Back in the Land of Simple

Yesterday we made the long haul back up to Mendocino via 101 north and 128 through Anderson Valley. It takes between 6 and 7 hours with the trailer in tow from Monterey. I drove the first half of the day and I would like to take this chance to fly a firm and dirty bird at 75% of the drivers between San Jose and San Rafeal. WHO GAVE YOU IDIOTS A LICENSE? Good gravy. I think I suffered about 6 minor heart attacks on that stretch of the drive. Because... HEY! Guess what? Don't change lanes directly in front of a truck towing ten thousand pounds of trailer and then SLAM ON YOUR BRAKES FOR NO APPARENT REASON (other than proving to the world that you are stupid.) Or how about those fine folks who pay NO attention whatever while merging out into a jam packed freeway? They just sort of breeze right in to the side of you and then honk and slam on their brakes as they swerve violently and blindly off to the shoulder of the road. It makes you wonder how so many people actually successfully survive each day! How are so many more of us not getting squashed on the pavements of America or crunched up between the fenders of offending morons? It's a mystery.

Anyway... we switched off when we hit Novato and Billy drove the 128 leg of the trip. This gave me the chance to make myself sick and dizzy shooting blurry pics of mountains and vineyards out the window of the truck as we wheeled through the switchbacks and curves into Anderson Valley. For much of this segment of the drive I have to let Rudy stand on me with his head out the window. This has proven to be the ONLY effective way to keep him from barfing because of the twisty nature of the road.



The vineyards that line the valley are really beautiful this time of the year. Please excuse the blurred edges and random compositions here but I wanted to share a few shots with ya....






The rolling hills dotted with huge gnarly California Oaks are just the best. Once you have made it across the valley you end up driving through a section of redwoods along the Navarro River and it is really cool too.




We landed back in Mendo at our campsite with just enough time for me to zip up in to town and grab a couple of burritos from the Mendocino Bakery before they closed so we would not have to cook last night. I will say one thing for certain about living here. It is uncomplicated. It is easy. There are not many choices to make other than where to go for a walk or which bakery do you want a coffee and scone from? You focus more on being outside and enjoying life and it's simple pleasures.

Tomorrow is our 1st Living History Days field trip at the visitor's center. You should definitely be waiting on pins and needles to see and hear the results of this. If we survive the day of biscuit baking and butter churning with 37 local 2nd graders it should be worthy of a story or two.