Pacific Coast Highway (page 2 of 5)

Points 3-5

3. Point Reyes National Seashore
Back on the Panoramic Highway, follow the steep, tortuous road through Mt. Tamalpais State Park. At Stinson Beach the road regains the shoreline and there parallels the notorious San Andreas Fault, following it north up Olema Valley and Tomales Bay. Extending some 650 miles from the Mexican border to Cape Mendocino, the fault marks the junction of the Pacific and North American crustal plates. As these huge landmasses grind past each other at a speed of two inches per year, pressure builds up and is then suddenly released when the plates jump. A well-marked trail offers a first-hand glimpse of some of the damage caused by one such memorable jolt, the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

Just north of Olema, a turnoff leads to 70,000-acre Point Reyes National Seashore. Eons ago, this orphaned hunk of southern California granite was dragged about 350 miles northward by the San Andreas Fault. Wildlife far outnumbers people here. Bobcats, elk, mountain lions, and several exotic, introduced species of deer roam freely within the park's borders, while offshore a lucky visitor may spot a gray whale, an orca, or the fin of a great white shark.

4. Tomales Bay State Park
Tomales Bay, a 13-mile-long inlet that separates Point Reyes from the mainland, is tranquil, protected, and uneventful -- everything the Pacific is not. Along these restful shores, the ocean's rages are quickly forgotten and every sense is tickled by a different delight: the scent of pine, the whir of waterfowl, the succulence of a fresh oyster, the warmth of the waters along Hearts Desire Beach, and the beauty of the bay itself, backed by the hills of the Bolinas Ridge.

5. Bodega Bay
Movie buffs may be struck by a sense of déjàvu when they enter the village of Bodega Bay, for it was here that Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Birds. Today the town is more notable for its splendid seafood and harborside views. Spend an afternoon strolling along its anchorage or hiking the trail from Spuds Point Marina around Bodega Head, a rocky promontory that protects the tranquil waters of the bay.

Bodega Head also marks the beginning of Sonoma Coast State Beach, a chain of parks that parallels the drive for the next 14 miles. No seaside pleasure is absent here. Climb the dunes or look for underwater treasures in the tidepools of Salmon Creek. Picnic beneath the cliffs of Schoolhouse Beach. Marvel at the pounding force of the Pacific along the rocks of Duncans Landing. Or stand at Goat Rock, near the point where the wide Russian River empties into the sea.

• • Road Trips

• Yosemite and Beyond
• Bejeweled with cliffs, domes, meadows, lakes, and waterfalls -- the legacy of bygone glaciers -- Yosemite National Park offers visitors a degree of beauty and variety that is truly mesmerizing.
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• Redwood Highway
• This one-of-a-kind highway unfurls amid the wonders of California's northern coast.
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• Nevada 93
• In a land of bewitching beauty, a mix of crinkled mountains and parched valleys contrasts with chilly caverns and a mammoth man-made lake.
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• Magnificent Mt. Rainier
• This gleaming colossus in the heart of Washington presides over miles of deep snowfields, flower-filled meadows, pristine streams, and lush evergreen forest.
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• Mt. Shasta-Cascade Loop
• This drive visits sky-shearing volcanoes, flourishing forests and wetlands that teem with life, and even otherworldly underground chambers.
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• More Great Road Trips!
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