Coming Soon!

I learned the last time around in California that the state parks are beautiful, but if you want to camp, you had better be on your game making reservations.  The Newcamps were always good at planning ahead with reservations with flexible cancellation policies, but we won't be able to just tag along on their pre-arranged trips anymore, so I am doing my best to plan ahead. I'm making a wishlist and already scheduling trips.

My goal is to do one "big" (further away, multiple sites to see) weekend per month, one small local trip (maybe just overnight) and then have two weekends for exploring our local area and day trips.  I'm definitely hoping to find some adventurous friends who are up for a morning hike or bike ride once a week as well!

* A note on camping in California state parks *
Reservations if available, are made primarily through the Reserve America website. Parks open a whole month block of dates at the beginning of each month, seven months in advance. So all of August became available February 1st. The website has a feature that sends you a reminder when a site is available for your chosen date, but for some reason by the time I got a notification, the sites were all gone for Big Sur state parks. I set my own alarm for March 1st and was able to snag a site in Limekiln State Park for September, but within a few days every weekend spot for September was gone.  The cancellation policy is pretty good, I think you lose an $8 reservation fee, but I believe you could also pass on your reservation to another person, so it's worth just grabbing a site or two when they become available. 

Here are my plans so far:

August 2016

Big Basin Redwoods State Park - about and hour and 30 minutes north of Monterey around the bay this state park is close to Santa Cruz and a little town called Capitola that I've read is worth seeing. The park has tent cabins with wood stoves that we might try in the colder months, but in August I have reserved us a tent site.

September 2016

Mendocino, CA - This location is about 4 hours from Monterey, so we needed a long weekend to make it worth the drive. I've heard amazing things about the area and I'm still doing some research into what to see and do. I've found probably the prettiest Airbnb ever to stay in, so stay tuned for photos!

Big Sur, CA - Limekiln State Park has beach sites as well as creek views and redwood groves. It is about an hour south of the town of Big Sur, and an hour north of San Simeon.  I think it will be a great location for exploring the area.

October 2016

Mount Tam - All over the internet and pinterest I find rave reviews about the cabins at Steep Ravine on Mount Tamalpais. If I can get us a reservation on April 1st I will feel like a reserveamerica.com ninja! I have heard they are very difficult to book, but that the campsites are also nice.  So don't ask me to do anything at 10am central time on April first, because I have plans!


So that's what I am planning for my first fall in California! Any readers with suggestions on what we should add to the list?  I'm working on an Ultimate Bucket List, and would love suggestions!

Memorial Day in Wine Country

Way back at the end of May, we loaded up the car with the B’s and headed up to wine country. Napa is probably the area of California we have visited the most since moving here, but it never gets old. Every season brings with it a different landscape and different activities. By the end of May the valley is quite green, but still cool. It’s the perfect time to explore the wineries and enjoy some non-drinking outdoor activities.

Friday’s drive into the valley was uneventful. The group had to head into San Francisco to pick me up from SFO. (I spent the week in Virginia for work and flew in to join the group.) Although, we had some traffic as we went into the city and then back out the Golden Gate Bridge, we made the best use of our time by stopping into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just over the bridge. After a few short walks (and some National Parks Pass Stamps) we headed into Sausa

lito for dinner. Street parking was ample and there were many restaurant options, although we settled on Angelinos, a small Italian place that ended up providing one of the best meals of the trip!

Travis, AFB is a great lodging option, although there are plenty of places in the valley if you prefer to spend a little more and stay closer. We had two full days in the valley and the plan for both days was to visit a few wineries, pack our lunch for a picnic and do a non-drinking activity. We divided our days by valley – Saturday was spent in Napa, Sunday in Sonoma leaving Monday to head back to Edwards.

Saturday morning, after grabbing coffee from the hotel we headed over to the Oxbow Public Market farmer’s market in downtown Napa for breakfast. We prepared fo

r our day by stuffing ourselves with cherries, berries, pastries and even savory creeps. We could have picked up lunch supplies at the market but decided to wait a bit and stop at one of the little groceries further up the valley for sandwiches. (You will never want for food options in Napa.)

