Since I had a few free days off work, Inna and I decided to plan a mini-vacation nearby. At first, we considered spending a few days in South Lake Tahoe, but the nearby Mosquito Fire worried us about air quality. There were many inexpensive homes for rent, but we thought the risk needed to be lowered.
We also considered driving to Pismo Beach, where I really enjoy surfing and walking on the beach. We enjoy staying at the Sandcastle, spending time on the patio, and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
However, we have never been to the Russian River and decided to explore a new destination. Inna made hotel reservations for 3 nights at the Dawn Ranch in Guerneville (where our friends have stayed).
After packing our belongings on Thursday morning, we drove to Guerneville around 10:30. On the way there, we passed over the Golden Gate Bridge by the Marina area, where we stayed for a month in August (oh, the fond memories).
On the way to Guerneville, we decided to stop by for lunch at Sebastopol. Inna researched and tried
). After looking at the menu, we ordered the following:
Later on, after we finished our delicious sandwiches, Inna stopped by again to order some freshly brewed coffee and pastries.
I quickly put on my swimming shorts, and we went to the Boat House, where we walked down to the river. The kayaks were waiting for us, but they were a bit dirty.
I dragged the kayak into the water and prepared it for Inna. She wore her life vest and paddled into the slowly flowing Russian River. I pulled my kayak into the water and paddled out. There were some strong wind gusts on the warm and mostly calm water.
We decided to paddle downstream into the wind (toward the Pacific Ocean). There was literally no one on the water. During our 90-minute kayaking session, we encountered only a few other kayaks. During strong wind gusts, we found paddling downstream difficult. Fortunately, the way back was much easier, and we returned to our starting nook (it was pretty tricky to spot it).
After returning to the Dawn Ranch, we washed our dirty feet (at the boathouse) and walked to our Cottage #17. While Inna took a shower, I rested and checked some work-related emails.
At around 17:30, we heard some live music being played outdoors, and Inna and I decided to listen in. After a few songs, we stopped by the bar to order drinks and snacks. While Inna ordered a Margarita (with Mezcal), I had an Agriculture Martini (dry gin, vermouth, olive).
We sat downstairs, near the fire pits, listening to the one-woman band playing popular songs. She played the guitar and harmonica for two hours.
At around 19:30, when she finished the last song, Inna and I decided to eat dinner at the German BROT restaurant. It was only a 6-minute walk from our cottage.
Friday, September 16, 2022
In the morning, we woke at around 08:30. I took a shower while Inna caught up on more sleep. The staff of Dawn Ranch dropped off a breakfast basket, which included the following items:
- Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- Muffins
- Granola/Nut Mix
- Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
I ate the yogurt and tried the muffin, but I did not like it. The Orange Juice was refreshing.
I tried making coffee in our room's boiling water maker. However, the included coffee package did not taste acceptable, and we decided to drink coffee elsewhere.
After waiting a few minutes, the staff of Dawn Ranch showed us how to lock and unlock bicycles and provided us with two helmets. Inna was concerned about biking in town (with many cars driving fast).
However, we decided to try biking. My bike was making some noises, but it was working tolerably well.
Our first stop was the
Coffee Bazaar. I locked up both bikes around a tree, and we went inside to order some coffee. After looking at the menu, we ordered the following:
- Inna: Latte, California Classic
- Boris: Mocha, Straight Up Sunny Side (Toasted Sourdough, Two Fried Eggs, Cheese)
While Inna and I liked our hot drinks, we thought the breakfast items were subpar.
When we arrived, I noticed that Inna's bike lock was missing. It must have fallen off somewhere on the way to the park. We hoped to find it on the return ride to Dawn Ranch.
After locking the bikes to a bike rack, we talked to the Visitor Center guide, who suggested we hike the Pioneer Trail. We started our hike and quickly encountered the Parson Jones Tree.
The Tallest Tree
The Parson Jones Tree is the tallest tree in the grove, measuring more than 310 feet in height. This is longer than the length of a football field. An easy 0.1 mile walk from the park entrance.
As we continued our walk, we took a short detour to the Discovery Trail, where we found a few more beautiful trees.
The Oldest Tree
The Colonel Armstrong Tree is the oldest tree in the grove, estimated to be over 1,400 years old. It is named after a lumberman who chose to preserve this portion of the park in the 1870s. This magnificent tree is located within an easy half-mile walk from the park entrance.
It was nice to breathe fresh air and to walk among these beautiful Redwood giants in an uncrowded atmosphere. When everything was silent, and we listened closely to nature's sounds, we would discern many birds and even the took-took sounds of a woodpecker.
