Rolling into the info center close to 415, I’m greated by a voice asking if she can help. I ask if she has any lists on the must sees in the area and she kinda laughed at me. Then pulled out the map highlighted her favorites on the way to Cape arago and insisted when I come back out take seven devil’s to get back on 101.

With map in hand, I go around the corner to a walmart. Yay, free stay. It even says no overnight parking every where, but that doesn’t stop the mini rv town from forming. By morning I think there were 14.

It was a beautiful sunset and sunrise over walmart and a perfect start to check out the info lady’s list.

My first thought was to go all the way to the end and start, but I could not resist the botanical gardens knowing they would barely be starting to bloom. Not another soul here I started down the first trail. Around to an amazing rock structure and the location of shore acres mansion. Long gone now and the volatile landscapes constantly threatening to slide off into the ocean below remind you why it’s not there. The outcrops stick out in 45 degree angels and form passages along the top ridges. Some areas look like the edgless pools over cliffs. The smooth sandstone with intermittent harsh rocks make me ponder if these could some be actual giant barnacles or other sea creatures fossilized in the sand, but so large we don’t see what they are. My mind is exploding from all the thoughts.

Another trail takes me to the actual gardens and down a steep path to a cove beach.

There are more stops on the way down, but I decided to now pass all the rest and go to the bottom expecting to hit them on the way back. The bottom is where the action was. First trail is down to an island where 1000s of seal lions live all year round. Then whale spouts clear in the distance at the lookout. I could have spent all day just there.

Hit them on the way down, making left in and out stinks. I know this. D’oh. Still stopped and loved every minute of it.

On the advise of the visitor center lady, I took seven devil’s back to 101. If there is another way, do it if in an rv. Super steep, windy, not worth it road.

Final stop for the sunset and spectacular beach, rocks, tidepools, all of it… Face rock!