More than 55 miles of dramatic Pacific coast create Sonoma County’s western border. The coastline is rugged, dramatic, and scenic – yet approachable. We spent three days meandering.

Our first camp stop was in Bodega Bay at Doran Regional Park. This is a popular coastal destination featuring a 2-mile stretch of wide, sandy beach. Protected by Bodega Head, its calm south-facing waves make it ideal for families, bodyboarding, kite flying, birdwatching, and our favorite- beachcombing.

In the 1940s, the land that encompasses the modern park was owned by rancher William "Billy" Doran, who lived on a hill just above the outer bay. The federal government seized portions of the Doran Ranch, through eminent domain, to establish a safe harbor for maritime rescue operations. The government dredged the harbor and constructed the rock jetties that still control the entrance today.

Northern California beaches are certainly different from the ones we grew up with. Rarely have we been warm on one. Camping at the sea is magical no matter the ambient temperature.

Our evening treat, provided by the campfire, were what we've deemed ch'ores... cheese s'mores. Because we're not doing sugar, we roasted Babybel cheese and squished them between two gluten free seed crackers.

This savory substitute provided yum and fun!

Our next stop was at the tiny town of Jenner which provided us with a coffee refueling at the darling Café Aquatica.

Our home for night #2 was Stillwater Cove Regional Park which features a picturesque crescent of beach, a small campground, and 3 miles of hiking trails through redwood forest and along ocean bluffs.

After setting up camp, we hit the 1.6-mile Canyon Trail Loop which follows Stockhoff Creek through a canyon of towering redwoods filled with ferns. WOW.

Armed with an informational trail guide, we learned about the lumbering that occurred here in the 1850s. The cuts in the side of the trees held springboards that loggers stood on.

When gold was discovered in north-western California in 1850, thousands crowded the remote redwood region in search of riches and new lives. Failing in efforts to strike it rich in gold, these men turned toward harvesting the giant trees for booming development in San Francisco and other places on the West Coast. These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. The size of the huge trees made them prized timber, as redwood became known for its durability and workability.  At that time, redwood forest covered more than 2,000,000 acres of the California coast (remaining old-growth forest: 110,000 acres, 5% of original).

Stillwater Cove’s rich history is tied to the maritime and pioneer settlement of northern California. Early settler Christian Friedrich Ruoff arrived at the cove in 1851. Following his death, his wife Francesca built a lumber chute by the late 1860s. The cove's sheltered waters provided a year-round doghole port where small schooners were loaded with cordwood, railroad ties, and tan bark for San Francisco.

And there is even a Hollywood Connection. The natural beauty of the cove caught the eye of Hollywood, serving as a filming location for the classic 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

"In every outthrust headland,

in every curving beach,

in every grain of sand

there is the story of the earth."

— Rachel Carson