The overall hike was about one mile each way (for a total of two miles roundtrip), ending in a picnic area. After resting for a few minutes and getting a drink (we forgot to bring out a water bottle), we returned to the visitor center, where our bikes were locked. We unlocked the bikes and pedaled back to Dawn Ranch. Luckily, Inna spotted the lock and chain on the road, and we recovered it successfully.
We returned back to Dawn Ranch and returned the bikes and the helmets. After resting for a few minutes, we drove to Jenner, where we planned to stop for lunch at
Cafe Aquatica. After finding parking, we ordered the following items for lunch:
- Boris: Lemonade, Salmon Roll
- Inna: Lemonade, Crab Roll, Clam Chowder
I enjoyed my Salmon Roll, and Inna liked her Crab Roll. However, the Clam Chowder was. A bit too thin. After lunch, Inna ordered a few small hot drinks (Mocha, Latte) with a small pastry to share.
There was a kayak rental shop right across the street from
Cafe Aquatica. The rental rates were very high; for a two-seater kayak, 2.5 hours rented for $100, and a full day for $180. That's crazy expensive!
We resumed our drive to
Salt Point State Park, stopping several times to take photos of the overlook. As we drove there, I noticed my Apple Airtag missing from my Toyota Sienna keychain. Eventually, we would find the Apple Airtag in my jeans in Guerneville.
As we drove the twisty Pacific Coast Highway 1, the check engine light on my 2008 Toyota Sienna returned. We went to
Salt Point State Park but could not find the entrance - as Google Fi Cellphone service was not working.
In general, we found abysmal Google Fi reception on the coast. I heard that Verizon has much better cellphone coverage.
Eventually, driving past Salt Point State Park, we turned around, stopping for a quick hike at Cannon Gulch; after a quick photo, we continued our drive to
Stump Beach and Salt Point Beach Parking. We walked down a short trail to the beach, but it was cold and windy, and we only stayed for a short time.
We returned to Jenner, where Inna and I looked for our Apple Airtag. There was very little cell phone reception and no Wifi coverage. Eventually, I realized that the Airtag must have been left in our cottage back in Guerneville.
After returning to Guerneville, I found my Apple Airtag in my jeans and was relieved. We decided to enjoy happy hour and ordered a few drinks at the bar upstairs. While Inna ordered a Mojito (with fresh mint from the garden), I had an Agriculture Martini (dry gin, vermouth, olive). We also ordered a few small snacks, i.e., focaccia bread and cashews with olives.
To play some games, we relocated downstairs to play checkers. Inna won the first game, and I won the second.
In the later evening, at around 19:40, we returned to our Cottage #17 to prepare to drive to Sebastapol for dinner at
Khom Loi. After being seated and looking at the menu, we ordered the following dinner items:
- Boris: Khom Loi Thai Iced Tea
- Inna: Khom Loi Thai Iced Tea
- Share:
- Charcoal Grilled Mushroom Salad
- Coconut Shrimp Soup
- Drunken Noodle
- Dessert: Soft serve sundae (blackberry, mango, mochi)
Before ordering the Thai Iced Tea, I sampled the Apple Cider on draft but did not like it. The Khom Loi Thai Iced Teas were much better!
I liked the Charcoal Grilled Mushroom Salad. The Coconut Shrimp Soup was quite spicy but delicious! The Drunken Noodles were also spicy but very enjoyable.
Inna wanted to try the soft-serve sundae for dessert and enjoyed it. I was too full and did not have any space.
Saturday, September 17, 2022
We woke relatively late in the morning- around 08:30. I took a shower, shaved, and dressed. Our hotel brought another breakfast basket, and I ate two 4-oz cups of Yoplait Peach yogurt.
After the short breakfast, we started our drive to Bodega Bay. On the way there, we stopped at Goat Rock State Beach for a fantastic photo opportunity. A painter was painting the high cliffs and the beautiful scenery all around.
We continued our drive to Bodega Bay, stopping occasionally for additional photos. As we drove southward, we noticed many beaches:
- Blind Beach
- Shell Beach
- Wrights Beach
- Duncan's Cove
- Rockpoint Beach
- Gleason Beach
- Portuguese Beach
- Schoolhouse Beach
- Carmet Beach
- Arched Rock Beach
- North Salmon Beach
At North Salmon Beach, we noticed about a dozen surfers trying to surf the waves.
Eventually, we reached Bodega Bay and turned to
Doran Beach. I have always wanted to visit this particular place, as it is known to be excellent for windsurfing (during windy days). There was a $7.00 fee to park at Doran Beach (which I paid), and we stopped at the western tip of the jetty.
