My Favorite Five: Things to do in Sonoma County, CA

02 Monday Jul 2012

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My family vacation is over, and my individual adventure begins. I was lucky enough to spend 8 days in Jenner, CA with my parents and some extended family, although I missed my little brother a ton and wish he had been able to join us. Here are my 5 recommendations of things to do if you’re in Sonoma County! 
Go wine tasting in Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, CA:
The last time my family went wine-tasting, I was about 14 and not allowed to drink. Although I tasted a few wines there, it obviously didn’t compare to the full experience of driving from winery to winery, sipping from glasses and dumping out the untasted wine to prepare for the next taste.
Vineyards at Wilson Wineries

Wine barrels at Ferrari-Cardano
Explore Petaluma, CA:
On the day we drove in to Sonoma County, we happened upon a farmers’ market in Petaluma’s Walnut Square. There, we found a delightful and delicious assortment of vegetables, fruit, cheeses, hummus, bread and more.
Chocolate!
On one of my last days in the area, we went to Petaluma and got to walk around the main part of the town; there are so many great boutiques, antique stores, book shops, food (including a killer chocolate shop! Viva Cocolat!) and we even got to the movie theatre. Petaluma seems to have the comforts of a bigger place with the feel of a small town.
Walk through the Armstrong Redwoods outside of Guerneville, CA:
Be inspired by the strength and antiquity of these incredible trees. There are hikes and walks ranging from .5 miles of easy trail to strenuous 9 mile treks for the fittest of hikers. Admire the stillness and light filtering through the gargantuan flora.
Hang out with the seals in Jenner, CA:
View of the Russian River in Jenner, CA
Okay, so maybe “hang out” isn’t the right term, but “admire from afar” may suit. Drive down to Goat Rock Beach and walk to the jetty to inspect the seals (from the appropriate distance, mind you!) or rent a kayak and paddle to the nearby shore for the same privilege. The Nature Channel up close and personal, seriously! I, for one, never knew what weird croaking noises seals made until I heard them in person.
Survey the surf along the Sonoma Coast Trail in Sonoma County, CA:
Whether the fog is rolling in like a scene from a Hitchcock or it’s blue skies as far as the eye can see, it’s worth walking any of the paths that connect the beaches along the coast. We drove to Grill Way and walked about a mile south, all the while gawking at the beautiful view of the coastline. Even in the fog, it was impressive. Trails are well marked, and can vary in length; if you want, you can even connect it with your seal hangout by walking the path that goes all the way to Goat Rock Beach!

Thoughts on Wine Tasting

02 Monday Jul 2012

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My freshman year of college I took a fascinating intro linguistics class; one of the articles we read had to do with terminology in the wine world. Granted, it has been about seven years since I read this article, but this is what I remember about it: When a wine is described as having “nutty,” “citrusy,” “tropical,” “hints of cedar,” etc., according to this linguist, it’s all kind of crap. The language used to describe wine by sommeliers or wine experts or foodies or whoever is pretty personal to how they would describe it, but it’s very difficult to capture a common taste and define it.  I truly understood this on my trip to Sonoma County.
After lunch one day, we had headed back to Lytton Springs Road, and made it to Ridge. Their outdoor tasting flight featured a chardonnay, a zinfandel, a blend of 5 wines, and a syrah. Generally speaking, I know how wine tastings are supposed to look. You put your nose in the glass, breathe deeply, try to smell things like dainty rose petals and unicorn blood coupled with a rogue hint of chestnut. Swish it around a bit, make a comment about the “legs” of the wine. Take a swig, swish some more (this time inside your mouth), and again search for that elusive taste of aging hyena or what have you. Well, this time I actually could identify a taste to a smell and it wasn’t totally baloney.

“Fuschia. If fuschia had a smell, that would be it,” I said of the Zinfandel of their Funsten Ranch property. The only way I could describe it was fuschia. And then it hit me—the smell reminded me of those scented crayons, you know, the ones from when you were a kid and maybe took a nibble once, just to see if the snozberries actually tasted like snozberries. Waxy almost, but in a good way. But I’m certain that my father sitting next to me would never in a million years have picked that out as a taste. After I mentioned it, though, he agreed that he could see how the fruity crayons might play a part in my taste. Or maybe he was just humoring me, but I”ll take what I can get.
For the record, I do not make it a habit to eat wax. Or crayons.

