How wonderful to have this day off the road, just the two of us to enjoy the share the solitude with our birds and Sammi.

How utterly relaxing it was. Just the two of us enjoying each other’s company, playing with the birds, and walking Sammi. It has been a day of sweet tranquility.

Bob and I slept in and then had a delicious breakfast of fresh strawberries and yogurt. We watched the fog as we sipped coffee and were entertained by the parrots. Tweetie was in exceptionally good form using most of the words from her vocabulary and then surprising us by saying “Jo” for the first time.

I read for awhile and Bob worked on recording the videos that he took at Kelly and Jeff’s wedding. After lunch, we took Sammi for a walk down the path to the beach. Unfortunately, dogs were not allowed on the actual beach, but the walk was beautiful and it gave us opportunities to photograph the wooded areas.

When we returned, I headed off to take more photographs while Bob and Sammi made their way back to the RV. Costano is amazingly beautiful and on my trek, I discovered wonderful outdoor fireplaces with inviting seating arrangements. How fun it would be to have a family reunion here someday.

For dinner, we headed back to the restaurant for a salad and a salmon entree. Every bit as delicious as last night’s meal. Then we thought it was back to the RV and time to straighten up and get the rig ready for an early morning departure.

However on the walk back and mellowed by a glass of wine, we stopped at the office to let the camp host know we would like to stay one more night. Smug with our spontanity and anticipating another day of cool weather, we enjoyed a dish of peanut butter fudge ice-cream before turning in for the evening.

We woke to blue skies, sunshine, and what we thought would be a sunny ride to Pescadaro and the Castano Lodge and Campgrounds. It was sunny and beautiful for the first two hours, but just as San Francisco drew into sight so did the fog. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and we might as well have been in a tunnel. No view except for grey swirling fog and traffic; ahead, behind, and all around us.

By sheer luck, we found our way to Highway 1 which runs right through the Golden Gate Park and business streets and winds it way to the ocean. We turned left and headed for Pescadaro. The sun begin to shine through the clouds and the fog lifted giving us a beautiful view of Half Moon Bay and high cliffs overlooking the crashing waves below.

About the time Bob and I were convinced that we were lost, we saw the welcoming sign for our turn off. Half a mile later we pulled into the lodge area with its hotel, restaurant, country store, and RV park.

There was time for a quick lunch and an exploring walk with Sammi before settling own for a few hours of quiet. My son John, his wife Rhea, and our Grand-dog Cara drove over from Menlo Park, an hour and a half away.

I always love their visits and this one was great. We walked, talked, and shared strawberries that they bought at a highway stand. Then we headed over to the Lodge for dinner. The dining room served a wonderful salad and an excellent salmon.

Now the fog has rolled in again and there is a light drizzle. Such special weather for desert-dwellers! From our spot in the park we can hear the rhythm of the ocean waves as they meet the shore. Tonight we will sleep with the windows open and revel in the cool salt air and the magical ocean sounds.

We woke early and starting packing our clothes and other items from the Motel. Amazing how much we had hauled up to Room 206. Bob made many trips back and forth before we were ready to drop off the rental car and turn the RV south on 101.

The drive through the miles and miles of Redwoods was thrilling. The sides of the road were dotted with the last of the springtime Golden Poppies and other colorful wild flowers. Here and there we came across clearings where peaceful cows chewed their cuds and the first harvest of hay lay bundled and ready to go.

The Redwoods left us speechless with their height and their magnificent size. At times they formed a canopy over the two lane road nearly obliterating the sunlight. Shades of green everywhere to bedazzle the eye of two desert dwellers and we delighted in drinking in as much of the Mountain greenery as possible.

We stopped in a rest area for lunch and then on to the Manor Oak RV Park in Ukiah. The park is in town and like many RV parks today, has at least half of its spaces filled with permanent residents.

