Our Stay in Trinidad, CA

California

Finding a Past Memory in Trinidad, CA

After picking up brochures at the Redwood National and State Parks Visitor Center in the morning, we drove to downtown Trinidad for a quick glimpse of the charming town. As I looked around, I was surprised to recognize the area and remembered we had been there before in 2010.

That year, we had dropped off our oldest son for his freshman year of college, and with our youngest son, we continued to travel through California before driving back home to Naperville, Illinois. I also recognized the restaurant near the water where the three of us had dinner before we set up our tent at a nearby Patrick’s Point State Park for a one-night stay.

However, I couldn’t find the state park on the map; not a coincidence, the park was officially renamed Sue-meg State Park in 2021, restoring its original Indigenous name.

We returned in the evening, and I was glad I had brought my camera again, because I could take some serene evening pictures and capture a beautiful sunset!

Sunday's Exploration of Trinidad Head and Beach

After yesterday’s long hike, we stayed the day in Trinidad. It was a beautiful day to explore a little more of the charming area. We first hiked the trail to Trinidad State Beach, with dramatic rock formations and tide pools.

Afterward, we hiked the trail on Trinidad Head, a recognizable headland that offers stunning views of the coastline. Although the trail led us to the historic Trinidad Head Lighthouse, we knew we couldn’t visit the interior since it’s not open to the public. Still, the views were mesmerizing here, even though it was still foggy.

Cottage and Catnip in Trinidad, CA

On August 11th, we checked out early in the morning for our long drive home. We loved our week in this beautiful, quiet, private cottage within walking distance of downtown Trinidad, and we all had enjoyed our stay.

Hemmes especially had fun roaming around and enjoying the catnip in the garden. It’s a good thing we only let him out on the day before departure, because once he knew what was out there, he made very clear he wanted to go out even more!

Our Drive Home

When we drove away at 8 a.m., we finally saw a large herd of Roosevelt elk roaming along the Redwood Highway. It was a fantastic sight, so we made a quick stop for a picture. Two hours later, we were back on Oregon soil and continued a comfortable trip without hardly any delays to Hillsboro, Oregon.

After checking in at the Extended Stay Hotel, where we would stay for the night, we stretched our legs with a short walk and went for some grocery shopping at the Whole Foods store across the street to get some drinks, snacks, and food.