The "Forgotten" Towns on the Northern California Coast
Exploring the Northern California Coast is always about the big, dramatic moments. Think the redwoods, the coastline, etc. But between all those well-known stops are small coastal towns that most travelers tend to drive past.
In this video, we visit Crescent City, Ferndale, and Fort Bragg, three of those towns on the NorCal Coast, to see if they’re actually worth stopping for.
#Norcal #northerncalifornia #californiaroadtrip #californiacoast
We started in Crescent City, explored local beaches, took recommendations from locals, and found hidden lookouts.
Then we detoured to Ferndale, a Victorian-era town that looks, as they say, “frozen in time”. Shops closed early (small-town life!), but wandering through it felt like stepping onto a movie set.
Finally, we make our way to Fort Bragg, home of the iconic Glass Beach, and some seriously underrated sunsets.
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Filmed November 2025 | NorCal Coast
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We’re Tony and Sara, full-time travelers, part-time overthinkers.
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📌 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙨:
00:00 Towns on the NorCal coast that are overlooked
00:50 Exploring Crescent City
06:33 Elk Everywhere!
07:44 Why we didn’t drive the Lost Coast
08:40 Ferdale, CA has its quirks
12:26 Can we make it to Fort Bragg & Glass Beach before sunset?
15:43 10/10 Sunset and what’s next
So great!!!! Ferndale is where Guy Fieri from Diners, Driveins and Dives grew up. I’m glad you experienced Paragon and Pebble Beach. And the video that you included❤ Glass Beach and gorgeous sunset were awesome. I laughed when Sara said “Wowee look at thatta”.
The craziest part of this video was you saw CalTrans ACTUALLY DOING construction…..are you sure they didn’t just have the road closed with people standing around for no aparent reason at all? I’ve live in California for almost 35 years and I have never ONCE seen those guy actually doing work. Just shutting down lanes and causing hella traffic.
Fort bragg is a good one Nor cal is soooooo under rated
I recently discovered their scones ( I don’t drink coffee). I LOVE them and allow myself 1/week. My favorite is the cheddar jalapeño and I recently had the cheddar scallion. The Earl gray tea and chocolate orange are great too.
That sunset at Ft. Bragg was breathtaking!