This was my first time exploring the redwoods just outside of Santa Cruz in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The super fun part of this weekend was that we got to hang out with our “wine and whine” besties. Also, I recently won 50 bottles of very nice wine in a raffle. Trust me, you so want to be my bestie right now.
While we regularly reserve sites about six months in advance, it’s not always so easy for friends to just spontaneously join us. Luckily, our friends are very happy with renting an Airbnb nearby and connecting for meals and/or hikes. We pulled in to the campsite around six and they came over to join us for dinner. A couple bottles of fine Cabernet or Malbec, and that, to me, is the perfect evening.
Saturday, Richard went for a “top 100 rides” biking adventure while Rita, Mo, and I went for a hike in the redwoods. Mo is a super hiker and disappeared ahead of us on the trail almost instantly. Rita and I got to stroll along at a more relaxed pace and we planned to hook up later. When I hike with Richard, most of the conversation centers around whether we are still on the trail. His eyes are usually glued to Galileo Pro and/or a trail map. I think on this hike, I may have over adjusted to a more relaxed state of mind and was paying not too close attention to the navigation. Instead, I just enjoyed the scenery and talking to Rita, who teaches mindfulness classes and is an expert at living in the moment. Eventually, I realized that where I was casually aiming our route was not in the same direction that Mo had bee lined toward. In fact, it was about exactly in the opposite direction. But here’s the awesome thing about hiking with a mindfulness expert: the destination doesn’t matter! …. Except we needed Mo to pick us up because we didn’t want to walk all the way back and we were not in the right place by the time we reached the road. So perhaps the moral is: it’s good to aimlessly hike and enjoy the scenery, but it is also good to have a backup plan in case you totally screw up because you weren’t paying attention.
Once we got our ride, we drove to the town of Felton for lunch where Richard also happened to be ending up. On our way, we spotted a biker wearing a bright yellow jacket. From a distance, we thought it might be him. As we approached, we saw that the rider had a big, bushy, totally white beard, and we joked, “Wow. That must have been a really hard ride to age him like that.” We did actually find him at the next intersection wearing the same yellow jacket, but not so many white hairs. We all had lunch together at a Mexican restaurant and then I got dropped off back at Dory while Richard rode back. Afternoon was nappy time for both of us. Then we decided to be lazy and both couples did dinner on their own. I did a re-created Blue Apron recipe, which worked great, except we still have leftover scallions and cabbage.
Sunday, we got packed up and drove to the Redwood Grove interpretive loop trail in Felton. This is a beautiful, easy walk through a grove of coastal redwood trees. It is located right by the Roaring Camp train station, so you can hear the sounds of steam trains echoing through the woods as you go. We parked Dory in a horse trailer parking lot outside the main parking area and Richard was thrilled to see that the new solar controller was putting in >10 amps from the solar panels. This will be a big bonus, not only for charging the Alto battery, but for charging the coffee battery once we get it wired in. From Felton, we headed to New Brighton to dump tanks because the dump station at Henry Cowell is closed.
The only other fun thing to report from the weekend was that we accidentally followed an Airstream all the way from Santa Cruz to Lafayette, through dense weekend traffic, and around 80 miles. We noticed it and wondered if they noticed it. When they finally pulled off, just one exit before ours, we turned to look as we passed them, and the driver was waving at us. We waved back. I don’t know why, but I find that to be really fun.
Great weekend. And the best part was connecting with our wine and whine friends. I hope to find future trips where we can hook up together.
Total miles: 78.1, 16.1 mpg, 2 hours 33 min. Site 5 was nice and spacious and private. Other nice sites: 7, 11, 15, 18, 35, 33, 28. Sites with potential solar: 40, 42, 43, 44*, 46. Good LTE for ATT and 3g or 4g for Verizon. Dump not open. Bathrooms fine, no hookups, but water spigots plentiful.
