Thursday, May 4-Saturday, May 6                                                                                              Sugar Loaf Mountain State Park

Andy had never been to the wine country of California, and I was here once for just a day.  We were both looking forward to good food, good wine, and beautiful scenery. We chose a campground conveniently located near some of the vineyards and the town of Sonoma.

Sugarloaf is clearly a favorite of families and scouting groups.  There were lots of kids running around and having a blast.  The campground had showers; a welcome amenity.  Most national parks do not have showers or hot water; some have pit toilets and no running water.  State parks generally have better services for campers. Not sure why that is but it must be a question of $$.  Any way, Andy and I were glad to jump in one of the shower rooms (they always require quarters) for a five minute dose of soap and water.  The water came out at a drip, and was kind of lukewarm. We failed to notice that the lights were on a timer, so after about two minutes we were plunged into total darkness.  This resulted in a lot of somewhat hysterical laughter, but we did the best we could. (Sorry, no pictures!!)

We spent two days driving through this beautiful country and visiting vineyards.

This one specializes in sparkling wines.  It was a nice way to start the day!

Each winery is different.  Some are very elaborate, like this one.  All are surrounded by acres of vines and beautiful flowers.

The Sonoma and Napa Valleys are known for fine dining.  We had lunch in at Botega in Yountville, a town that features several well known restaurants. The food was fabulous!!

We had a great time exploring this lush area.  Most people who live within the region have vines growing in every bit of space they can find around their homes.  One day we took a shortcut road that runs between the two valleys.  It was the twistiest road I’ve ever seen;  one hairpin turn after another.  The weather was so nice we didn’t even need to put the rain fly on our tent.

We have really enjoyed the fresh food here; especially the fruit.  Cherries, strawberries, blackberries, and apricots.  Oh, and avocados.  Oranges.  Wonderful. We could definitely hang out here for a while longer, but we’re headed for the Redwoods!

We left the campground on Saturday and had a lovely drive up Highway 1; another twisty road that hugs the coast.  There was a bicycle race that day with hundreds of peddlers competing for our lane.  Interesting!

We spent Saturday night in Eureka, California.  We stayed at the Eagle House Victorian Inn.  It was described in our guide book as a slightly down at the heels hotel in a building that was formerly a brothel.  We were surprised to find a crowd of people in the lobby when we arrived, laughing and drinking champagne.  Turns out the hotel was recently purchased by two couples and they had opened their doors to the community in an opening celebration.  We had a good time and enjoyed the decor and ambiance.