Prime Rib Dinner - $4.95!

Lazy morning at camp. Had coffee outside and watched the birds. Did some planning for Oregon and got directions to our next campgrounds.

After lunch we went for a walk down to the Russian river that runs along the property. The river has a really pretty green color to the water. It was moving pretty fast and the banks dropped off quickly so we decided not to go wading. Walking along the edge of the river we met another couple (Doug & Joanne). We talked for a while. She was from Canada and he's Californian. They didn't have a tow vehicle and they asked if we had been to the casino for the Prime Rib Special. We were planning to go tonight, so we invited them along.

We picked them up about six and off we went. The casino was small but had a $4.95 Prime Rib dinner (8oz) that was fantastic! Ken had Corned Beef and Cabbage again...The four of us had dinner for $28... We played for a while and then went back to camp. We had a good time.

We watched the weather channel and got caught up on what was going on at home with the flooding and heavy rain. Then we went to bed....

Mendocino Loop

Left camp early this morning for a scenic drive along the coast and then to Mendocino. Going up Rte 101 N we stopped in a cute little town called Hopland. We found a neat local place called the Bluebird Cafe and had breakfast. Great homefires with onions!

Turning off of Rte 101 onto Rte 128 W we headed for Boonville. Boonville would be our connection to the "little gray road on the map" we found. The little road was a more direct route to the coast so we decided to take it. Down State Route 510 we went. This road is also known as Mountain View Road -- we should have known better! What a road, constant S turns at 15 and 20 MPH, then leading straight up and into a hairpin curve! We were constantly climbing and winding around blind curves as the road narrowed in places to only 1 1/2 lanes and no shoulder! Now we are having fun... Finally we stopped at the top of one of the mountains to see the view. As we got out I asked Ken, "What's that noise?"..It was the water in the radiator bubbling...Sooo we drove with the heater on for a while as we climbed some more mountains.

The road brought us over 3 gorgeous rolling green mountains, through forests of redwoods and travelled under canopys of cedar. The landscape would change from forest to rolling pasture with sheep grazing everywhere. Coming up and over another hill we found the sparkling Pacific Ocean spread out in front of us. Down the mountain we wound with steep grades of 16%. It was like a roller coaster. Finally we turned onto Rte 1S and followed the signs to Point Arena Lighthouse sitting high on a cliff. We spent some time just watching the waves crash against the jagged rocks along the coastline.

Back onto Rte 1 we turned north an passed fields of Mustard Seed. On our left we saw a sign saying "Coast Access" so we thought we'd check it out. We followed the road to a parking lot. Naturally we took the trail through soft sand and over dunes for about 1/4 mile to the beach. It was strewn with dead wood from the winter storms. We sat on a big log and watched the waves and walked the beach. Then we marched back through the sand to the car.

Now we are rolling up Rte 1 N to Mendocino passing cattle and sheep grazing along the cliffs and past bunches of Calla Lillys growing along the road. We pulled into the little ocean town of Mendocino. It's kind of a cross between Martha's Vineyard and Provincetown. The little roads are lined with galleries, curio shops, and cafes. We had a late lunch at the historic Mendocino Hotel's Garden Cafe. Later we walked along a path that ran along the top of the cliff looking down into the tide pools. We checked out some of the shops and tried to stop at the ice cream shop, but it was closed...

Back in the car we followed Rte 1 N along the coast to Rte 20 E. Back over the mountains and twisty curves through the forest where the trees were so thick it looked dark as night. We reached Rte 101 and turned south back to camp. We got back about 6:30pm. It was a beautiful ride today and Ken said he liked driving the twisty roads the best!

Today was just a taste of what we'll see as we go up the coast.

Pictures (Top left to bottom): Bluebird Cafe, Rte 128W Booneville, Point Arena Lighthouse, Point Arena Coast, Mustard Seed Field and Lighthouse, Mendocino Tide Pool, Mendocino Hotel, Point Arena Beach, Coastal Access

Where Did The Time Go?.

It was sunny and crisp as we left Canyon Creek on Rte 128 W. We passed ranches, vineyards, sheep, and ducks flying down the road coming straight at us. We're sharing this narrow windy road with motorcycles and bicycles this morning, but there is very little traffic. The scenery is beautiful. As we rounded the corner we noticed the "Open" sign at the Nichelini Winery - yeah. We found a place to park the coach down the road and walked back. Yes, it's only 9AM, but grapes are good anytime.... Sitting on a bench overlooking the back meadow we talked with Viki who gave us an update on the family doings while we tried some wines. We liked the Zinfindel and Merlot and took a bottle of Zin with us. There were deer in the meadow again and it was a great memory.

Continuing on Rte 128 we wound our way past Lake Hennessey with lots of people boating and fishing. We stopped at a little store to get coffee --- and discovered we forgot to turn our clocks ahead. Oh well we didn't have any appointments today anyway...

Rolling through Napa valley and it's amazing with yellow Musatrd Seed and pink Dogwoods everywhere. Rte 128 is known as the Silverado Trail. We passed through Calistoga famous for their spring water, mineral & mud baths, and Sterling Vineyards. There are small shops and cafes everywhere and on this gorgeous Sunday tons of people. We had visited Calistoga before, so we grabbed some lunch at the Home Plate Cafe and kept moving.

After lunch the road led us through a canopy of cedar trees, up and down hills, and back into valleys of vineyards. We are now drving through Alexander Valley which gives a quieter feel to wineries. They aren't as posh as Napa and we didn't recognize many of the names as we passed. One winery we passed was the Raymond Burr Winery (You may remember he was Perry Mason). We thought about stopping, but decided to keep going.

Leaving Rte 128 we turned onto Rte 101 N. This is the road we will follow all the way to Bellingham, Washington. We took Exit 525 in Cloverdale and arrived at the Russian River Resort. It's very woodsy here and the river runs along the property. We chose a site on top of a hill with a nice view. There isn't anyone else around and we just hung out and watched the wildlife. There are dozens of Acorn Woodpeckers flying in and out of the budding Chestnut trees and making a racket. They are funny looking birds. Two Red Tail Hawks were soaring overhead most of the afternoon while the little Gambrel Quail ran everywhere.

We took a walk around the campground after dinner. It's very quiet here. Oh yes we fixed our clocks....