California is full of state parks, something I did not know. Between Mendocino and Ft. Bragg are a string of parks that provide access to the coast. Some charge $8.00 to park. If you park elsewhere and walk in there’s no charge, but sometimes there is no alternative. We’ve started looking for cars parked byContinue reading “California State Parks are the place to go.”
Category Archives: USA
The Bahamas Effect and second homes
We are in a gorgeous gated neighborhood, where each house has a view of the ocean, the spectacular Mendocino coast. Tonight as we walked down the street we realized that about 75% of the homes are unoccupied. Yes, it’s Sunday night and people may have gone back to the Bay Area for work, but weContinue reading “The Bahamas Effect and second homes”
Mendocino at last! June 9, 2015
It wasn’t exactly the drive from Chicago to Mendocino that made us so happy to arrive. After all, we had wonderful stops along the way and saw all kinds of things. It was the unsettled nature of travel. Both of us enjoy new places, but we do not enjoy being on the road indefinitely. IContinue reading “Mendocino at last! June 9, 2015”
Rural California
Reading the newspaper you wouldn’t think there were any small farmers or ranchers left in California–it’s all sprawling cities or thousand-acre farms. Driving from Petaluma to Mendocino, we passed through, and were surprised by, rural California alive and well. Small farms and ranches extended from Petaluma to the coast.
California means wine.
We had a free day before moving into our house in Mendocino, so we did what all visitors do in California–taste wine! We drove to Sonoma, visiting the Robledo Winery on the way there, and then we visited the Walt tasting room off the Sonoma plaza. What lovely wine, and enjoyable conversation. It was aContinue reading “California means wine.”
Idaho–Reno–California!
We left Twin Falls, Idaho, crossed that beautiful country and stayed overnight at the Nugget Casino in Reno, NV (June 6). The Casino was not particularly inviting, especially considering I don’t ordinarily gamble. Too much smoke. We had a nice dinner at the oyster bar, however, and the room was a bargain compared to anythingContinue reading “Idaho–Reno–California!”
Where to see wildlife in the Rockies
By the end of our visit to the cabin in Bailey, CO we had seen a remarkable list of birds and animals. We’d been on a hike in the nearby Pike National Forest, visited a quarry to hunt for amazonite crystals and eaten everything from elk to quail. What we discovered is that the bestContinue reading “Where to see wildlife in the Rockies”
Animals of the mountain cabin
In addition to all the birds and other wildlife outdoors, when you look around a cabin constructed of pine planks you might see: A brown bird sitting on a brown egg? Or you might see a sad bird: You might even imagine yourself lying on the bottom of a lake watching a fox swim byContinue reading “Animals of the mountain cabin”
Bailey, Colorado; May 31-June 1, 2015
We arrived at Mark and Marcy’s cabin in Bailey, CO, overlooking a small lake. On the way in we saw a herd of mule deer: The setting of the cabin is idyllic, the porch stretches from east to west and you can move your chair from one sunny (or shady) spot to the next allContinue reading “Bailey, Colorado; May 31-June 1, 2015”
Alliance, Nebraska
The goal of our route through Nebraska was to see Carhenge, in Alliance, NE, which we did. We stayed overnight at to Grandma Lala’s B&B, a lot more memorable than the Red Roof Inn we stayed at in Council Bluffs, IA last night. Our room had a cherub theme: As we drove from Alliance, NEContinue reading “Alliance, Nebraska”