V Sattui Winery opens nearly an hour earlier then the other vineyards, so it’s always a good place to start your day. It can get crowded, but we found a spot at the bar and enjoyed a tasting of a variety of wines. V. Sattui has a wide variety of wines and several tasting options in addition to small grocery store where you can pick up picnic supplies. Since it was memorial day weekend they were also barbequing in the back of the property – you can call in advance to see what events they have going on. We almost missed a chance to see the large aging barrels, but we ventured down a p

ath and opened a closed door to find a display area complete with huge again barrels. (If your there its worth a peek, just follow signs to the wine club tasting room.)

Just up the road in Oakville is our favorite place to pick up lunch – Oakville Grocery. We all ordered sandwiches to go and headed a bit farther up the road to Elizabeth Spencer.

We always stop here – partly because we are wine club members and partly because we always hav

e a wonderful time. The wines are a great example

of a small production winery. The tasting room is small but they do have some outdoor seating. We spent over an hour with the lovely people from Elizabeth Spencer learning about their reserve wines.

When we left Elizabeth Spencer it has started to rain, putting a damper on our picnic plans. The boys found a nice rock wall to eat lunch on, while the girls enjoyed our lunch dry in the car in the parking lot of the Culinary Institute of America. Some of you may remember that when Jeff and I went on our “mini-moon” to Napa we had dinner reservations at CIA and accidentally slept through them

after a long day of wine tasting. We decided to try again and made reservations for a cooking demonstration. The demonstration includes a glass of wine and a sample of whatever dish they make. I love cooking classes and this one was a great demonstration of cooking techniques from a CIA instructor. If you’re interested in a class or other activity you should call in advance because they do fill up.

We decided after the cooking class to take advantage of Twitter “check-in specials” around Napa for the remainder of the day – places like Mumm Napa and Turnbull Winery offer t

wo for one tastings when you show your twitter check-in. (We will defiantly take more advantage of these deals the next time we are here.) We found a little church in downtown Napa for evening mass and then grabbed dinner at the Chipotle outside of the base and went back to the room to watch a movie. (Wine tasting will make you very tried!)

Sunday, we had a full day planned over in Sonoma valley – we grabbed lunch at Whole Foods in downtown Napa. (If you tell them your headed out on a picnic they will pack everything so it doesn’t get soggy.) It’s about an hour drive from downtown Napa up into Sonoma valley

. We pulled into Bob Burkes Canoe rental for a half-day trip down the Russian River. Bob’s is your only canoe rental option and they are not organized at all. You should call ahead to make a reservation because they do sell out of boats. You must pay in cash and there is no ATM in the parking lot they run out of – so come prepared. You also will need to leave a drivers license with them to ensure that you return the canoe. Despite their disorganization the canoe trip is well worth it. The river was crowded but there is enough of a current that you will move forward even when you don’t paddle and there are plenty of places to beach your canoe and enjoy lunch. We dinned with a Boy Scout troop on the river earning their canoeing badge. Burkes does have changing rooms when you get back from canoeing so you can continue your day without feeling like you were in a canoe all morning.

Korbel is just down the road from Burkes and is a well-deserved stop. They offer free tours of the gardens and the cellar – both, which are interesting. The tours and tasting are free but are capped, so check in at the old railroad building to find out what the tours are looking like for that day. (We have never had trouble getting on a tour here.) The tour comes with a tasting – although you can also just go do a tasting in their tasting room. Most importantly, Korbel offers a 50% discount on all purchases to all active duty military!

We had dinner at a little place called Uva Trattoria Italiana. Parking was a bit of a problem and the food was fine – on a different trip we had Pizza and Salads at a place jus

t down the road and I thought that place was better. There is nothing wrong with this place, but it just wasn’t anything special either.

Monday we decided to grab a big breakfast at Huckleberry’s on our way out of town – it’s a little breakfast dinner with a “tom sawyer” type theme. The breakfast was delicious and put us all in a good mood for the drive home. There is no good way to get back from Napa – it’s a boring drive. Luckily, I had the Bossypants Audiobook on my iPod and we laughed all the way to Fresno where we finally stopped for lunch at In N’ Out Burger and a tour of Baldasar’s Underground Gardens.

