It was already getting very hot on the Sunday in Labor Day weekend, and temperatures of 115° were predicted for Monday and Wednesday in Santa Rosa.

Excessive Heat Warning – Santa Rosa got to 115° on two days

I did not want to attempt the 5 hour drive on Labor Day on two-lane Highway One, so I left a day earlier and on Sunday morning I drove through San Francisco and took the 17 through Los Gatos to Moss Landing which was hotter and slower than I hoped. A lot of San Franciscans were heading to the beach. I stayed at the Inn at Moss Landing Point, on the third floor overlooking Hwy 1. the double-pained glass tamed the road noise and the corner room was light and airy. Terrific comfortable king-size bed, $154 for the night.

Arrived at about 1 p.m., too early to check in, so parked in the shade and stowed my bags behind the reception desk and walked across the street to the Moss Landing Cafe for a delicious fish meal for about $25. It was so good I went back the next day for a sensational breakfast.

Before my yummy breakfast, I was treated to this beautiful sunrise over Elkhorn Slough, an estuarine wetland that I have paddled at king tide.

Moss Landing Sunrise over Elkhorn Slough

The drive to Esalen from Moss Landing was estimated at 90 minutes, but it was Labor Day and very hot, even for the beach. I stopped for a hike at Soberanes Canyon in Garrapata State Park.

Finding the turnoff was tricky and I made a dangerous left turn when I found it. The hike was hot at the start, but there was a wonderful cool redwood grove at the top, surrounding a creek.

Soberanes Canyon Trailhead