How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is clearly Ocean
Arthur C. Clarke
I have always been drawn to the sea, especially at its wildest. As a child we made regular winter visits to an aunt and uncle in the English seaside resort of Eastbourne. There I liked nothing better than a walk to what was known as Splash Point, where at high tides the waves break over the promenade and walkers have to time their progress carefully not to be drenched in spray!
But the English Channel is tame compared to the waters of the great oceans such as the Pacific. As we made our way along the northern California coast on our recent road trip I delighted in trying to capture its power through my photographs.
The galleries below are compiled from some of my favourite shots taken at each of our stopping points. On the first and third days of our journey up the coast we had glorious sunshine, as you will see. On the second day we had the fog and sea fret for which this coast is notorious. But that only served lend variety to my shots and create a very different atmosphere. I’m glad to have seen this coastline in both weather conditions.
Point Reyes
I showed you the lighthouse at Point Reyes in my September Pick a Word post. The views below were captured from the path to the lighthouse, looking north.
Point Arena
Another day, another lighthouse, but this time with fog and a sea fret. Yet I took some of my favourite photos here!
I also shot a short video to try to capture the movement of the waves and the sounds of wind and water.
Glass Beach, Fort Bragg
I already shared one photo from here in one of my virtual Postcards from California. Here are a couple more.
Laguna Point
Just a few miles north of Fort Bragg we stopped again to walk out to Laguna Point. I’d heard seals were often spotted here, and sometimes even whales offshore. We saw neither, but it didn’t matter. This was my favourite of all our coastal stops, in part because of the colourful ice plants that formed such a contrasting foreground to the waves beyond.
I visited the California coast in September 2024
45 Comments
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
We traveled here few years back, your photos took me back to this beautiful coast.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Ritva, I’m happy to have taken you back there 🙂
Monkey's Tale
Beautiful pictures of California’s coast. Love the ruggedness of it especially your pictures of Laguna and Fort Bragg. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Maggie, I’m so pleased you liked these images 🙂
rkrontheroad
I’m always romanced by the movement and sound of the waves. These are all lovely and evocative.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ruth, I’m glad to know you share my love of the sea 🙂
leightontravels
Stunning photos Sarah that show the soulful, reflective and hypnotic qualities (among many others) of the sea. I concur wholeheartedly with your feelings about the sea and just this week worked on an intro to a blog article that shared similar sentiments. Laguna Point is gorgeous, feels like it has an almost otherworldly quality to it. The video is fabulous too, we have missed very much ever since we returned to Georgia from the Baltics at the end of August.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Leighton 😊 Yes, Laguna Point was especially magical – I think it was the spray in the air creating a slight mistiness to the scenes without obscuring anything, as if looking through a veil!
Annie Berger
What a wonderful selection of photos to show California’s rocky coastline, Sarah. Too bad you didn’t spot any deals or whales but I liked seeing the plants hugging to the rocks.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Annie 😊 We loved this coastline!
kpapazov
amazing photos!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊
grandmisadventures
Beautiful collection that perfectly captures the dramatic and varied beaches of California 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Meg 😊
Marie
Stunning – I don’t know any of these places…..
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marie 🙂 It’s a fabulous route to drive if you take your time and stop often!
the eternal traveller
No, we were right along the coast.
the eternal traveller
We travelled along this part of the coast by train. The scenery was fantastic.
Sarah Wilkie
That would be fun – although you wouldn’t have seen this stretch of coast as the train runs quite a way inland north of San Francisco I think?
Linda K
Give me a rugged coastline any day to take pictures of! Yours are stunning and the different weather just makes the photos even better!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Linda 😊 I agree, a rugged coastline is by far the best sort for photography!
EgÃdio
I surely hope to do that drive on Hwy 1 in California. The scenery is beautiful, as your photos show that well.
Sarah Wilkie
I’m sure you would love this drive Egidio! Thank you for the kind comment about my photos 😊
EgÃdio
You’re welcome. I need to plan a road trip again.
Vicki
Lovely series of seascapes.
I love the fog and wild crashing waves (partly because it’s rare for me to go down to the beach on those days).
The coastline is definitely majestic on that side of the world.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Vicki, I’m happy to have given you a virtual visit to the sea 🙂 Majestic is a great word to describe this coastline!
Sue
What a fabulously craggy coastline and fierce, wild sea!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sue 🙂
thehungrytravellers.blog
Fantastic. Every coastline has a character, some bigger than others!
Sarah Wilkie
Very true – I’m glad you enjoyed this one 🙂 Thank you Phil!
Heyjude
The Pacific Ocean is wonderful. I don’t know this stretch of the coast, but fell in love with the Pacific Rim on Vancouver Island and also driving down to San Diego in quite challenging weather. And of course the opposite coastline on Australia’s east coast where the beaches are beautiful.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh yes, the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island is stunning too! We loved it there 😃
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
How lovely! The sea never disappoints, does it?
Sarah Wilkie
Indeed it doesn’t! Thank you Anabel 😊
Rebecca
Now this is a part of California I’ve only passed through, but never stopped to visit! I’ve been along Big Sur, which I believe is one of the most-beautiful coastal parts of my home state. Goes to show that there’s never a bad view of the Pacific Ocean when you’re in California! Thanks for sharing, Sarah 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
We loved the Big Sur but found this area of coastline just as spectacular, in places at least, and probably more varied 😀
Terri Webster Schrandt
Beautiful seascapes, Sarah! The norcal coast is so different from southern cal’s famous beaches. Sadly I didn’t explore much of the northern California beaches. I loved the video!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Terri – glad you enjoyed the video too 🙂 I much prefer this coastline to that further south, e.g. heading down from LA. But I remember loving the Big Sur’s wonderful coastal scenery!
margaret21
I love a craggy coast and you found lots of photo ops (and a video op!) here.
Sarah Wilkie
You would love Northern California then – plenty of cragginess to be found there!
Easymalc
I love the sea in all its moods – but only from land when it’s rough.
Sarah Wilkie
I even like being ON the sea when moderately rough, but perhaps not too rough!
Easymalc
Same here!
Anne Sandler
Beautiful captures Sarah! I liked the video. I’m not a beach person, but I do like our Northern California rocky coastline. We can sit and watch the waves. How mighty is the ocean. Have you seen any black sand beaches?
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 I’m not a ‘sit on the beach’ person but I do like to walk on them and to be near the sea, especially one with plenty of movement! I’ve seen black sand beaches in Iceland.