The Underground Gardens deserve their own post. They are weird. They are so weird I am not sure if I should recommend the place or not. Basically, this immigrant thought it was too hot to grow citrus so he dug and then lived in miles and miles of tunnels growing citrus – now they give to

urs. The admission price is a bit hefty, but honestly it was worth it to say we have hit the biggest tourist attraction in Fresno. (I've posted photos bellow to illustrate the creepiness.)

It's Snowing in Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe is far from Edwards. It's really far. But if you've got a long weekend and want to escape Edwards in every sense of the notion, go! The 380 mile trek up Rt 395 should take you 6-7 hours and you'll probably consider stopping short when you pass the exit for Mammoth Lakes. But for those who make the drive, the scenery and outdoor activity opportunities are boundless.

On our recent trip, we stayed at the eco-friendly 968 Park Hotel in South Lake Tahoe (check website for deals). This was a perfect launching point because the Heavenly ski resort is across the street from 968 Park and all of the town's amenities are nearby.

We spent our first day with a driving tour from South Lake Tahoe NW to Tahoe City. En route, we stopped at Vikingsholm State Park (at Emerald Bay). There, we strapped on our snowshoes for a 2-mile roundtrip romp to a Scandinavian themed summer home. Edwards Outdoor Recreation rents good snowshoes ($4/day). Then we caught an excellent lunch at the Bridgetender in Tahoe City. Share the garlic fries appetizer.

We were lucky enough to be in South Lake Tahoe for the town's Christmas Tree lighting. It was a charming event, but their 150' tall tree was lit by only a handful of lights and looked pretty sparse. Then we crossed from CA to NV to see a mediocre improv comedy show at Harvey's casino. Look for coupons before going.

On day 2, we headed straight to Hansen's Resort, where for $10/hour you can tube down their hill. I was a skeptic, but after an hour I was both exhausted and satisfied with the cost. Just down the street, we found lunch at a Wolfgang Puck Express. After Mass, we found a solid local restaurant at the Red Hut Cafe.

We also went ice skating at the local ice rink. Ideally, we were going to skate under the night sky at the Heavenly resort, but $20 was no way to attract business. Plus, the town's ice rink was 3-4x larger. But, they did turn off the lights and turn on the disco ball halfway thru the skating session. And for anyone not comfortable on the ice, moving lights don't help.

There are a handful of ski resorts around Lake Tahoe - some offer free or reduced lift tickets to active duty folks. And if we get another chance to make our way to Tahoe, we'll definitely stop at the Donner Memorial State Park.

En route home along Rt 395, we stopped to see the Upside Down House in Lee Vining. Special Note: the Whoa Nellie Deli in Lee Vining is closed in the winter!

Go By Train.

My husband and I had this crazy idea to take the train home from Vancouver. Ever since I was little I had this romanticized view of traveling by train. There is just something about cruising down the coastline with the scenes passing by the window without worrying about traffic or trying to find somewhere to stop and eat. While living in Washington, DC I took a few train rides with Amtrack – mostly just the high speed Acela train to NYC for a long weekend – but it didn’t have the same allure as the “Coast Starlight.” The Acela spends most of its time speeding through small towns on its way from big city to big city – not at all the pacific coastline the Coast Starlight follows on its way to LA. So when we had a few days to get from Vancouver back to LA – we booked the tickets and a sleeper car.

So here is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Everyone should take the train – even if you only do it once. It is reminiscent of an earlier days where getting to and from the location was part of the journey.

The Coastal Starlight is not a fast train. The train’s top speed is close to 80mph, but you spend most of the journey putting around 40mph. The slow ride makes for gorgeous views but a slow journey down the coast. If you are in a hurry get on a plane.

You should also be aware that the train does not go down the coast per se. It parallels the coast but you won’t see much water till you hit Santa Barbara. While there are not “stunning coastal views” for the entire trip, we rolled through some beautiful parts of the Northwest.

