Despite all the years living in California, neither my wife nor I have been up the north coast beyond Jenner, so we thought we'd head up there later this spring or summer. We're going to be using Hilton HHonors or Priority Club points for our stays, so we will likely miss some of the more interesting places for overnights, but that will help with the budget.

We've read the websites and have a generally good idea of a plan. We'll spend one night in Santa Rosa at the Hilton, then head west on Highway 12 and then divert to the Bohemian Highway through Freestone and Occidental, which sound like interesting towns. Then over to the coast and north, with a stop at Sea Ranch or in Gualala. Then, continue north to Mendocino and Fort Bragg and an overnight. Finally, continue up the coast to the Eureka area.

As I mentioned, we've generally read the websites, but what we are hoping for is some suggestions about any specific places along this route that people have found particularly interesting or enjoyable - scenic spots, unusual stores or historical locations, restaurants, or any of those other little things one remembers and that can make a big difference in a trip like this.
Thanks.