One Last Cali Thing

We had to have our 'one last Cali thing' before our cross country road trip and move back to the east coast, and we pulled it off a few weeks ago. 

It was a life list trip for me and it was excellent to finally get to cross it off!

What was this life list trip of mine?  Trees.  Really, really big trees.  Also known as the giant Sequoias. And man, were they giant.

How 'bout this muthah?!

Full disclosure, though - we didn't even get to see the truly massive trees because the road was closed to The Trail of 100 Giants, which was where we had hoped to go.

It was a bummer, but we were still able to hike around and see some legitimately BIG Sequoias.

We wandered around the forest saying. "Ooo, there's a big one" over and over.

We stayed in an Airbnb mountain cabin I found just outside Springville, CA, and it was nothing short of peaceful, quiet, solitude.

I didn't expect us to be able to have a fire, but the altitude was high enough that it was chilly at night, so we cranked it up.

This trip was the perfect unwind before chaos.  Our timing was less than stellar, considering the movers were scheduled to come and pack us up right after our weekend away.

Bad timing, but great unwinding!

The Pugbull enjoyed the mountain views, too.  Ha.

During the days, we drove further up into the mountains on winding, picturesque roads to get to the Sequoias and did lots of hiking through the National Forest. I definitely got winded more quickly at the higher altitudes!  (Somewhere around 7k feet up)

 
At night, we cooked up some comfort food like grilled steak with sweet potato and veggies and spaghetti & meatballs, listened to music, and enjoyed some of the wine we picked up during our Sonoma trips over the last year.

One of the things I loved about the location was that we could hear the cascade of the waterfalls just below the cabin while we were out on the deck.

And when we opened the window at night - it was like nature's sleep machine.  And the stars?  Good Lord, the stars!  The nights were beautifully clear.

The cabin truly was off-the-grid with no TV, just a selection of DVD's. Somehow we ended up watching Fantastic Mr. Fox on repeat all weekend.  (The hubby has a thing for Wes Anderson.)

Which inevitably resulted in us singing   ♪ ♪ "Boggis, Bunce, and Bean..." ♪ ♪ all weekend.  Those of you who've watched Fantastic Mr. Fox more than once might know what the hell I'm talking about.  The rest of ya?  Moving on...

The deck had a lovely view overlooking the mountains

So I have to say, it was a pretty excellent 'one last trip' in California for us.  And now?  East coast bound, baby!

Ta-ta for now.

Bike Dog

You really can't beat philanthropy and beer.  Ammaright??

We've made a valiant attempt at checking out the giant variety of craft breweries in the Sacramento area since we've been here, and not too long ago we took a ride over to Bike Dog Brewery in West Sacramento.

The day we went, Bike Dog was having a fund raiser for one of the local dog shelters.  A dollar for every beer sold went to PBSOC - which is the Pitbull Socialization and Obedience crew.

It's a section of the Bradshaw Shelter that focuses on making the Pitbull breeds available for adoption as appealing as possible for potential adopters.

Because the reality is that many of the "Pitbull" type dogs are overlooked in the adoption process.  They have an inaccurate reputation for aggression and often sit on the adoption floor for longer than other breeds.  Kind of like black cats.

As an owner of a Pittie mixed breed, I can say with authority that they are one of the sweetest, snuggliest pups out there.  So checking out a brewery we haven't seen yet while also supporting PBSOC was a win-win.

Of course, we brought the boy with us.  Because we could.  Bike Dog was pretty standard as far as breweries go.  An industrial vibe, friendly atmosphere, and an unexpectedly excellent band called The Sasha and Jimmy Show.

We sampled the local brews, and to be honest I can't even remember what I had...but if I had to wager a guess, I'm sure I ordered a wheat, a pilsner, or perhaps a Kolsch.  But I know for sure we enjoyed the afternoon, the music, the sunshine, and the beers!

Vintage-cool Sasha and Jimmy Show

 The boy did his job helping to dispel the myth that Pitbull breeds are somehow meaner than other breeds...as only he can.

Apparently it was Converse Day at the brewery.  ;)

I had to snap a photo of the bumper sticker I spotted on one of the musician's guitar cases because it made me chuckle. 

Mostly because "Janky."

I need more scenarios where I can relevantly use that word.

Bike Dog was a fun day out and one of the last Sacramento breweries we managed to check off our list. I bet we'll make a dent in the DC craft brewery scene when we relocate! 