Book a sleeper car. If you are going to do the entire route it is well worth the money to book a sleeper car. We booked the smallest option “the roomette” and it provided enough space for us to store our book bags (large luggage is left on a rack downstairs), sit and even sleep. I am not claiming that this was a lot of space – its about 1/3 of the with of a train car – but it was shockingly comfortable. A door and curtain provide some privacy from the other passengers. We used some of our 36 hours to return phone calls and talk with friends from the East Coast – the roomette kept our conversations private and prevented us from disturbing other passengers.

The sleeping quarters are tight – but surprisingly comfortable (I had the bottom bunk).

The sleeper car not only gives you a space to call your own, but it also opens up the “Parlor Lounge Car’ for your use and includes all your meals.

The meals are fine. Not good, not bad – just fine. If you need any sort of specialty meal you will need to call well in advance to make sure they have it on the train for you. We had the same choices for lunch and dinner both days – I ate the salmon for dinner both days – Jeff had the steak. Its one notch above airline food – but it is included in the cost of the Sleeper Car.

The other people on the train were an interesting bunch. Those who had sleeper cars seemed to be riding the train for the experience – those who didn’t have sleeper cars seemed to be riding the train because they couldn’t fly. If you plan to take the train for more then just a few hours you may also feel more comfortable in a sleeper car.

The National Park Service does their “Rails and Trails” program aboard the Coastal Starlight. You are able to get two unique train NPS passport cancellations from them and also hear their narration. We found these programs to be very hit or miss. The Ranger that was on board from Seattle to Portland was great. The ranger that joined us in San Luis Obispo left something to be desired.

While I am not sure we will be taking the train up the coast again any time soon, we did enjoy the experience. There was something romantic about sharing a small sleeper car with your spouse and playing “Yahtzee” with new found friends in the Parlor Car. I can’t lie – it was a LONG ride – but I am glad to have knocked it off my list of things to

The Mendocino Coast

A distant 530 miles from Edwards via I-5, the picturesque Mendocino Coast makes a great 5-7 day trip. Any less time and you'll feel like a prisoner in your car. Normally, I would choose to pick a couple of roadside diversions along the way - but there was little that would make me lengthen the drive! But on insistent advice from a coworker, I decided to stop at the ultimate roadside distraction: Casa de Fruta. Tucked along route 152 between I-5 and route 101, Casa de Fruta is the epitome of tacky, overpriced and obnoxious. Billed as a dried fruit vendor, Casa de Fruta housed a carousel, passenger mini train, wine tasting, snack shop, ice cream & fudge, panning for gemstones - and you guessed it - boards to stick your head through. Yes, the ultimate break from a long drive! But beware, visiting Casa de Fruta then forces a longer drive to Mendocino. Your likely route from Edwards would then be I-5N to rt 152 to rt 101N.

En route close to Mendocino, you'll pass through some of the finest stands of Redwoods. Then you will be treated to remarkable coastal scenes along the PCH. Mendocino itself is tiny, but caters to the tourist. On Lansing St, you'll find the Harvest Market. Load up on picnic eats and a few bottles of local wine. For those interested in local architecture and history, spend 2 hours walking around town and through the local shops. For a rest, stop into Breggo Cellars on Main Street and taste their red wines.

Take those picnic eats with you on a stroll along the Mendocino Headlands (go west to the end of Main St). You'll find stairs down to a small beach, or you can stay on top and enjoy watching the waves crash against the coastline.

Now that you've seen the town of Mendocino, you'll want to expand your ring of experience. Highlights along the Mendo Coast are the Russian Gulch and Van Damme Beach State Parks. You'll find short-to-long hiking trails along beautiful coastline and interior forests (to include several Pygmy forests). Driving 10 miles north, you'll be rewarded at MacKerricher State Park. There, you can find a nature trail leading to easily accessible tidepooling and an overlook where you'll find sea lions / seals. Unless you're a birding enthusiast, avoid the walk around the lagoon. The boardwalk ends 200 yards into the walk and you'll find yourself wondering why you didn't just stay a little longer at the seal overlook.

