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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