A few days later…

The first winery we made it to after a TASTY lunch from Big Bottom Market in Guerneville was Ferrari-Cardano. Modeled like an Italian villa with beautiful gardens, it certainly fit the visual bill for a winery.
My dad and I shared a 4-wine tasting. Being the consummate documenter that I am (not), I forgot to write down the names of the wines we tasted. Definitely one was a Zinfandel. Maybe one was a Sauvignan Blanc. I know for sure we tasted a Gewurstraminer, because I requested it. And a sweet dessert wine called Baci, which was infused with chocolate.
The point of this is less to detail what we drank and when, but I do want to share that I actually tasted—and NAMED—flavors for all of them before reading the description on the tasting menu! Success! One had a hint of strawberries, another had an oaky flavor, and another was crisp. For a regular wine aficionado, maybe this is a small feat. But to me, it was pretty exciting!
We stopped at 2 more vineyards after that, both family owned and operated. The only memorable wine from those two, for me, was a really nice Zinfandel at Wilson Winery. And I usually don’t really like Zin!
Have you ever gone wine tasting? Share your experiences in the comments!

As Aretha once sang…

28 Thursday Jun 2012

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Where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean in Jenner, California, there is a long strip of sandy beach. The coast is punctuated with rocks jutting up out of the surf. At sunset, the light is a certain indescribable golden hue that only beaches seem to have. Something else makes the beach special. Not just the photogenic driftwood or the accumulated clouds at dusk.

Goat’s Rock Beach is home to a seal harbor sanctuary. From March to July, mama seals come to the beach to have their pups and hang out. Curious juveniles swim up to kayaks (including ours today) to pop their heads out and watch before slipping back under the surf. On the river side of the shore, you can see dozens of seals laying out, peacefully soaking up the sun. 
Sorry this photo doesn’t really capture the seals. But they’re there. And they’re awesome.
I could sit for hours and watch the little gray, slippery heads venture out of the waters; it’s like having your very own Nature Channel. Just the other day I was enjoying watching the seals brave the curve in the current to make it to the other side of the beach. 
I considered framing this post as a rant, or as a “3 ways how not to ruin nature” deal. I wanted to rail against decisions I thought other people shouldn’t have made. But I decided against it; I’ll let the negative energy slide. The one thing I want to remind you, dear readers, without sounding too preachy or rude or whatever, is to be respectful of signage in nature preserves. Please, please, please.

 If there are a million signs asking to stay a certain distance away from the wildlife, follow those instructions. They are there for a reason, namely being the safety of the animals, and to ensure that they have a home to return next time they are there. 

Harbor seals do not move easily on land. When they are startled on land, they may abandon their pups to go back into the water until the area is safe again. If an entire group of seals is often disturbed by people, they may not go back to that location. Use common sense. Don’t disturb natural habitats, ESPECIALLY the ones that are all special and preserve-y and stuff. 
Okay, I’m done now with that part. But while I’m on the topic of seals, does anyone else remember that movie, Andre? About the seal that the little girl raises and she turned up later in Napoleon Dynamite? I loved that movie. The soundtrack was epic…

https://i0.wp.com/www.stargatecinema.com/images/magictoolbox_cache/22449-04_t_400.jpg
Photo courtesy of Stargate Cinema
Kayaking was great, though! I forgot what a good arm workout it is. We got to see the water and the beach and our house from another perspective, and then we ate a really big lunch. 
P.S. The weather here is perfect.
P.P.S. Here are wise words from our dear friend, Aretha. 