There was a large municipal park just around the corner from us and Sammi and I took a late afternoon walk through it. There was a small path at the back of the park that made us feel like a hiking trail somewhere in the mountains. At least I felt that way who knows what Sammi thought. She was just a happy little Weiner dog experiencing new smells and cool, green grass.

Then it was time for me to fix my famous lemon chicken soup, have a glass of wine, and watch for the sun to go down. Life is good.

A special thanks to all of you who phoned to see if we were okay…..especially you, Mary. I had this post ready to go on Monday morning, when we realized our Motel 8 WiFi was down. Not to worry, we would hook up on the RV Parks’ when we got there Monday night. “Sorry,” they told us we don’t have hookup for the internet. So we said to each other, “No problem when we get to Costonoa, they will surely have WiFi for our use. Oops, no again! However, I dutifully wrote posts each night and will post each morning for the next few days.
Needless to say, we arrived home this afternoon, tired and happy. Still in love with camping, visiting, and being on the road.

After all of yesterday’s festivities, who would have thought Bob and I would wake up early and eager to explore the area. By 8:OO we had already finished our first cup of coffee and walked Sammi.

After checking on the birds and the RV, we headed off to find Eureka and a restaurant with great omlettes. We found a diner with Denver omlettes thatlived up to our expectations. While at breakfast, we mentioned to the waitress that we were interested in touring old town and photographing Victorian houses. Sitting across from us was a local photographer who happened to overhear our conversation. He was most willing to give us directions in finding an assortment of houses to shoot. His directions and suggestions included the magnifiscent Carson Mansion. Carson was one of the six timber barons in this area, and according to our new friend and tour guide, a very colorful person.

While photographing the Carson Mansion, another archtectural enthusiast suggested we head over to Ferndale where he assured us we would find some marvelous examples of turn of the Century homes. He was so right. Ferndale gave us an entire afternoon of photo shoots and I fell in love with the Gothic style of the Shaw House. Feeling a familial link to my maiden name I was immediately drawn to its beauty. It was built about the time of the Civil War by a man named Seth Shaw. More than likely no relative of mine, but it is fun to dream.

After wandering around town, we toured Main Street and took time to enjoy a dish of Maple Nut Ice Cream before heading back to our motel and our last evening here in Arcata. Tomorrow, we head down highway 101 to Ukiah and our first night back in the RV.

The day began with a catered breakfast at Kelly and Jeff’s home nestled amid a small forest of tall trees and greenery. What a great idea of theirs to have this early morning get-together for friends. It gave us all who had not yet seen their new home an opportunity for a tour, as well as an occasion to enjoy each others” company. It was a time of family and friends. Many of us had taught together in past years and there was plenty of reminiscing and laughter. . . lots of laughter and a wonderful sense of camaraderie that left me longing for “the good old days at Gateway.”

In the afternoon, our group of past and present Gateway teachers got together at the motel pool area and practiced a song to sing to Kelly. We sang this little ditty before the ceremony at six. Performing together was a school tradition. There were always clever lyrics set to popular music sung to our students at the end-of-the-school year assembly, at retirements, and for any occasion that might call for silliness.

The festivities began around 5pm with appetizers and wine, more lively conversation, our song,(a big success of course,) and then the Wedding Ceremony.

I have been to so many romantic celebrations of marriage and have rejoiced often in love shared, but today Jeff and Kelly’s wedding topped all others. It was beautiful in its simplicity and in its intimacy. I do not think there was an eye in the crowd that did not brim with tears of joy as we watched Kelly slowly come down the spiral staircase of her home. Vows were exchanged. Congratulations given and we were off to a dinner at one of Arcata’s finest restaurants located in an old warehouse on the Plaza.

The dinner simply topped off the rest of the day. Delicious food, great champagne, wonderful toasts, and the best cheese cake ever. Bob and I made our way back to the motel mellow with the feeling of love that comes with shared joy. Our best wishes to Kelly and Jeff. This day will always be one that is remember fondly.