Warm sand, blazing sun and blue water is the typical picture one paints when anyone mentions California. Steve and I did not get this when crossing the Oregon-California border. Instead, we were greeted with fog, fishing boats and you guessed it, more fog. Not that we were complaining.

After being stuck in Charleston, OR for six days (thank you PNW weather), we were anxious to get out. Especially when we saw all the town had to offer in the first hour of stepping on the dock. Charleston is a cute little town - in the way you look at someone's old, decrepit dog and say "aww, cute" before diverting your eyes.

The only plus side to Charleston was spending time with friends Mark and Jeff, and meeting Brad and Sonni, another cruising couple aboard their Tartan 37. It made the 20-hour jaunt from Charleston down to Crescent City a little less boring for the one on watch. (Though not sure we can call dodging fishing boats at 3am totally boring).

At any rate, Crescent City has already become our favorite stop since Friday Harbor, WA. Only 20 miles into California and Steve and I are already noticing the differences. The warm sandy beaches, the water that doesn't look that murky shade of grey we're so used to in Washington and Oregon. I can honestly say our first full day in Crescent City felt like the first actual vacation day.

Looking forward to the rest.