California Dreamin’: Day 1 in Sonoma County

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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My arrival in Oakland was met with a cool breeze and sweater weather. SWEATER WEATHER. (Remember, dear readers, my native home of Tucson, where the usual “cold” winter consists of maybe needing a scarf and close-toed shoes. Maybe. On the day I left, it was about 115 in Phoenix.) We drove from Oakland into Berkeley, the fabled land of crunchy granola hippie-dom and intellect.
Lunch was at La Note, a French restaurant famous for its authentic Provencal cooking. All the laudatory magazine articles and certificates hanging on one wall were deserved: the service was attentive and personal, despite the long waits at times (it was PACKED); the menu was creative without straying too far from its original French canon; the meal was tasty as heck. Hot chocolate was served—as it should be—in large mugs more like bowls than cups. The reason? To dip in bread, of course!
Chocolat
Slowly but surely we passed through miles of California coast. Farmer stands on the side of the freeway, cows, even a llama seated in some field watched us as we zoomed by. California’s landscape is breathtaking sometimes in its simple beauty: the tawny grass against the blue of the coastal skies alone rendered me speechless.
I love the starkness of the lone tree. This photo isn’t edited yet, this is the natural clear blue of the sky!
At Petaluma, we veered off to go grocery shopping. Earlier in the day, my parents had pined for a farmers’ market or organic, local produce from somewhere other than Whole Foods. Well, kids, ask and ye shall receive. Turns out, Saturdays from 2-5:30, Petaluma has a farmers’ market in the town square! Produce is not the only thing sold there—hats, granola, handwoven baskets, Master Gardener advice, crystals, and the kids can even get a ride on a pony! Plus, the live music was a great touch. Our trunk filled with groceries, we went on our way.
Farmers’ market veg!


By 5ish we got into Jenner, population 107 and elevation 19. At the mouth of the Russian River, Jenner is stunning, if not a wee bit isolated. Many of the homes around us seem to be vacation rentals, but I could see why. With no cellular service (seriously, even with 4G I was SOL) and the nearest grocery store 15 miles away, Jenner is the perfect haven for someone wanting to escape it all.

View from the deck of the house.

 Other than the cell phone thing, our rental is virtually perfect. The deck overlooks the Russian River pouring out into the Pacific, and the closest beach, Goat’s Rock, is home to a seal pup refuge. Plus, this is what it looks like. Not a bad start to a week, I’d say. 

Goat’s Rock Beach

California Dreamin’: Thousand Oaks

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Friday’s itinerary went something like this:

  • ·         Wake up at 8:30 a.m. Be able to sleep IN because of fancy light-blocking shades.
  • ·         Be leisurely. No rushing breakfast, no rushing to find driving directions, no rushing, period.
  • ·         Intend to drive to Malibu to get to the beach. Instead, go the wrong way and end up asking a postman for directions.
  • ·         Get recalibrated and drive to El Matador Beach in Malibu. Admire scenic California highways.
Exhibit 1: On the way to Malibu!
  • ·         Arrive at El Matador. Find perfect spot on the shore.
  • ·         Run into freezing cold water, mostly just to say you did.
Exhibit 2: In freezing cold water!
  • ·         Look at cool rocks and birds.
  • ·         Drive back to Thousand Oaks.
  • ·         Go on super long hike through hills and dales and valleys and to waterfalls, all the while panting behind your boyfriend’s dad, who is clearly in way better shape than you are.
Exhibit 3: Waterfall in Wildwood Park

Exhibit 4: I think we walked this entire thing. (It felt like it, at least!)
  • ·         Be concerned about hiking Mt. Olympus. Decide to “train.”
  • ·         Grill for dinner. Be proud of the amount of knowledge you actually have about cooking, including meat. Girls at the Grill power, man!

Where I Am and A Nice Video!

22 Friday Jun 2012

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Sorry I’ve been so delinquent in posting! This past week has been full of preparing for my trip. A new laptop came in (Dell Inspiron 14z, I know it’s not the smallest on the market, but it came at the right price and is still pretty light!), I’ve been scrambling to pack and prepare for my trip to California, which happens before my big trip, etc. etc. And, of course, trying to spend good time with friends before I take off for a long while.

So! I’m currently in Thousand Oaks, California to meet Boris’ dad, stepmom and grandma. I’d never been to Thousand Oaks, which, depending on traffic, is about an hour from LA. The landscape here is really beautiful; their deck in the backyard looks out onto a valley with pseudo-plains and mountains. The fields are the color of straw, and in the sunset light yesterday, I couldn’t help but think of that song, “Fields of Gold,” by Sting.

I’ll try to get some photos up soon!

Tomorrow morning I’ll be flying into Oakland to meet up with my family. We’re going to be hanging out in Sonoma County, where we’ll be lounging, canoeing, birding, hiking, beaching and wine tasting. It’s gonna be pretty sweet.

In the meantime, check out this video by a dude named Matt. Matt has gone around the world dancing. This is right up my alley, and my friend Regina knew that and sent it to me. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it!

