Stephen Nett

California wildfires are a destructive reminder of nature’s unpredictable power, but for all their devastation, wildfires also regenerate. Vivid pink petals of wild rhododendrons color the forest in the Kruse State Reserve for a few short weeks around Mother’s Day, and the natural event is now in full swing on the Reserve’s 300 acres, 30 miles north of Bodega Bay on Hwy 1.

If you’re thinking recent warm temperatures and triple digit highs are signs of the new normal for California, experts say you’re right. And when the heat heads for record territory this summer, many are taking a welcome break and heading for the coast, where it can be a dramatic 20 or 30 degrees cooler than inland.

To really immerse in the cool Pacific coastal experience, Sonoma County offers a choice of State, County and private campgrounds, where folks can watch ocean sunsets, sit around an evening campfire and drift to sleep with the timeless sound of the surf.

Looking for a last summer fling? If the lure of outdoor adventure, world class scenery and wild mountain air sounds appealing, consider heading up the hill to Lake Tahoe. The newly opened campground at Emerald Bay State Park offers a sparkling fresh, vista-rich spot to set up base. Tahoe’s alpine trails, pristine water and wilderness once enthralled John Muir, and the same haunts are now easily accessible by car.