Our backyard campground just got a little harder to get to. With all the recent rains, there have been mud slides and road closures all over California. Two of them have made getting through the Oakland hills much trickier. Going our normal route, Anthony Chabot is a mere 14 miles away, taking under an hour of travel time. Now we have to go out Highway 24 through the tunnel, down Highway 13 to 580, then up Redwood, just to get to the other side of Pinehurst. The miles now are just over 25, but the travel time is still just over an hour, so I can’t complain much. I am mostly just glad it is still accessible at all. Richard plans to again ride the 
Friday we delayed our launch in the hopes that one last UPS package, listed as “Out for Delivery” might make it to us before we left. Lo and Behold, right when we were ready to give up, the beautiful brown truck came rumbling up the street. Richard had a battery project he wanted to tackle this weekend and just needed those last couple of parts. As you know, we power our 12v espresso machine with a standalone 50 amp hour battery. We attach metal clamps to the battery terminals every time we want to use the machine, and every time we charge it back up. I say “we,” but really it is Richard who always does this. This has all worked surprisingly well, with the exception of when we go out on trips longer than four days and we don’t have electric hookups, because we then have no way to charge the battery back up. So he got this idea to tap into the solar panel charging system and did lots of research to verify the details. A new solar controller was purchased to replace the original one. This one, the Sun Saver Duo, has the ability to charge two different batteries using the same solar panels. 
He got all excited about the concept and I countered with one condition as part of the project: no more clampy things. So he got pluggy things (aka “
I got on the water around one and had a lovely, peaceful paddle. I like lakes a lot. It was amazing to see the difference in the water level from when we were last there in the middle of an extreme drought. Docks that were hanging off the side of dirt hills are now looking like actual docks, floating in the water like they’re supposed to.
This was a birthday weekend trip for our daughter, who turned 19. The deal was that she got to spend two nights in a nice hotel in Monterey and we got to camp, and kayak, and bike around Moss Landing. Everyone was happy with that arrangement.
The only other thing noteworthy was that I’m glad we do not store kayaks, or bikes, or anything else on the top of the car. When I went to drop off our daughter at the hotel, I was forced to use the parking garage where the clearance was posted at 6’8″. I know for sure Dory would not have cleared that and I’m pretty sure kayaks or roof mounted bikes would not have either.
Thank you, Dory, for making it possible to have a do over on this beautiful national park! Long, long, ago, Richard left our house in California on his bicycle and set out to ride the national parks of southern Utah. He rode over a hundred miles a day. He climbed the Sierras. He weathered unusually strong winds, and lots and lots of rain. It was grueling, but he finally made it to Zion. He knew then that the hard part was over and he was going to be able to witness some of the most stunning geology in our country. But something was not right. He rode the canyon road in Zion, and though he was able to appreciate the majesty, it felt off. Then he went to the Visitor Center and saw people with their families and it hit him that he wasn’t going to be able to enjoy this place by himself. The final straw was when he walked back to his tent, only to find one of the poles had snapped in the wind, and squirrels had chewed through the front door. He called me and was on a shuttle to Vegas, and a plane back home the next morning. This was our do-over.
Hooray for Stalking Dory! We chatted a bit and then went our separate ways. Richard finished by riding up, and then back down, the ziggy zaggy part so that he could say he’d done the whole road (minus the tunnel). We met up again in town and had lunch at a 
Every time a truck passed, there would be a huge change in wind and I would have to constantly correct. I could handle keeping my speed between 50 and 55, but anything over that and it was way too nerve wracking. I was thankful it was full daylight and I was pretty sure people could see me and avoid me. I put blinkers on for a while, but having a steady tick tick go off in the car was in opposition to the relaxation techniques I was in emergency mode trying to employ. In Vegas, traffic slowed a little and that may be the one time I’ve been thankful for city traffic. We were hopeful that coming out of Barstow and over the base of the foothills might bring some lessening, but it really did not. Somehow, Richard managed to find the weirdest place we have ever stayed right in the heart of the California central valley. We’d sort of assumed we were heading toward the Visalia KOA as a stopping place, but they were booked up. So he found a place in the middle of nowhere called the 
You’re probably noticing a pattern of repeat campground visits. This is true and it is because there are only so many places we can get to for weekend outings. The nice thing is that there appears to be no end to the fun things you can do, even going to the same places. For example, I got to check out the boating scene this weekend and I really only took a dip, if you will, into what is obviously a hugely popular activity in this area.