The Magic of Monsoons

18 Monday Jun 2012

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One of the (many) treasures living in Tucson, Arizona is the weather. For 9 months of the year, it is perfect: warm, sunny, little need for sweaters. Scarves are more a fashion accessory than a temperature-related necessity, and to be honest, most of the time I like it that way. But the summer is HOT. Yes, it is true, it’s a dry heat. I learned when we went to New Orleans that there is a huge difference, although I’m still trying to figure out whether my body prefers arid or humid.

BUT. But. During the summer, usually in July, come the monsoons. You read it right–monsoons. True, we’re in a desert, but due to the shifting wind flow in the summer months, the high daytime temperatures, and something about subtropical high pressure cells all combine to give us some blessings during the summer heat: monsoon thunderstorms. 


These thunderstorms are not only awesome (in every sense of the word) because they give us a refreshing afternoon rain. They’re also awesome because they make the desert air smell brilliant. During storms, a local plant called creosote emits a unique odor.* It is one of my all-time favorite smells. Whenever I’m in a new city, I always keep tabs on how it smells during and after a rain–so far, nowhere else in the world smells as neat as Tucson.

Anyway, we had our first monsoon the other day. Officially, monsoon season started last week, which actually seems a little earlier than normal, but whatever, I’ll take it. My favorite image during a monsoon is of the dark clouds contrasting sharply with the terra cotta and pinks of the stucco on buildings. I spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing my stuff (only 2.5 weeks until big departure!), and making sure our anxiety-ridden dog didn’t freak out. Here she is relaxing before the thunder claps got too close:

And sometimes, this is what happens after the storm:

Double rainbow! Insert every quote from that crazy double rainbow video here.

*This is, ya know, desert-y stuff you learn from growing up in a place like this. I thought knowing all the different varieties of cacti and desert animals was totally normal until cousins from Jersey visited when I was a kid. For the record, it’s pronounced “heel-ah” monster…

Ever experienced a monsoon? What’s your favorite part? And what does your town smell like in the rain?

Trip Update! The list dwindles…

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Peddling my many wares at my yard sale

It’s been a number of weeks since my last trip update, so for those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook, where I’ve posted flight purchases and such with many exclamation points, here’s the up-to-date scoop on my travel plans:

Remember last time I posted about our itinerary, I had to figure out what I’d be doing from July 14-Aug. 5? 

Well, I at least know what I’ll be doing from July 25-August 5. GOING TO SCOTLAND! I’ll be traveling to the Scottish Highlands, including the Isle of Skye, hopefully the Isle of Harris, Oban, Ullapool, etc. with Kat Carney, adventurer and photographer extraordinaire. (Check out her beautiful work here.) We’re hoping to hit up some beautiful hiking in the highlands, get onto the water and do some kayaking, perhaps, and we happen to overlap with the Scotland FRINGE FESTIVAL (!!!), which I’ve always wanted to check out! Very exciting.

Also, Boris and I have tickets booked from Athens to Istanbul on August 6. From there, we’ll explore a bit of Turkey until he has to leave for his program, at which point I will somehow get back to Italy by September 1 to start my WWOOFing gig! Whew. Lots of plane tickets purchased in the past couple weeks, all exciting. Still working on booking accommodation and planning for these places, but slowly and steadily it is getting done.

One thing I’m pretty excited about for Scotland–other than trying the Scotch, searching for Nessie and trying to catch some fairies in the fairy pools–is to try Couchsurfing! I know many other folks who have had a great time using it, and I’m looking forward to meeting new people and getting local advice from our hosts.

Now this is what my major to-do list looks like: 
 

Make a list of countries you want to see and the entry/visa requirements (This is yellow because it’s almost done)

Call regional consulate or visa office re: travel within Schengen (I think I figured it out with all my internetz)
Go to Verizon store to ask about phone options
Make doc appointments! (Made AND attended!)
Buy plane ticket (Flying Lufthansa to Athens on July 4!)

Get copy of glasses/contacts prescriptions
Buy travel insurance

Notify bank
Get a credit card(Did a lot of research, my credit card is a Chase Sapphire Platinum. I NEVER HAVE TO GO ON HOLD WHEN I CALL THEM. It’s kind of crazy)
Get wwoofing position

Research volunteer options

Go through clothing & books to purge non-essentials
Yard sale for stuff!

So much progress! And, of course, every week I’m working on my Go! Girl Guides interviews, corresponding with interesting and adventurous women from around the globe, exploring said globe!


Countdown to official departure, T minus 21 days!