Best Trip for Best Start to New Year Pt. 1

I couldn't have started the year any better than driving to the Northern California coast on January 1. My boyfriend and I went to one of my favorite places on earth, Patrick's Point.

Patrick's Point is about a four hour drive from my house in Chico on winding mountain roads for 80% of the trip. We got lucky with the dry weather and made it to the coast before sunset.

Since it is the offseason for the park, we got a campsite with no reservation.

Our camp was right next to our first hike, Agate Beach. When I was little, I used to pick out agates for my grandma who loved smooth stones. 


















An agate is a stone made up of certain types of rock such as quartz, and the ones on the beach are worn smooth by the sea.

So – instead of sand – the beach is a bunch of small, smooth rocks.

The air was damp and cold with fog rolling in. After we played around and explored the beach, we hiked the Rim Trail along most of the park.
We caught sunset at Patrick's Point which was beautiful with the red and orange light filtered through the fog over the crashing waves. Then, we jogged home to beat the dark. I only slipped in the mud once.

After cleaning up at the campsite, we headed into the small town of Trinidad for dinner. We found a small eatery called Trinidad Eatery and Gallery. They had the best clam chowder and local beer. The beer was from Eel River Brewing Co. if anyone wants to taste it. We had the Hazy by Nature Freestyle IPA.

Then back at the camp we finished the night with come Old Chico brews from Sierra Nevada, and accidentally set my car alarm off at 9 p.m.

Stay tuned for all of our adventures on day two!!