Saturday, August 7, 2010
Brewery in Ft. Bragg
6 August 2010
Friday
We finally were in a town the same day as that town's Farmers Market. Gordon and Jim took Alice, the dog for a walk and Lorie and I did more shopping and museuming and then we stopped for tea at the historic hotel in Mendocino. It was great to catch up on 25 years.
In the afternoon Lorie and I put together a red chair from Ikea for her classroom. She teaches first grade. Then we drove to her school. She has a classroom with two doors to the outside, her own patio with a picnic table and a garden. The light coming in to her classroom is so nice.
After that we went to the North Coast Brewery for a tasting. Twelve different beers and we tasted them all! Then we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Today was the monthly Art Walk so there were galleries to see and the shops were open late and a band was playing in the street. A little taste of the 60s again.
Another movie: MY BRILLIANT CAREER.
Friday
We finally were in a town the same day as that town's Farmers Market. Gordon and Jim took Alice, the dog for a walk and Lorie and I did more shopping and museuming and then we stopped for tea at the historic hotel in Mendocino. It was great to catch up on 25 years.
In the afternoon Lorie and I put together a red chair from Ikea for her classroom. She teaches first grade. Then we drove to her school. She has a classroom with two doors to the outside, her own patio with a picnic table and a garden. The light coming in to her classroom is so nice.
After that we went to the North Coast Brewery for a tasting. Twelve different beers and we tasted them all! Then we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Today was the monthly Art Walk so there were galleries to see and the shops were open late and a band was playing in the street. A little taste of the 60s again.
Another movie: MY BRILLIANT CAREER.
The FOG is in
5 August 2010
Thursday
In the morning we walked into the village of Mendecino to see the shops, listen to the surf and check out its history. We knew that the ocean was out there because we could hear it even if we could not see it due to the thick fog.
All along the driveway grow blackberry bushes so we had blackberry pie for supper. Also got a tour of the Wardlaw's dream house: it's an awesome Arts and Crafts home with hardwood floors throughout and amazing furnishings and accessories that make it look like it is in a magazine. It's warm and inviting and beautiful. It's like being in an art gallery as well with all the photographs, photos and prints. The outside is as gorgeous as the inside: gardens that I would love to work in [I did get to pull a couple of weeds]. In this climate impatiens and gerbera daisies are perennials. The fish pond does not freeze to the bottom.
In the evening were treated to tasty burgers on the grill with fresh green beans, fresh salad and wine. then a movie: PIRATE RADIO. Lots of super music from the 60s.
Thursday
In the morning we walked into the village of Mendecino to see the shops, listen to the surf and check out its history. We knew that the ocean was out there because we could hear it even if we could not see it due to the thick fog.
All along the driveway grow blackberry bushes so we had blackberry pie for supper. Also got a tour of the Wardlaw's dream house: it's an awesome Arts and Crafts home with hardwood floors throughout and amazing furnishings and accessories that make it look like it is in a magazine. It's warm and inviting and beautiful. It's like being in an art gallery as well with all the photographs, photos and prints. The outside is as gorgeous as the inside: gardens that I would love to work in [I did get to pull a couple of weeds]. In this climate impatiens and gerbera daisies are perennials. The fish pond does not freeze to the bottom.
In the evening were treated to tasty burgers on the grill with fresh green beans, fresh salad and wine. then a movie: PIRATE RADIO. Lots of super music from the 60s.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The end of the 101
4 August 2010
Wednesday
To our way of thinking this highway ought to be a major freeway. It was a two-lane, paved [that's a plus], curvy, roller-coaster of a ride. Good thing I was in the front seat or I would have been one car-sick puppy. Yikes!
We had a shorter distance to travel today so we decided to set up shop in a coffee shop with WIFI in order to catch up on mail, blog, internet, skype and bill-paying. Back on the road we headed toward the Avenue of the Redwoods, an alternate to the 101. I'm guessing this is the "old" highway. So beautiful but what an adventure. There are no roadsides as one would imagine; simply very large trees touching the edge of the road. In a contest between very large tree and car, very large tree will win.
Along the way we took a couple of hikes to get close and personal with the redwoods. The sun filtering through the dense canopy created an ethereal look to the forest. The ground was carpeted with ferns and wood sorrel. The path was soft and squishy underfoot. We met an interesting volunteer ranger who shared some secrets for successfully growing a redwood in MN: "Don't!" But a sequoia might just work.
Just before getting off the 101 we paid $5 for the privilege of driving through a living tree; the van is too big, so Jim stood in the opening and then we photographed other cars going through it.
Here began our adventure on California Highway #1: our version was that of a major thoroughfare. The reality is that it is like driving up and down Garvin Heights Road except that it keeps on going. Any minute we expect things to get better but no such luck. Soon we were through the mountains and into the fog which must mean that the Ocean is nearby. Suddenly it burst into view: crashing surf, cold and windy with a giant fog bank lurking offshore. For a few miles we twirl and swirl and spin along the shore until we reach the town of Mendecino. And what do we find at the first stoplight? The very street we need to find.
We came to visit some dear friends that lived in Winona in the late 70s and whom we have not seen in 25 years: Lorie and Gordon Wardlaw. It's like we just saw them yesterday.
So now we'll try to convince them to come back to Winona.
Wednesday
To our way of thinking this highway ought to be a major freeway. It was a two-lane, paved [that's a plus], curvy, roller-coaster of a ride. Good thing I was in the front seat or I would have been one car-sick puppy. Yikes!
We had a shorter distance to travel today so we decided to set up shop in a coffee shop with WIFI in order to catch up on mail, blog, internet, skype and bill-paying. Back on the road we headed toward the Avenue of the Redwoods, an alternate to the 101. I'm guessing this is the "old" highway. So beautiful but what an adventure. There are no roadsides as one would imagine; simply very large trees touching the edge of the road. In a contest between very large tree and car, very large tree will win.
Along the way we took a couple of hikes to get close and personal with the redwoods. The sun filtering through the dense canopy created an ethereal look to the forest. The ground was carpeted with ferns and wood sorrel. The path was soft and squishy underfoot. We met an interesting volunteer ranger who shared some secrets for successfully growing a redwood in MN: "Don't!" But a sequoia might just work.
Just before getting off the 101 we paid $5 for the privilege of driving through a living tree; the van is too big, so Jim stood in the opening and then we photographed other cars going through it.
Here began our adventure on California Highway #1: our version was that of a major thoroughfare. The reality is that it is like driving up and down Garvin Heights Road except that it keeps on going. Any minute we expect things to get better but no such luck. Soon we were through the mountains and into the fog which must mean that the Ocean is nearby. Suddenly it burst into view: crashing surf, cold and windy with a giant fog bank lurking offshore. For a few miles we twirl and swirl and spin along the shore until we reach the town of Mendecino. And what do we find at the first stoplight? The very street we need to find.
We came to visit some dear friends that lived in Winona in the late 70s and whom we have not seen in 25 years: Lorie and Gordon Wardlaw. It's like we just saw them yesterday.
So now we'll try to convince them to come back to Winona.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)