Dreamland – aka Northern California

Last month Matt and I went on the most magical vacation ever. If you love nature, the ocean, giant rocks, driftwood, seals, sea critters, redwood trees, moss… etc, and you’ve never been to Northern California, I highly recommend you go. Here is a recap of our adventure:

We departed from the Atlanta airport on a Monday, then two podcasts later…

hello San Francisco.

We grabbed our rental car and zoomed up north towards Gualala. The backyard of the house was my favorite (and the whole reason I booked the place). Secluded little nook with a flourishing field of yellow flowers overlooking the vast ocean.

Every morning I would wake up and watch the sunrise (I didn’t even have to get out of bed to see this scenic view, but I was too excited and always got up).

I spent a good few hours every day simply staring out at the ocean, watching the waves crash against the giant rocks and the seals sun bath and play in the water.

I loved the weather, so ever changing. It would be bright and sunny one moment, then all of a sudden you would see a log of fog rolling in on top of the ocean, slowly creeping towards you until you were encapsulated inside the wet cool cloud. Pure bliss.

We also had private beach access, which we never saw anyone on, so we felt like it was our own little slice of beach.

When low tide came in, we went and explored all the little critters that hide under rocks and beneath the sea line.

Our first full day there we visited Point Regional Park.

We walked along the edge of cliffs, peering down a the massive waves and vast array of rocks peaking above the ocean line.

The view was so lovely, and a perfect picnic spot.

It was a very relaxing and calm day. Secluded perfection.

The next day we hiked along the foothills of Sea Ranch and explored several beaches. This place blew me away. I felt like I was in a fairy tale dream, or on the set of a fantasy movie. The somber fog misting in the air as the waves rushed passed the idle rocks, splashing up against the shore where vibrant moss hung down, clinging to the rocks like blankets to keep them warm… 😍.

So much beautiful nature to explore, we felt like two kids in a toy store. 🤩

So many magical places along the Sea Ranch. We even found the stairway to heaven😉.

We stayed here until the sun told us to leave.🌞👋

The next day we decided to venture even farther north and visit the Montgomery Woods State National Reserve (after a stop at the Surf Market, where we got sandwiches every day to eat on our exploring adventures; hence the bright orange bag Matt is carrying, it’s not a man purse, FYI 😜😅).

The redwood trees were ginormous. They definitely made me feel like a small gnome that made a wrong turn in an enchanting forest and entered into a giants domain.

Fee–fi–fo–fum…

Walking through the woods, observing the aftermath from the lightening strike in 2008 that resulted in a 3,750 acre fire, was truly breathtaking. ⚡🔥

I loved all the intricate details, each tree so unique, filled with endless stories.

Even the drive back home was filled with towering mythical like trees.

The next day we traveled a town called Elk, where Matt’s gorgeous sister was getting married. They had a lovely rehearsal and dinner with the cutest rustic decor, surrounded by massive fields where Highland cattle casually grazed.

The next day was dress up day. I put some stuff on my face and slipped on a fun dress.

The rest of the day flew by, filled with lots of love and celebration. I was on cloud 9 having so much fun, that I forgot to take pictures with my camera until the following morning. The somber foggy stillness was still filled with such awe and joy from the night before. Such a lovely place.