If your idea of heaven is sitting on a rocky headland listening to the roar of the Pacific while watching the sunset or looking for passing gray whales, you won’t want to pass by Patrick’s Point State Park. Three different 200-foot-high promontories at the heart of the park provide panoramic views, while the surrounding acres hold cedar and spruce forests (no redwoods), open pastures bright with wildflowers, great tidepools, a wide dark-sand beach, and two campgrounds (800/444-7275) with hot showers. There’s also preserved and restored remnants of a Yurok village; obtain further information and camping reservations from the visitors center (707/677-3570).
Continuing south, US-101 becomes a four-lane freeway along the ocean to Arcata and Eureka, but the old US-101 alignment winds along the cliff tops between Patrick’s Point and the small town of Trinidad. Along this road you’ll find some nice older motels, like the Patrick’s Point Inn (707/677-3483 or 800/354-7006) at 3602 Patrick’s Point Drive, just a half mile from the park entrance, with oceanside rooms from around $60 a night. Also here is the excellent Larrupin Cafe (707/677-0230), at 1658 Patrick’s Point Drive, which serves up bountiful portions of very fresh all-American food in a friendly, homey ambience—it’s California cuisine without the snooty pretense you sometimes find farther south. It’s open for dinner only, nightly except Tuesday and Wednesday, and is cash-only; two can dine very well for around $60.