I was surprised by how calm the Pacific looked and how cold I felt (given it was only September). Inna was also quite complex, and we only stayed briefly. We returned to Bodega Bay proper and ate lunch at
Bird's Cafe.
When we arrived at
Bird's Cafe, we ordered the following items:
- Boris: Fish & Chips (3 pieces)
- Inna: Shrimp & Chips
- Dessert: Cookie
After lunch, Inna ordered a few coffee drinks, including a Mocha for me and a Latte for herself (with a small pastry dessert).
I looked at all the nearby hiking trails and decided on the
Bodega Head Trail. After parking nearby, we were shocked by the firm, cold wind blowing from the Northwest. Inna put on a windbreaker, and we started hiking southward, marveling at the gorgeous cliffs.
It was an incredibly scenic hike, with fantastic views of cliffs and surrounding rocks. It was primarily flat and easygoing, and portions of the hike were much less windy.
After the hike, we decided to revisit Sebastapol, stopping by Florence Ave to look at junk art created by
Patrick Amiot (the local resident artist). We really enjoyed most of the statues lining Florence Ave.
Inna wanted a hot cup of tea, so we stopped by
Muir's Tea Room nearby. However, the offered tea also required purchasing scones and clotted cream for $24/person. I was not hungry and thought eating so much would disrupt our dinner plans.
We decided to try another cafe and drank hot tea at
Retrograde Coffe Roasters. Since the shop closed at 16:00, we only stayed about 25 minutes. After tea, we found Copperfield's Books - a very nice bookstore, where we spent some time browsing books.
After browsing books, we thought about eating dinner at Sebastapol but were not hungry. Thus, we decided to return to our Dawn Ranch Hotel in Guerneville. After about a 25-minute drive, we arrived and took advantage of the Happy Hour to order a few drinks at the bar (with a discount).
We ordered the following drinks:
- Inna: Mojito
- Boris: Margarita (with quality Tequila)
- Snack: Cashes & Olives
Since it was Saturday evening - a busy time for restaurants - we decided to walk to the nearby
Boon Restaurant (and add ourselves to the dining waiting list). We were promised a 30-minute wait, and we returned at around 18:55 to check on our table.
We were seated inside and, after looking at the menu, ordered the following dinner items:
- Appetizer: Burrata
- Boris: Goat Rock Apple Cider, Boon Burger (medium)
- Inna: Moroccan Chicken
- Dessert: Boon Brownie
Inna loved her Moroccan chicken, and my burger was pretty decent. We liked the Brownie too! Table service was fast, and our entrees were delivered quickly.
After dinner, we returned to our Dawn Ranch hotel, where we sat around the firepits, enjoying the warmth. Although the weather forecasted rain (and drizzle), the weather was perfectly fine (though a bit cloudy).
I was hoping for better weather for Sunday, but the forecast called for rain all day.
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Like the weathermen predicted, it rained pretty heavily through the night. We woke around 08:30, and I took a shower, shaved, and dressed. I packed all of my clothes in the suitcase.
I ate the peach Yoplait yogurts provided by the Dawn Ranch staff. We loaded our 2008 Toyota Sienna, and Inna dropped off the binoculars (which we never used) and checked out.
The roads were wet, and I drove carefully, but many drivers drove recklessly. Fortunately, my check engine light did not come on at all.
Our first stop was
Pascaline Patisserie & Cafe in Sebastapol (half an hour away), where we enjoyed freshly baked pastries (Kouign-Amann) and freshly brewed coffee. We also stopped by Mom's Apple Pie to purchase a small apple pie (We tasted it later in the evening, and it was delicious!)
From Sebastapol, we drove to Crissy Field in San Francisco, hoping the rain would be gone, when we arrived an hour later.
When we arrived in San Francisco, the rain was lightly drizzling, and we walked around the Palace of Fine Arts to look at all of the birds. We saw many night herons and egrets.
We decided to eat lunch at our usual haunt - the
Cote Ouest Bistro on Baker Street. Fortunately, we were able to get a table outside, and we ordered our everyday lunch dishes:
- Boris: Hot Tea, Quiche du Jour with Salad
- Inna: Hot Tea, Eggs Benedict
- Dessert: Apple Tart
I really like my quiche (and Inna loved her Eggs Benedict). The Apple Tart was so delicious! The rain intensified while we sat there, sometimes turning into a full-blown torrent.
We waited for the rain to decrease and returned to our van, parked at Crissy Field. We decided to visit the
Green Apple Books on Clement Street. We spent some time there, browsing multiple books. I wish there were more places to sit, as I wanted to learn more about Thailand.
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