CA: Avenue of the Giants & a Glass Beach

Nothing prepared me for the stillness and awe. We drove into the thick Redwood Forest and paused.  It was silent.  Heavy.  A place frozen in time.  We climbed through branches making velociraptor sounds, and drove the wagen through a trunk.  Heaven on Earth.
To round out our California dreaming, we skipped along the beach made of sea glass.  Past junk softened to treasure over time.  It took every inch of me not fill each pocket with handfuls.

CA: Riding the 101

To the coast!  The arrival of my birthday brought serious sand time.  As the FreedomWagen cruised North from Mendocino County, the coastline grew rugged and empty.  The sand was gold.  The space was abundant. Plus, the coastal communities spanning Port Arena to Fort Bragg met us with waves. This was my first time in California north of San Fran, and I could not believe that I had overlooked this area before.  It was my romanticized daydream of California circa 1970 come to life.  Even more excited was Beans and Isla.  The dogs had never seen the ocean before and they'd bark as the waves rolled in. We spent nights watching the sun set on the sea and setting bonfires.

CA- San Fran & Wine Country

As we journey along, I've noticed how quickly I've been able to let go of "shoulds." I should brush my teeth. I should change clothes today. All easy to dismiss while on permanent vacation. Similarly, my ambitions of blogging as I go have gone by the wayside, so I am ashamed to say many posts will be completed on the catch-up. The good stuff just comes at us so fast, everyday. Who wants to be tied to finding Internet service when there are Redwoods out the window?!

That said, here is an attempt to recapture all of the incredible beauty that is the northern half of California. We decided to skip southern CA -as wonderful as it is- because I've spent time there growing up and we are racing the weather. Besides, we need a reason to go back and visit when my wonderful uncle Joel is home from touring. 

After enduring the Nevada desert without air conditioning, we were happy to roll into Lake Tahoe and cool down in the mountains. Ben was quite proud that the bus tackled such a long stretch without any problems. What a champ. Tahoe is a funny mix of expensive cuisine and time- warp resort living. I felt compelled to watch The Great Outdoors and return for a family reunion. It was a brief stay, but left me feeling nostalgic. Next, we visited our dear friends Kathryn and Ryan in Redwood City, just outside of San Francisco. Ryan is in the wine industry, and our wining/dining experience was top notch at hacienda Woodhouse. Plus, we got to shower! Note: though we are growing quite accustomed to the once-a-week rinse off, a luxurious, un-timed shower experience is a real treat. You will likely see future references to showers in posts to come.

Ben and I celebrated our first anniversary with breakfast with friends, a picnic lunch at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge (which was lovely even shrouded by fog), and a drive through wine country. This was our first trip to Napa/Sonoma. We avoided the crowds and tour buses by seeking out smaller wineries that Ryan recommended further down the valley. With so many to choose from, we decided quality over quantity and only sought out a handful. Which, done right, was plenty. My highlight was sitting at a picnic table, dogs at my feet, with a bottle of white and a spread of fruit, cheese and sushi from a nearby shop as we overlooked the valley. By ourselves. Best seat in the house.

Bonneville Salt Flats

Where the sky meets the Earth