During the week, Richard got busy on a Dory project. The little push button latch for our bathroom door had begun to get fussy. Sometimes it took a dozen or so clicks before it would engage and unlatch, and that is not something you want from a bathroom door latch in the middle of the night. So we looked into ordering a replacement. Except we figured that eventually, the replacement would probably experience the same sort of failure. So Richard did some research and found a source for yacht parts. He got a couple in the wrong size mailed to him before getting just the right fit, but it is a beauty (yes, latches can be beautiful it turns out) and seems very solid. The install was a nerve wracking endeavor because it involved making the latch opening larger – i.e. no going back once committed. He did an excellent job and with the addition of a little piece of metal to thicken the “keeper” (where the latch catches), it is snug and has a highly satisfying click when it shuts. Nice job, Sweetie!
Saturday Richard did a repeat of the Delta Loop bike ride he rode before and I went on an adventure with “Squirt,”the inflatable kayak. That was tons of fun. I went ahead and purchased the kayak backpack in order to carry everything to the launch site. Two thumbs up there because that was way easier than managing the awkward lugging necessary with the regular carrying case. I was pleased with myself for not turning upside down the instant I got in the boat from the dock, and I just started paddling along the waterway. It occurred to me that it was not only pleasant, but suspiciously easy to coast along on my way out. And sure enough, I discovered on my way back that there was a mild current. It wasn’t too bad, but I was glad to have turned back before I’d gotten very far. It was definitely more work and easily twice the time on the return journey, but at least I could tell I was making slow forward progress the whole way. If I stopped paddling, I would start going backwards after a few seconds. I shall notice currents more carefully in the future. I was also able to get out of the boat and onto the dock without flipping upside down, so I’m pretty proud of myself here.
Saturday night we had pancakes for dinner, with sausage, eggs, fresh berries, and shatter proof maple syrup in a bag. Delicious! Sunday we lallygagged and took a drive along the Delta Loop before heading home. That is a fascinating area. The drive is narrow and winding and hugs the waterways the whole way. There are Egrets and Herons, and some kind of big black bird that likes to perch on posts. I even spotted something with a tail swimming and diving in the water. I would like to believe that was an otter. I suppose it could have been a gigantic rat, but I’m not sure what else it could have been. Every so often, you come upon a “resort.” Mostly, this seems to mean a long established RV park with what look like full time or seasonal residents. Sometimes it seems to mean a harbor or marina, built somewhere around the 70s, that could be long term boat storage, or could be full time boat living. It’s hard to tell. But the place has a feel. It’s like what I imagine the south might look like near the Everglades. But it’s in California, about an hour from S.F. Wild.
Our second trip to Calaveras Big Trees was quite satisfying. And boy, California sure is green! I think our official favorite site there is North Grove #6. It has a beautiful view of the meadow, is nicely paved, and has a teeny bit of solar. It is also nicely spaced from its neighbors for privacy and less campfire smoke. Richard wants me to note that the site is slanty, but I thought it was just fine. So noted though.
I sipped wine and listened to the sounds of the babbling snowmelt brook that ran right next to us. This was bone dry when we were here last. I had a little moment of overwhelm sitting in my chair throne, staring at the stars over the meadow. Sometimes it hits you, everything all at once, in a good way, and a heartbreaking way, but in the end, a glorious and grateful kind of way. (ok FINE, yes, this was after a glass or two of wine, BUT that doesn’t negate the sentiment!)
Saturday we drove to a trailhead for a hike on the Arnold Rim Trail, or ART for those in the know. It was hard to get good info on the status of the trail because this is pretty early in the season. This caused some angst for Richard, who likes nothing more than to have good beta. The trail was on 
Then it was chocolate shake time, followed by nappy time, and eventually dinner time. But first, we walked over to the Visitor Center to get a couple of gifty things. It’s still cold enough to appreciate the toasty warm air of the heater, but not so cold as to require thermal clothing, so I didn’t bother with a jacket. We got caught in a few minutes of a downpour on our way back, but it didn’t last long. I cooked a Blue Apron meal of Pork and Cabbage Tacos with Pineapple and Pickled Jalapeño Salsa. YUM! We watched a couple episodes of “Lost,” did our stretches, and fell into blissful sleep. I don’t know why, but we both seem to recall our dreams much more vividly in Dory.
