What an escape!

This Labor Day weekend, Jimmy and I traveled north to Mendocino County again. But this time, it was to a part of the state where time stands still, cell service is lost entirely, and you're only invited if you have 4 wheel drive and your own stash of toilet paper. We stayed at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, part of California's "Lost Coast". This is the part of the state where gorgeous Route 1 veers off the coast, joining up with Highway 101 about 15+ miles inland, so there are no paved roads along the gorgeous coastline. Which of course, is all the better for those of us willing to roll off the beaten track.

After packing up all of our camping necessities we drove the scenic route north, stopping for coffee/scenic vistas as we went, and finally meeting up with our dear friends Danny & Krista who made the drive all the way from Ashland, OR to meet us. It was one of the best weekends I've had in a long time, and here are the moments I'll remember it by - both pictured and not-pictured:

What you see here:

  1. sunflowers and sunshine along route 29 on our way north

  2. strong, strong coffee in a pretty loaned mug 

  3. blueberry pancakes on the fire

  4. our little slice of heaven

  5. alder grove

  6. stripped down on the beach

  7. friends & love

  8.we admired this Osprey, her family, and her pretty nest for at least an hour 

  9. hiking a little tiny piece of the Lost Coast Trail

  10. bird's eye view of the beach

  11. this is why I moved to California

  12. girl chat on the beach at sunset while the boys search for rhinoceros auklets

  13. I could stay in this spot forever and ever

  14. there was a fire in the sky welcoming us home

What you don't:

  1. mixed sounds of the ocean crashing and the alders creaking as we fell asleep

  2. the taste of almond meal/walnut/blueberry pancakes crisped in leftover bacon fat

  3. the look on Jim's face and the accompanying laughter after he accidentally swung a 6-foot tree limb into our pile of dishes at full speed (only 1 plate broke!)

  4. the heat and light of our little beach fire in a sea of blackness

  5. Danny lulling us into dreamland with his hypnotic flute playing

  6. the anticipation/thrill/fear of waking up to the sound of a (probably large) animal rustling around outside your tent 

  7. fire-belly feeling that comes from sipping best homemade whiskey in the world

We found you, Lost Coast! And we'll be back.

Getaway Weekend: Mendocino County

A few months ago, two of my very favorite people came to visit from Boston. It just so happened to be my birthday, so we decided to gather a couple more of my favorite people and make an occasion out of it! We packed up the cars and drove up the infamous Route 1, heading to Manchester, CA where we had rented a quaint and lovely beach home through AirBnB.

As usual the coastal drive was beautiful, and we stopped along the way to show our guests the shocking and colorful cliff views that Northern CA offers.

 

We spent every morning on the deck, snuggled up with blankets on the adirondacks drinking coffee, watching birds and families of deer as we listened to the ocean crash. Just down the road was a pathway to Irish Beach, which we had all to ourselves. On our first day we visited the beach to play and explore before heading home for a makeshift dinner (warning: you won't find open grocery stores at 8pm anywhere near Manchester, CA!), and an evening of wine and board games.

Early on April 19th, my birthday, we decided we'd visit the ocean again and trek up to the adorable town of Mendocino for some sightseeing and dinner...but the day was bittersweet, and definitely one of my most memorable birthdays yet. Back in Boston our city was in the middle of a crisis, and our friends' and families' lives were in disarray as everyone waited on the edge of their seats for the marathon-bomber "bad guys" to be caught after four days of held breaths.

It felt surreal to be safe and sound in this idyllic paradise while we listened intently to the news and tried to picture what was happening only blocks from my sister's apartment in Watertown, MA. We felt nervous together, but also safe, and guilty for feeling safe when so many at home weren't enjoying that luxury. And I felt extra guilty, both for enjoying myself in Mendocino while the drama occurred at home, and for secretly wishing that the whole climax and finale could have happened the day before or the day after my birthday.

We kept our day moving, visiting the lighthouse and finding beach treasures, as we checked in with the radio and with our family and friends. And finally as we made it into Mendocino, just before reluctantly leaving the car (and with it the radio), we heard the good news that everyone had been waiting for - that the suspect was alive and under arrest, and that officers and neighbors were safe. We celebrated both occasions in town before heading back to our comfy beach house for more news radio interspersed with games and star gazing.

The next day we enjoyed one last day in this gorgeous part of the state, exploring redwoods, discovering terrifyingly huge slugs, and tasting (beer, wine & pizza) our way down Route 128 in the Anderson Valley. This part of wine country has a laid back vibe, often offering free tastings (unlike what you'll find in Napa) and sommeliers who have the time to talk to you about the wine and the surrounding area. We sipped and swirled and made our way south, concluding with the most amazing pizza at Diavola in Geyserville.

It was such an amazing weekend of exploring with friends, and Boston is all the stronger because of the events that week. I'm so thankful for my friends who joined me for this memorable weekend!

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Links for a Monday

 Pics are from my April trip to Mendocino county with my homies. More to come soon!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. Wow, what a much needed couple of days catching up and relaxing. We pool lounged and had a casual din at High Tech Burrito, which I'd heard was an East Bay must-try (cheap, quick and fresh burritos? Can't go wrong.). I did a million necessary and long-postponed tasks i.e. car cleaning, summer clothes unpacking, closet organizing, guac eating, margarita drinking, etc. And yesterday, I ventured to the Mission with my sister and Jimbo to visit some friends and meet some wonderful new ones.  Oh and then we tried Tacolicious. Have I mentioned that I love Mexican?

If anyone had as much trouble working their way back into the work week as I did, then you're probably more in the mood to browse through these links than you are to do to "real work"....

• I love these beautiful illustrations, especially the whales and the barn owls.
• My work was kind enough to offer all of us memberships to Lynda.com, an online learning company with courses in things like software, photography and design. I can't wait to get started!
• Tomorrow is International Picnic Day - who will join me on a picnic??!
• I've been listening all day to this album by Wild Belle.
• Considering how much I love learning, I can't believe I hadn't yet heard of Open Culture! Such an amazing resource...I think I'll start by brushing up on my Italian. 
• I've finally come out of denial about the upcoming Google Reader shutdown. I've decided to go with Feedly for my blog readin' needs. Click here to find me on Feedly, or you can Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Enjoy your week!