We're Home

Got home yesterday.  Left our RV stored in California until our mid-January reunion and our continued trip across the southern border of the U.S.

All is as we left it back at home; except for the dust that has accumulated over the past two months.  Went food shopping and restocked the refrigerator and pantry. Went through the mail -- amazing how many catalogs we've received and the constant barage of solicitations from the NY Times.

Now we're ready for family!

Big Sur to Avila Beach

We spent our last night "camping" in our RV along the California Coast Highway, Route 1.  Driving this road through the many hairpin curves was challenging, but quite spectacular.

Ending this leg of our journey at our friends, Ray & Ann at their new home in Avila Beach.  Back to sleeping "indoors" and enjoying the company as we tour this great area of the California coast.

Soon we'll be home for the holidays before coming back in mid-January to complete our journeys across the southern part of the U.S. and then Floriday and then back up to New Jersey by April.

From the Wine Trail to the Bay

We continued our tour of wine country, moving down to Sonoma, and then Napa Valleys.  On an absolutely beautiful blue sky Saturday, we biked past St.Helena and returned to Yountville.  Made our mandatory stop at the Oakville Grocery, and noted how much more crowded was the Napa Valley. 

Almost forgot to mention that we stopped back at Mondavi Vineyards, where we remembered that the last time we were there, as part of the wine tasting, they served smoked salmon on crackers between sips.  Sad to say, no more - - but, Morey was able to help direct the throngs of winees coming for a taste of their own.

Our special treat was dinner at the Ad Hoc restuarant where our chosen menu included tender and succulent short ribs, the freshest garden salad (from their own garden nearby), a cheese course, and a perfectly crafted apple crisp.  Words cannot describe how good it was!

After indulging in such a great dinner, we needed to work off some of the calories, so today we parked in Sausalito with our RV (challenging) and rode our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco.  Another beautiful blue sky day!!

Wine...Wine...Wine...Wine....

We are amazed at the amount of acres of vineyards...They go on and on and on.  And then of course, what does growing grapes lead to?  Wine!!

After leaving the Pacific coast after a nice stop in Mendocino and Eureka, we drove inland stopping first in the Russian River Valley.  Camped at one of Ruthie's favorite places, Lake Sonoma, built and managed by the Army Corp of Engineers {won't get political on the need for another division of our government to run campgrounds}, with incredibly great campgrounds at a bargain $10 fee.  We climbed on such steep roads that we lost half of our fresh water out the overflow on the RV, and then discovered that the campground had no water, "failed well". We managed aok.

We set out on our bikes on Dry Creek Road through the Russian River Valley.  A great ride through the mild hills through the vineyards.  After three stops with the tastings of the wine, we decided to call it a day.

Of course even more important than the wine tastings, is the great lunches and soon, dinners. 

We're now spending the next few nights in Napa where we will continue to bike from wine tasting to wine tasting, and lunch to lunch...

We did stop at the Jack London State Park in the Sonoma Valley, where we toured his home and writing workshop.  Remember "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang"?  Morey remembered how much he enjoyed reading his novels and short stories when he was in his early teens;

so yep, he will download on his Kindle some of the books he never read.                                                                                                                                   



Can't end this blog without a picture of Morey standing in front of a bagel shop in Eureka.  A pretty incredible place where you can get Rosemary-Parmesan bagels-- Maybe Morey should write his book, "Bagels of the USA".  Yes, I know Morey is NOT the food editor of this blog!