For a romantic touch, consider Ricochet Ranch trail rides on the beach or amongst the Redwoods. We took the $45, 90-min ride along the beach and it was perfect. Ask how many are going on the ride you book - and avoid going when there's a crowd of tourists.

Now that you've seen nature, check out a blending of man's impact on nature. Glass Beach, around 901 Glass Beach Drive in Fort Bragg, CA, is a serious enjoyment. On the site of an old dump, this beach's sand is half sand, half beach glass. Spend an hour sifting through the variety of colored glass.

Also in Fort Bragg (just north of Mendo), you'll find the Skunk Train. It has a variety of short rail trips. They were closed when I was there, but reviews are excellent. Of note, CNN named the rail graveyard behind the Skunk Train building in Fort Bragg to their top 10 Most Creepy Sites in America in 2009.

The Anderson Valley (along hwy 128) is a day-trip from Mendo. Tasting fees are reasonable (Free or $5 for ~ 6 pours) and the valley hasn't yet become a busy Napa. Pick up a map of the local wineries and be sure to try Scharffenberger (sparkling), Husch and Handley. Combine with a trip south along the PCH to the Point Arena lighthouse and the oddly curious bowling ball beach.


Logistics:
1. Because cell & data reception are poor in Mendocino, you may need to find Moody's Organic Coffee Bar (pay Internet).

2. You can't go wrong with the restaurants in the town of Mendocino - but expect fairly expensive entrees.

3. Pack layers.

4. Travel is slow on the Mendo coast. The roads are windy and speed limits are low.

SanFransisco Family Fun

We all arrived in SF in the evening. We are members of the Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel and always take advantage of their great hotel location and amazing happy hour. After catching up over some wine and great views of Union Square we headed to Chinatown for dinner. Our concierge recommended the Empress of China and boy was it yummy.

The next day after mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church we headed uptown for breakfast. The line for Sears Fine Foods Restaurant was up the street - but it was worth the wait. I had the famous pancakes and they were yummy! We spent our time waiting in line planning out the rest of our day.

The plan was simple walk from Sears Fine Foods to the Exploratorium. Turns out the walk is about 5 miles but was full of mini adventures.

The first stop was the Cable Car Museum on the corner of Washington and Mason. The museum features the cables that run under the streets of SF powering the cable cars. Another perk - the museum is free.

From the Cable Car Museum it was a leisurely downhill walk to the waterfront. There is some construction on the sidewalks around Ghiradelli square so we ducked into the San Fransisco Maritime Museum run by the National Park Service. The ranger was nice and pointed us toward a back staircase and we were treated to some amazing views of Alcatraz in the process. Oh and we got stamps for our National Parks Passport!

Once on the walking path we basically followed the Golden Gate Trail up through Fort Mason and down the other side to the Marina. At this point we were closer then we thought, but due to some sinage, intended to help traffic flow - not pedestrians, we enjoyed a walk through the surrounding neighborhoods first. You cannot miss the Palace of the Fine Arts which sits right next to the Exploratorium. When we saw the Palace we knew we must be close. We clearly had not walked enough though so we walked all the way around the Palace before we found the entrance to the science museum.
The Exploratorim was recommended for children but we thought we would check it out since we are a science loving group. We figured it would be a nice hour inside - plus it looked like rain. Three hours later we emerged having had lots of hands on fun. By the looks of the surrounding park we missed quite the deluge while we were playing inside.

We regrouped and decided to walk back towards the piers to dinner. We stopped into Scoma's. We were all rather tired - so we took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine. Scoma's was the perfect mix of great food but not so upscale that we couldn't go in our walking clothing. It is also is off the main tourist track so its crowded but not overrun. We waited maybe 20 min for a table for five.

A trip to SF wouldn't be complete without a cable car ride back to the hotel... so our evening ended with a harrowing leap from a semi-stopped cable car. There is nothing like a cable car ride in light rain through the streets of San Fransisco to end your visit to this great California city.