Hopefully they're not too janky.  Too soon?  Yeah. Too soon.

Ta-ta for now.

More Trippin'

That would be ROAD trippin', for all you delinquents that may have thought otherwise.  Ha.  We're tip toeing toward the end of our tour in California, so it's about the time to start doing those last few things we want to cross off the Cali list before we leave.

Ahhhhh...the beach.

And that included a roadie out to Bodega Bay.  Why Bodega Bay?  Well to be honest, the answer is chowder.

Chowder, and my low beach light was blinking.  The American River here in Sacramento is great and all, but I've been jonesing for the beach.

So, off we went.  Bodega Bay is about a 2 hour drive west of us, so a nice leisurely drive through wine country. 

I tracked down a dog friendly hiking trail down to a secluded beach, a pup friendly cafe, and we tooled around the zig-zagging Bay Highway and Westshore Rd. along the bay. Which predictably equaled a good time had by all!

Cheet got to run around off leash at the beach with some new pup friends, which of course is his own personal doggie nirvana.

What I need to remember - which for some reason I'm severely challenged with - is remembering to throw a towel in the Jeep before we go out adventuring.  We inevitably end up with a sandy, salty, but decidedly satisfied dog when we're done.  And a dirtier car. Gotta remember the damn towel.

Which brings me to the chowder.  After our mile long, tomato-face inducing hike down to the beach and back, we headed over to a cafe overlooking the bay for some lunch and beers.  And the aforementioned chowder, of course.  What a beautiful day.  And rest assured, top notch chowder & fish tacos were had. 

The hubby had mentioned that Bodega Bay is known for good chowder and oysters, and that was all it took to plant the road trip seed.  Fun day trip for sure.

Needless to say, my low beach light isn't flashing quite so brightly after our roadie to Bodega Bay.

Ta-ta for now.

Monterey

I'd read that the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel/Big Sur areas were among some of the most beautiful parts of California.  Well, thanks to a travel-centric few weeks, I can say with confidence that everything I read was spot-on.

I mean...really.  Just look at this coastline!

Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove

I was in love with the crooked, unique looking Monterey Pine trees.  Just beautiful and windswept all along the coastline.

The hubby was on leave over the holidays, so we took lots of day trips and a few quick overnights while he was off.  December was a very full month!

On one of our trips, we loaded up the Cricket for our first California camping expedition, and headed on down the road to Monterey for New Year's weekend.

We set up camp at a military campground called - appropriately - Monterey Pines.

Of course, the Puggy Boy got his own doggie sleeping bag mat for the occasion. Only the best for the spoiled pup, right?

We spent most of our time exploring the towns in the area, and my favorite was Pacific Grove.  It was such a beautiful coastal town with lots of dog-friendly beaches.  I couldn't get enough of that salty, sea air.

Carmel Beach

Can't you just smell the beach?  It was the perfect blend of breezy, salty, and misty.

We had some excellent meals both out at a few restaurants and a few at our campsite. Overall, it was a great trip!

Pup friendly dining in Carmel

 

New Year's Eve Dinner in the Cricket

I think we've packed quite a bit of travel in our short lived Sacramento tour.  I have a few more trips up my sleeve, but they'll have to be quick because when we blink, it'll be time to move again. 

Such is the nomad Coastie life.  But hey, nomad ain't so bad when we're calling California home.  For the moment, anyway.

Ta-ta for now.

Year of the...?

Birds.  Yay, nay, or indifferent?  I'm a resounding yay in that category.  Love 'em!  I've fancied myself an extremely novice birder for a while, but I can hold my own with lots of common bird id's.

I watch, think about, and attempt to identify birds more than I'd like to admit!  Especially when we hike and travel.

To the point where when I I see a bird and don't know what it is, I try to commit the main features to memory so I can look it up to hopefully id later.  You know, to add it to my slowly growing bird arsenal.

My latest newly identified bird was an Oak Titmouse in my neighborhood.  What a little cutie pie!

Oak Titmouse

Photo credit: By Ingrid Taylar from San Francisco Bay Area - California, USA (Oak Titmouse in the Shade), via Wikimedia Commons

Got that one now.  I won't wonder about what kind it is anymore! 

I can remember one time when we lived in Florida, I was driving past a small pond and saw a substantial flock of Wood Storks wading and chilling around the pond.  I got so excited about seeing almost a dozen Wood Storks all in one place that I almost drove off the road.