Sunday we did a little campground exploring before hitting the road. There is a nice boardwalk that goes across the meadow and into another loop of the campground. There is still some snow on the ground and a million mosquitoes at the lower end of the meadow. It seems like a nice place to camp though when the water has cleared up. This remains one of my favorite destinations and isn’t too far a drive to really get the feel of wilderness camping (even though Highway 4 is literally right next to you). The dump at Calaveras is currently closed, so we went home by way of Brannan Island, where we are reserved for next weekend actually, and used theirs. $8, good deal.
Now that is a whole lot of wilderness just outside the SF Bay Area! Apparently, Henry Coe is the largest state park in Northern California and that sounds about right. I had been there once before, about fifteen years ago, on a backpacking overnight with my dad and son. All I remember from that trip was: 100+ degree heat, algae pond where water source was supposed to be, and heat stroked son. Suffice to say, this was a much better trip.
Sadly, I got stuck at work on Friday afternoon and we got out later than I wanted. I knew that was going to put us on a windy road in the dark, but I also didn’t want to miss out on a camping night. I’m not sure if that was the best call. We survived it, but it took several glasses of wine to come down off the fear rush. Because of the recent rains, there were many places where the already narrow road was made even tighter because of mini mud slides. I also have numerous pictures in my head of roads just straight up falling off the sides of mountains. What I was worried about was being on the road at the moment when it went from there, to not there. So that stretch took about twice as long as it otherwise would have and when we finally pulled into the campground, I really couldn’t see a thing. Plus, I was super tense. Plus, those campground roads are mostly set up for tent campers and are very narrow and steep in places. Plus, the backup camera is not working. So, wine is a good thing.
Saturday we went on a hike out to Frog Lake. That is a very nice hike. I have fond memories of the Visitor Center because that was where I got cold Coke and an air conditioned Jeep ride from the park rangers when my son was throwing up from the heat. He was fine, btw, and really meant that “Thanks, Mom.” when he got into the Jeep. We made sure to get a look at the Henry Coe Memorial and “Eric’s Bench” on our way to the Lake. We took the Flat Frog Creek Trail on the way back and that was really lovely. There are waterfalls everywhere right now, but I’ll bet that’s rare. On our hike back to Dory, we could just spot her on the side of the mountain a couple of times from the trail.
There were tent campers and backpackers out there and we felt very sorry for them in the middle of the night when it was raining. We also saw a group of maybe ten people carrying pots of water along the trail. It was odd enough that we asked what they were doing. Their camp site was about a mile and half out and they hadn’t realized there was no water source. So they all broke out their cooking pots and hiked all the way back to the parking lot, filled whatever they could think of, and carried it all back out. That was pretty much what I had done fifteen years ago when we found Bass Pond had become more of a Bass Puddle that no water filter would have wanted to attempt.
We got back around 4 and I had time to lounge before writing a report. Then Blue Apron for dinner and “Lost” before bed. Perfect.
I noted that this might be a nice place for kayaking in the future. Boy, is it muddy right now!
This was a nice weekend in wine country and a break from the pummeling rain. In fact, we weren’t too sure we wanted to go until the weather reports started to show a general chilling out. Speaking of chilly, it hit freezing temperatures overnight. But really, the excitement came as we were packing up to leave and I doused a good portion of Dory’s interior with a Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition®. More on that later.
We stayed at this park once before, in the very same site, on a double date. We officially like it. It’s not too far away and has lots of fun things to do. Saturday I actually got on my pretty blue bike and Richard and I rode into Calistoga. It’s about a six mile ride each way if you head over to the Silverado Trail. That is, by far, a more pleasant way for bikers to go than staying on Hwy 29 because there are fewer cars and a nice, wide shoulder. Everything is quite lush at the moment and the rivers were flowing full throttle. Nice. In Calistoga, we got to window shop a little and have lunch in a great Thai place: the 
There was still enough light that we decided to check out the trail on the other side of the river from our campsite. One thing to be careful about in February: this campground is lousy with Poison Oak that hasn’t yet put out leaves. This can make it hard to spot, but I’ve had enough horrible encounters with this plant, that I’m pretty sure I could find it blindfolded. And yes, it can mess you up with just its evil little spiky twigs.
