needles mixed with acorns fallen oak leaves and discarded wands. The waterfall itself poured into a grotto that was intimate and mysterious. Of course I was immediately spellbound.

On further exploration, I found I could walk behind the waterfall in a cave filled with the muddy hand prints of Red Riding Hoods and Snow Whites. Echoes of transformations and witchy wisdom from bygone eras filled the enchanting space. I was enchanted as the water toppled over the rocks above and pooled in the light bedabbled stone basin below.

We walked through the magical woodland in search of fairy circles, toadstools and secret kisses.

I hope you are enjoying a fairy tale Autumn as much as I am!

A trip to San Francisco is never complete without the obligatory trip to Pier 39 on the Embarcadero. 

And a trip to Pier 39 is never complete without feeding your gob full of hot buttered garlic crab served on a vast piping hot platter at the legendary Crab House. The food is one of THE BEST things about San Francisco and the Crab House has been a favorite of ours for many years.

After a slap up lunch we mooched around the pier then strolled past Fisherman's Wharf down to Ghirardelli Square for an ice cream sundae dessert, then, feeling completely stuffed, we watched the turnaround for the cable cars on Beach Street after which we walked up the hill, puffing and panting, to walk down the twisty-turny Lombard Street. Fabulous!

On the way back to the trailer, we stopped for more photos of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Baker.

The pics do all the talking!

I have been to The Mystery Spot before with my dearest girlfriends when we visited the area last year.

Together we experienced the bewildering and beguiling tourist hot spot that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Promoted as a mysterious, unearthly anomaly with tongue-in-cheek speculation that it is the work of extra terrestrials engaged in magnetic manipulation through out of this world portals and vortexes. Discombobulating for sure!. I was excited to share it with Kim and Henry as the experience shakes up the trust you have in science and your senses, reminding you that it is healthy to engage in critical thinking.

​The Mystery Spot itself is nestled in the Redwood forests on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, where a tilted cabin appears to defy gravitational laws as it slides down the hill while at the same time water appears to flow uphill in a way that would baffle Sir Isaac Newton himself. A Mystery Spot for sure.

As you enter the cabin, you can lean at impossible angles, the heights of people appear to be distorted and a dead heavy ball on a plumb line seems to dangle oddly, not at all perpendicular as it should do, all "proof" that The Mystery Spot mysteriously defies gravity.

Henry loved it and was thoroughly engaged by the narrative given by the hilarious, absent minded student guide who was clearly high as a kite and kept losing the threads of his thoughts. Henry volunteered for the exercises that provided the "proof" of the mystery, showing how people's height was distorted at this unique spot. Kim was less enthusiastic. Let's just say there was some eye rolling involved. I was having a blast watching the two of them!

On the way out we stopped to watch the banana slugs as they made their slimy trails through the ferns.

Overall, a thoroughly entertaining afternoon!

Just a quick one night stop at the Pacific Dunes RV Resort in Pismo Beach in central California but even though we arrived mid afternoon, we could not let the day slip by without a quick trip to our beloved Morro Bay to see the sea otters.

We have visited Morro Bay a few times now, including earlier this year. It is such a special place for wildlife, we all love it!

We arrived late in the afternoon, driving through some moody sea fog to get there, and were delighted to see the sea otters frolicking in the bay. The sea otters love the kelp sea forests of the deep central Pacific coast of California. We loved watching the otters play right there in the misty, sheltered bay, close to shore, bobbing, diving, lazily swimming on their backs, some of them were in groups called “rafts,” nibbling at food, cracking open clams, crabs, sea urchins and other undistinguishable shellfish. Sea otters are the smallest of all marine mammals and they are agile and quick. They can dive up to 250 feet for their food, using their whiskers to locate their prey in tight crevices and then using their strong forepaws to dig them out. We saw one otter using both its teeth and a rock as a tool to crack open its dinner. A joy to observe.

Even though Morro Rock is a haven for birds including the endangered peregrine falcon, it was so quiet and still, we only saw a couple of gliding pelicans, a few seagulls who were surprisingly quiet and some cormorants in the distance.

We stood and gazed out towards the shrouded rock for ages, taking in the sights, sounds and salty smells of the magical bay.

Not wanting to cook after a long day of travel, Henry suggested we stop at In N Out Burger for dinner. So we did. 

Funnily enough, it was Kim and Henry who did the pushing and persuading for us to re-visit Disneyland in California for its 100th Anniversary. I don't really enjoy being in large crowds or standing in long queues but I couldn't resist the idea of returning to Disney where Kim and Henry were as invested as I was in having a magical experience.

The new Star Wars ride, The Rise of the Resistance was thrilling in its scale and execution. It felt like we were starring in the movie! Just to see the Millennium Falcon was brilliant! We all enjoyed the old favorites like Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World. We chatted about happy memories, like when our niece, Kelly, got absolutely soaked on Splash Mountain. Purely by chance, we stumbled across the smallest home in Disneyland, built in to the base of a tree, just by the entrance to the Indiana Jones ride. We paced ourselves and enjoyed every Disney moment. 

We waved at Mickey and Minnie, posed with Eeyore, enjoyed perfect weather, enjoyed each others company as much as the rides, had a delicious lunch, and left when we felt tired.

We embraced the magic and made it a day to remember.