Chuck, Mabel and I went to Northern California for two weeks, and what can I say? Paradise!
We had such an amazing time doing nothing and loving it. We drove about 900 miles each way and stayed for nine days at a place called Driftwood Bungalow in Manchester, California. It's about 150 miles north of San Francisco, about 30 miles south of Mendocino.
Nothing is there, and that's how we wanted it. We had to drive 15 to 20 minutes just to find a restaurant. That's how remote this place was. It's nestled on the top of a bluff about 120 feet above the ocean. You can hike down to a private beach that is almost always empty, and then, just to get to the beach, you have to climb over a huge, unsteady pile of driftwood.
It's not that warm there, about 65 most days. But when you live in Arizona, that's exactly what you crave in the summer.
The trip started out beautifully. We spent a night in Palm Springs, went to a gorgeous resort in Santa Barbara, and then drove up Route 1 to Santa Cruz, where we met some old friends of ours and their child for dinner. Along the way, we stopped to do some organic berry picking in a small, Danish-influenced town called Solvang.
I kid you not; the blackberries and red and golden raspberries were among the best things I've ever eaten. I am officially "into" berry picking.
The trip started out beautifully. We spent a night in Palm Springs, went to a gorgeous resort in Santa Barbara, and then drove up Route 1 to Santa Cruz, where we met some old friends of ours and their child for dinner. Along the way, we stopped to do some organic berry picking in a small, Danish-influenced town called Solvang.
I kid you not; the blackberries and red and golden raspberries were among the best things I've ever eaten. I am officially "into" berry picking.
Along the way, we stopped and had a picnic on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.
It was there that Mabel got to showcase her new soccer skills. Girl is good!
We stayed the night in San Francisco, and in the morning we had brunch with another good friend of ours. Then we made the final three-plus hour trek to the cottage. You'll notice that from here on, not a whole lot of pictures. Chuck and I like the idea of taking pictures, but somehow we always forget to take them.
One thing we didn't realize was how mountainous the coast is up there. Crazy hairpin turns and huge inclines and places where it looks like you're driving directly into the ocean. It is truly the most miraculous landscape.
We mostly read. And ate. And hottubbed. And walked with Mabel. And frolicked on the misty beach. Oh yeah, there was a lot of that. And then, when I got home, I found out how to put music with video. This is not a good development for the rest of the world, probably. But anyhow, here Mabel and I are, running on the sand and having a blast.
My mother visited with her new beau, Paul. That was a lot of fun and it was nice to have some company after 9 days of solitude. We drove back quickly because we had to get back to work. Sigh. All good things must come to an end.
It was a rejuvenating trip. I read six novels and I feel as though I emptied my head of a lot of garbage. High on that list is media overload. We didn't watch TV for two weeks, with the exception of 30 minutes while in SF that one night. I didn't use a computer, either. I came back knowing I have to stop my meaningless surfing, because it is a huge waste of time and energy. I also came back knowing that I will watch far less TV from now on. Also a huge waste of time.
Finally, here is our girl falling in love. She met a male Australian Labradoodle named Duffy, and the two of them ... wow, the sparks. They even had a Romeo and Juliet moment later that night. He was staying next door one night, and the two of them howled to each other from their respective decks.
Clearly, it was a Haley Reinhart moment. I'm sorry in advance.
We stayed the night in San Francisco, and in the morning we had brunch with another good friend of ours. Then we made the final three-plus hour trek to the cottage. You'll notice that from here on, not a whole lot of pictures. Chuck and I like the idea of taking pictures, but somehow we always forget to take them.
One thing we didn't realize was how mountainous the coast is up there. Crazy hairpin turns and huge inclines and places where it looks like you're driving directly into the ocean. It is truly the most miraculous landscape.
We mostly read. And ate. And hottubbed. And walked with Mabel. And frolicked on the misty beach. Oh yeah, there was a lot of that. And then, when I got home, I found out how to put music with video. This is not a good development for the rest of the world, probably. But anyhow, here Mabel and I are, running on the sand and having a blast.
My mother visited with her new beau, Paul. That was a lot of fun and it was nice to have some company after 9 days of solitude. We drove back quickly because we had to get back to work. Sigh. All good things must come to an end.
It was a rejuvenating trip. I read six novels and I feel as though I emptied my head of a lot of garbage. High on that list is media overload. We didn't watch TV for two weeks, with the exception of 30 minutes while in SF that one night. I didn't use a computer, either. I came back knowing I have to stop my meaningless surfing, because it is a huge waste of time and energy. I also came back knowing that I will watch far less TV from now on. Also a huge waste of time.
Finally, here is our girl falling in love. She met a male Australian Labradoodle named Duffy, and the two of them ... wow, the sparks. They even had a Romeo and Juliet moment later that night. He was staying next door one night, and the two of them howled to each other from their respective decks.
Clearly, it was a Haley Reinhart moment. I'm sorry in advance.
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