The mighty Wood Stork

Photo credit: by Charlesjsharp (Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography), via Wikimedia Commons

What?  It's a somewhat rare sighting!  And if you're lucky you'll only see 1 or 2, but not over a dozen all together!  It was super cool.  Not to worry, I didn't actually drive off the road.  It was close, though.

Yep, I'm a bird nerd through and through.  But, despite all my birding nonsense, I guess I wasn't really part of the club.

Why?

Well, because I was completely in the dark about a fun little little New Year's Day birder tradition that exists.  Now that I know about it, I guess I'm really legit.  Ha.

I can thank Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt for enlightening me.  The gist is this.

The very first bird you're able to identify on New Year's Day is your bird of the year.  So whatever you identify becomes your "year of the fill in the blank."

On New Year's Day this year, we were camping in Monterey, CA, so I knew I might have a unique opportunity to see a bird I possibly wouldn't normally see.

Or so I thought.

Turned out my bird of the year is one that I see every day in my backyard.  But, it's also a species I identified only after moving to California.  So, a common bird for this area, but still a new to me species.

Ready?  Drum roll, please.

2017 is my year of the Western Scrub Jay.  The name was just recently changed from Western Scrub Jay to California Scrub Jay.  Which begs the question, "Why does California feel the need to appropriate the name?"  But again, I digress.

They're actually super vibrant, beautiful birds.  Also on the irritating side because they're extremely screechy and loud.  There's no mistaking their squawk when you hear it. Straight up obnoxious!

Western/California Scrub Jay

Photo credit: by Jessica Merz (Flickr: Western Scrub-Jay), via Wikimedia Commons

I'm glad my bird of the year turned out to be the Scrub Jay.  No, not because I can fully unleash obnoxiousness in 2017.

Because it's a perfect geographic reflection of exactly where in the world we are in 2017 on our loony Coast Guard path.  Year of the Scrub Jay!  Bring it.

Ta-ta for now.

Wining in Sonoma

Our time in Sacramento is rapidly become road trip-centric...and I'm more than okay with that!  After living in a place where a road trip meant driving about an hour until the road literally ended, it's a welcome change!

We added to our arsenal of roadies a few days before Christmas with a trip through Napa and Sonoma Counties to a tiny, winery-centric town called Healdsburg, CA.

First of all, the drive through Alexander Valley was gorgeous.  Granted, the vines are all dormant because it's winter, so we weren't driving through rolling, vibrantly green hills by any stretch.  They mostly looked dead if you didn't know any better.  Not too far off from this...

But despite that - what a beautiful, idyllic, winding road through the vineyards!  Truly a relaxing drive.  Especially as a passenger.  Ha.

We joked that the entire town is "stuff white people like."  Well, because it is.  (Do you know that satirical comedy book from 2008?  It's pretty damn funny.)

Healdsburg can only be described as a quaint, wine-happy town in Sonoma County.  Wine tasting rooms for area vineyards every 3 feet, top-notch restaurants, antique shops, and I counted at least 3 over-priced doggie boutiques.

You know, the kind of shops that sell personalized dog pop art, Houndstooth dog coats, and gluten-free dog treats. (kidding about the gluten-free - but you get my point) C'mon, the place was named Fideaux.  Need I say more?

Strolling downtown Healdsburg

But aside from the somewhat hoity-toity factor, Healdsburg was a fun little town.  We tasted some excellent wine, and I learned about a red I'd never heard of before that blew me away.

Portalupi Tasting Room

Ever heard of a Barbera? (pronounced BAR-bear-uh) Me neither.  But, oh my Lord was this a good wine.  So smooth.  So tasty.

We tried it at the Portalupi Tasting Room and brought a very pricey bottle home with us.  We'll have to pick our special occasion to crack that one!

Apparently in addition to northern Italy, the grapes grow well in Amador County, which isn't too far from Sacramento.  Might be another wine-fueled roadie in our future!

We ended up popping around to 4 different tasting rooms around the charming downtown, which was all decked out for Christmas.

Along the way, we learned from one of the sommeliers that each flight of wines generally adds up to equal about one glass of wine.

So, by the time we finished up at the 4th tasting room - we were ready for some food!

Nonsense with the toad outside Toad Hollow & in one of the tasting rooms

We had a delicious dinner at one of the zillions of restaurants there were to choose from, but were out of luck finding any live music to check out.

Such is the way of the off season. Still fun, though!

