Mendocino Blowholes
well actually punchbowls or sinkholes, but we're just gonna stick with blowholes
Back in the day - 1966 and 1967, that is - my parents walked the coast (or as close to the coast as possible) of California, south to north.1 My Dad did the whole state, my Mom switched to driving sag at some point in the San Francisco Bay Area.
So, for the northern part of the state, Dad was walking solo, on the shoulder on the west side of the road. In Mendocino County he remembers seeing a bowling ball beach, and a blowhole, and, at some point after I'd moved to Sonoma County, he mentioned an interest in revisiting those memorable sites.
One thing and another it didn't happen until this year (2024), and he decided that the blowhole was the priority. Okey dokey! Although I've spent some time on the Mendocino Coast I didn't know of a blowhole that could be seen from the side of the highway. But hey, we've got the internets...
Ha! A search on "Mendocino blowhole" (which, maybe I should have been more cautious about?) brought up a number of results. One in Little River, and another at Russian Gulch State Park, another on Mendocino Bay ... plus I had a vague recollection of there being something hole-y behind a fence on the Mendocino headlands.
And!!! the internets had an article about a new (2019) one opening up in Point Arena. We could rule that out as the one my Dad saw on his walking trip, but apparently it's a semi-common thing? Something about the geology and other conditions of the area, I guess? For some reason I was thinking it would be more singular, but there you go.
The other search results seemed like they could be possibilities time-wise (they would have existed in 1967), but didn't seem like they would be visible from Highway 1. Dad's recollection was that he able to see the blowhole from the road, he did not have to make any detour to see it. It was not such (configuration or tidal/waves conditions) that he saw water shooting up into the air, but he does remember seeing the waves go in and out.
Geographically wise, he remembers the blowhole being north of the bowling ball beach2 (which is by Point Arena), and (possibly) that he saw it on the same day (not as certain about that bit). So the ones that the internets came up with seemed like they'd be a stretch for the distance one would cover on foot in a day.
Hmn. Oh! Someone on a bicycle might notice a blowhole from the road... I sent out emails on a few local cycling lists to see if someone might have info beyond what I'd come up with.
Indeed! Real people FTW!!! Devils Basin,3 north of Elk about 6 miles, and south of Highway 128 about 3 miles. Which does actually show up on the Google Maps, if one knows to ask for it. But it is on private property, which maybe is why it didn't come up in a general search. An old farmhouse on the inland side was mentioned as a landmark, with the driveway being the closest place to park off the road. Again, not super conducive to finding/viewing.
But! It certainly seemed like between all the information we'd see blowhole(s), even if none of them was the exact one my Dad had seen 57(!) years ago.
We drove up 101, and out 128, then went south on Highway 1 in search of the Devils Basin. It didn't seem promising/was a bit more logistics than we felt like dealing with, so we headed back north on 1 to the sure bets.
Timing wise we were close to one of the high (-ish, 4.98) tides for the day, so we did see water coming in at all of the locations - Little River, Mendocino Headlands and at Russian Gulch. We also had a splendid sunny day to enjoy our adventure!
After a night to sleep on it, my Dad wanted to try to Devils Basin again. This time, SUCCESS! It was much deeper than the others, definitely the most dramatic, although I wasn't able to get a picture that really conveyed how spectacular it is. I'm glad we went back and saw it.
With the placement, and being able to see it from the side of the road, my Dad felt like that was the one he remembered seeing! So doubly glad we made the effort. Although he didn't recall it being so deep, which he thought was interesting - often things are smaller than you recall them being.
We continued down the coast on Highway 1 from Devils Basin to return to Sonoma County. Dad also shook his head over the often very limited or non-existant shoulder. "In my mind I always had this nice wide clear shoulder to walk along." Maybe some things are better left as memories…
Anyway, so interesting how our minds work... I've actually ridden by the Devils Basin on more than one occasion, headed southbound, so on the correct side of the highway to see it. But, the spot where you can see it from is at the top of a little rise, and there's a splendid view down the coast over the sea stacks around Elk. So all I can figure is that I was always focussed on that view ahead, and never looked over/down to the right. Also maybe cycling speed is just enough more than walking that it makes it unlikely to notice. Even on foot it seemed like you kinda have to know to look.4
Anyway, it was a fun excursion, and super great to have a trip down memory lane with my Dad.
Thanks to all the folks who responded to my emails and shared information!
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Which, right?! My parents were like people before they had my sister and me, and did some cool stuff! Which, yes, I had known that they had done this trip, but it was neat to hear some of the specifics and revisit a bit of it with my Dad.
And! I found out what started the whole trip - my Mom brought home a copy of J. Smeaton Chase's California Coast Trails: a Horseback Ride from Mexico to Oregon from the library! Not having horses, they went on foot... (I’ve requested the book at my library!)
Internets search for bowling ball beach does come up with a more singular thing, Schooner Gulch. But it doesn't sound like it would be visible from the highway, although again Dad doesn't remember making any special efforts to see it. So maybe like there being multiple blowholes there is some other location with bowling ball formations? Or maybe the bowling ball beach is actually visible from the highway if you are on foot but that's not something most people do so that isn't general public knowledge? Or? Mystery for another time.
I know, I know, it seems like it should have an apostrophe.
Mileage marker 37.89
Wow it's so cool to read about your folkses! I can see the family resemblance for sure.
When I first saw the blowhole headline, I thought of this one: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/bodega-bays-hole-in-the-head-has-a-rich-history/
Also I wonder if the Highway of One really did have wide shoulders at one time, but they've eroded? And Caltrans never moved the highway eastward... which might be nice...