When we were finally ready to pull out, I was…. wait for it….. a bit shaken. I also had not had any breakfast. So we went and dumped tanks at the nearby RV park (no dump at Bothe Napa) and headed to get some lunch at 
Plan A for the 4 day weekend: beach side site reserved at Clear Lake for perfect kayaking. Plan B after the first wave of storms closed down the park last weekend: reserve any site available anywhere, just to have somewhere to go. Plan C: hookup site opens up at Morro Bay and we snag it! Plan D upon arriving there in the middle of an evacuation: the parking lot place up the road that happened to be taking in stranded campers. Get it? Strand! (I may still be punchy after a 7 hour terrifying drive home in dumping rain)
Friday really wasn’t all that intense in terms of rain, but it was quite windy. I could definitely feel Bruce getting blown around, but the MDX AWD system handles brilliantly. And there was never a single time I felt Dory sway. Aerodynamics matter, people! We took Highway 25 from Gilroy based on a Google Maps suggestion and that turned out to be a very good thing. Apparently, Highway 101 closed for a while, due to flooding. But we ignorantly carried on in a cell service dead zone until we were practically there. When we got to the road to the park, we saw immediately that it was under at least a foot of water and very closed. So we went around to the other entrance where we were greeted by another road closure, plus police. Apparently, there were downed trees and power lines in the Morro Bay campground and we were going to need to leave the area. One very helpful police officer told us that Morro Strand was still open and might have sites for evacuees. This was around maybe 6pm, so we were feeling a little anxious.
I doubt that the poor state park ranger at Morro Strand had ever needed to do so much, to accommodate so many, so quickly. She was awesome, but also clearly frazzled. She set us up with a place near the entrance that was basically a really big parking space. And that worked just fine because Dory is totally self contained and has a propane heater. Once the curtains were closed, the only thing we noticed was some gentle shaking from the wind.
Sunday we managed to get tickets to a 
One of the highlights for me was a huge painting hung in one of the master bedrooms. From any standing position in the room, it appeared large, but sort of washed out from the glare of the light through the windows. Then he explained that it had been painted for a cathedral in Spain and was meant to hang 25 feet above the ground. He let each one of us sit on the floor, right in front of it, and told us to then look up at it. From that angle, the colors became rich and vibrant. The shadows on the faces made sense. It was breathtaking and awe inspiring and not something you ever would have thought staring at it straight on. There were so many others; ancient greek vases, Renaissance and pre-Renaissance portraits, enormous tapestries, 16th century chairs and tables, it was endless. 
One thing that was common throughout many of the rooms were the Spanish wooden ceilings. Apparently, Hearst sent people all over the Spanish countryside to purchase these ceilings from churches and estates looking to renovate. They were then mounted directly onto the concrete ceilings of the castle. The one and only downside of the tour was the “exciting” descent in a bus down the narrow, windy road, in the rain. The road simply disappears from time to time and you’re pretty sure you’re going to roll off a precipice and die. Otherwise, thumbs up!
After 6 hours of this, and knowing there was at least another hour to go and it was already starting to get dark, I had to pull off the road. We hadn’t planned to be driving past dinner time and we were both hungry and jittery. After pulling into a parking lot and retreating into Dory for some sustenance, we braved it again. Just as soon as we made it to San Ramon, I decided to get the hell off the freeway and use surface streets the rest of the way. It was just too nerve wracking trying to maintain at least 50 mph in the dark when it’s pouring and you can’t see sudden pot holes or huge pockets of water on the road. It is crazy wet out there and we saw canals full to the brim with water where I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more than a pathetic stream way down at the bottom. There were huge trees down everywhere and we saw many that had obviously been freshly cleared from the highway. Yikes. Glad to be home safe.
