On a Tank of Gas: July

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Sonoma Coast Hiking Wildly Romantic

By Jennifer Basye Sander

For an adventurous weekend day trip, why not head to the “ghost beaches” of the wild Sonoma coast? Beginning on Hwy. 1 near Bodega Bay, you’ll find the Sonoma Coast State Beach, which stretches for 16 miles along the highway toward the town of Jenner. It has a series of coves and tree-covered headlands that will keep you happily hiking for many an enchanted hour.
    You can choose from 12 different places to park to begin your hike. Unlike most state parks, there are no entrance or parking fees at the trailheads.
    The Kortum Trail is an easy 3.3-mile round trip day hike above the ocean. It can be accessed through the Shell Beach parking lot, about 7 miles north of Bodega Bay. Most of the hike is along the bluff that winds through the long, waving grasses of a coastal prairie and affords an amazing view of the ocean below. The spring months offer a variety of wildflowers such as lupine, and the coastal trail is cool enough in the summer to give Sacramento hikers a much-needed break from the heat.
    Farther up the coast, you’ll find Salt Point State Park, with 20 miles of trails. Salt Point does charge a $6 entrance fee per car. Be sure to ask the ranger for a trail map to help you decide which trail best suits your hiking needs. A unique natural feature found here is what locals call “moon rocks.” These lacy, honeycombed patterns are etched by wind, water and sand on rocks called tafoni found throughout the park.
    For a variation on the coastal theme, next to Salt Point you’ll find Kruse Rhododendron State Park. The 317 acres in this park are filled with towering second-growth redwoods and Douglas fir, ferns, moss and, yes, rhododendrons. Five miles of trails wind through this enchanting setting.
    A picnic is a must on these magnificent trails. On your way out to the coast, stop in at the Sonoma Market, a well-stocked gourmet grocery store in Sonoma, to buy a bottle of local wine and pick up artisan cheeses at the huge cheese counter. But don’t buy your bread … yet! Wait and stop by the Wild Flour Bread Bakery in Freestone for its incredible handmade organic, wood-fired breads. Bread, wine and cheese are exactly what you need for a simple picnic that will fit right into the surroundings.
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