Calistoga, Ca Oct 31

We started out Halloween touring an Italian castle winery. Castillo De Amoresa. It was built historically correct and he imported the material from castles being torn down in Europe. 130 rooms. They had the Ghoul Ball last night so there were still Halloween decorations left from the Ghost tour.There was an armory room where we could touch the old armour. And a torture chamber.

                                                                                              The red Queen on the bathroom door.

Politically correct bathroom door.






After the tour we tasted their wine with chocolate pairing. The tour was so cool and so expensive I don't think we will tour any others. Maybe cruise thru and look at the incredible buildings.

We went down town and watched the Halloween parade on main street.

The parade and Susie's at sunset.









Before the parade we also visited a grist mill. Watched them grind cornmeal.

Last but not least I am needing a hobby since I don't have the glass or garden with me. So I am taking up pine needle basket weaving. (Kind of like the therapy in the mental hospital!)

The needles drying on the bed and couch and I sorted them into bundles. And my first basket, that leaves me lots of learn to improve.

It's been awhile since I've driven around California. Note to self: Just because it looks like the shortest route doesn't mean that the road will be fun to drive in the bus. We came into Calistoga on 128 from Gyserville. That was a small 2 lane with trees that kept whacking the cb antenna and had a lot of construction. Next time I'm looking at the map a lot closer.

Redway Ca and Shelter Cove black sand beach 10/28

It has been raining for over 24 hours. We had breakfast with Kay and David. I know Kay from college. We checked out their new under construction home on 80 acres. Nice. Then we all drove to Shelter Cove black sand beach. Really pretty. The black sand-which came from the back rock cliffs there- really enhanced the colors of the ocean.

Kay and David on the beach, Sea gulls and surf.
John, David and Kay in the rain, waves.

The Mendocino Light house, and  David John and Kay on the beach.

We returned soaked and cooked dinner on the bus for all. Great day. We are getting water logged. Tomorrow John and I are heading south  toward warmer, drier weather, wine tasking or a hot spring.

Rockafeller Redwood grove 10/27 Redway, Ca

Another day, more redwoods. We hiked in the Rockefeller Grove, 17 of the 100 tallest trees in this grove. Rockefeller donated a couple million dollars to help preserve these old growth redwoods and they named the grove after him. It was very pretty. We ran into a buck, who couldn't decide whether to run from us or continue to chase his doe. The deer here are smaller than Colorado.

I wanted to drive thru the drive thru redwood but John refused. Instead we went to the Eternal Tree house in a Redwood. It was not that exciting, but there were cool redwood carvings there.  We went to Redway Ca and had dinner with Kay and David. Kay and I went to college together. We are going to get together tomorrow and sight see.

Redcrest Ca 10/26

We are in Redcrest, Ca. The Avenue of the Giants. Suposed to be the tallest trees in the world here. It is raining and foggy. Redwoods live in fog and rain. We are the only RV in the RV park. We went wine tasting yesterday afternoon at Riverbend winery. We were the only ones there. We ate in their resturant and were the only ones there. The wine and food were good. The service was excellent. Not a bad way to travel.

Winery

Sue in a hollow redwood trunk

                                                                                                 big foot

Us all alone.

Today we went to Ferndale, a victorian town. A cheese factory in Loleta. Also a casino in Loleta. I won $25, John lost $20. We promply spent the winnings at the local bakery. On the way back we stopped at an organic brew pub. Decided to stop at a redwood grove at twilight. It is really dark in there anyway, but at twilight it was really dark. . .

Ferndale, Ca

The historic Ferndale cemetary, and John wearing the perfect shirt for it. . .

the Founders grove on the Avenue of the Giants

Sounds of the sea RV park, Trinidad Ca 10/24

We walked down to the beach to check out the waves this am. They were big. It was stormy. The beach is not as much fun when it is rainy, windy and cold. We stayed in and napped and read, made it out when  the rain stopped long enough for there to be a lovely sunset. We are moving south tomorrow, to the Avenue of the Giants. Supposed to be the biggest redwoods. Everywhere seems to think they have the biggest. Guess we will see..

BIG waves coming at me.

And sunsets

Eureka Ca 10/23

Today we drove down to Eureka to do things like the bank, Costco, etc. It is so remote in Southern Oregon and Northern California that I have been looking for weeks for a Wells Fargo bank. Our first stop was Costco, Sat am. We are out of the habit of cities and this many people. Eureka has a nice old town.  These are two of the Victorians we saw.

The Pink Lady and the Carson mansion were both built in the 1800's for lumber baron William Carson.












We found a fun house mirror outside a clothing store. Like looking at myself would make me want to buy new clothes. NOT.

Or perhaps that is what we will look like if we continue to live on the bus.

Eureka was too busy for us so we grocery shopped in Mckinleyville at Safeway and found the worlds tallest totem pole carved out of a single log. It is 160 feet tall, I guess that age of the tree when it was cut down was 500 years.

It is now pouring rain and windy. We can still hear the waves on the ocean. I have not spent enough time around the ocean to see what a storm does to it. John says nothing, but I wonder if the waves are bigger, will have to check tomorrow. All this rain will be a snowstorm  for our friends in Colorado soon.