Our second day brought us to Simi, a vineyard we stopped in on our way out of town.  Classy with their fireplace, fountain courtyard, and balcony.

To be honest though, I was over-wined at this point!  We hit the road back to Sacramento after that for another beautiful drive through the valley.

Simi Winery

So Healdsburg gets a thumbs up from me.  But, of course it would.

A quaint, wine-centric town with a seemingly endless array of restaurants specializing in locally-sourced, farm-to-fork menus?

Umm, yes please.  I say bring on our next road trip to stuff white people like!

Ta-ta for now.

Sacramento's Oldest Bar

It was only a matter of time, you know.  Before I made my way to Sacramento's oldest bar, that is.  As some of you know, I kind of have a thing.  History & booze!  It's a great combo.

My fixation started a few years ago when I came across an article listing the oldest bar in every state.

I thought it would be fun to try and see as many as possible.  But, it doesn't even have to be the absolute oldest bar in the region.

Historical works for me, but the actual oldest bar is ideal. #PubGoals.

I find myself typing "fill-in-the-blank-city's" oldest bar into trusty google whenever I go somewhere to see if some historical pub sleuthing can be in my future.

So far, I've been to the oldest bar in Rome, Chicago, and Alaska.  A short list, so I need to get on it!

Ready to head in with the Hubby

Sacramento's oldest is called Old Ironsides, and it's a short bike ride from our house.

We checked it out not too long ago. Fun!

I'm not sure why they chose their name, since it's the nickname that was given to the warship the USS Constitution after The War of 1812.

Sacramento isn't exactly a maritime city, so your guess is as good as mine.

What I do know is that it was the first bar in Sacramento to be issued their liquor license after prohibition in 1933.

Old Ironsides was established in 1934, and has been in operation ever since.  Eighty-Two years.

A baby compared to some of the other oldest bars I've read about, but still counts on my grand quest to see historical pubs!

Most of the old bars I've been to have a huge medley of antiques hanging from every available surface. From framed art, to primary source photos, to furniture, to flags, to newspaper articles...but that wasn't the case here.

It still pulled off that vintage vibe, though. Somehow the vinyl stools and timeworn wallpaper subtly hinted at the history of the place.

I learned later that our bartender has worked there for 31 years.  I kind of love that.  Way to go, Al!

Hubby getting his oldest pub on

The stage & band setting up

There was a funky band playing that night we were looking forward to checking out called The Dustbowl Revival.  We'd never heard of them, and they rocked.  Lots of folks on stage, all sorts of horns, a stand up bass, you name it. Good stuff!

Oh, and lots of beards!

So, I can tick off this box in our Sacramento escapades.  I hear the oldest bar in California is in San Francisco, so maybe we'll take another roadie down to check it out.  Worth a trip to me.  History & booze...wheeeee!!

Ta-ta for now.

Nature Deficit!

One thing I can say for sure since we've relocated from rural Alaska to less-than-rural California is that I miss the wilderness.  Truly miss it.

The unbelievably crisp, fresh, clear air.  The stunning views from the top of any given peak we hiked.

The irreplaceable calm that results from being able to just be - in a natural environment, almost completely untouched by the hand of man.  Heavy-handed, I know.  But oh, so true.

One of our first California hikes at Eldorado National Forest

John Muir said it best:   "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity…”

I couldn't agree more.

That's why our road trip about an hour or so out of town to the Eldorado National Forest in the central Sierra Nevada not too long ago was so necessary.  Now this isn't exactly "untouched by the hand of man," but I'll take what I can get!

We hiked around Jenkinson Lake during a lovely fall day.  Not too hot, a delicate breeze, waterfront trails.  It was perfect.

After hiking around the lake and checking out some of the campsites, it's safe to say we were all rejuvenated. Including the Pugbull.  Nature deficit begone!

The location is definitely a contender for a camping trip at some point.  Might need to be the Cricket's inaugural California camping excursion.

The forest smelled so piney and fresh

It's funny - I appreciate Kodiak more now that I'm not there.  I realize this smacks of a classic idealizing the past scenario, but it's true.  I miss the raw, natural beauty that was right outside our front door.

Not the climate, mind you.  But, that unforgettable environment and magnificent  landscape that was so accessible to us.

I guess that means we're going to have to step up our road trip game and get outtta town more often now that we're in the land of the light rail, sports arenas, and traffic.

"Wilderness is a necessity..."  I hear ya, John Muir.  I think I have Kodiak to thank for that.

Ta-ta for now.