Trip Odometer: 7790
Greetings from Vacaville, CA! We’ve been settled in here in Cowtown, Sonoma County, since April 30. We are staying with our friend Brian Simpson, getting ready for a big push into the desert. Twyla (the car) got her check up, so she’s eager to get some miles under those freshly rotated tires. Matthew is hoping to install the awnings on the Betty Mobile, if it can just get up to 60 degrees and stay there for a while. We are likely pointing southeastward this Friday, May 5, heading toward northern Arizona, southern Utah, and western Colorado.
Wednesday, April 19 – Seattle: We packed up the car, got the Betty Mobile in Renton, and loaded up for a big day of driving. First stop was Portland to pick up the awnings we had made at Hayden Island Canvas. They get a big thumbs up from me for being willing to work with my ideas. I must have called eight or more other boat canvas outfits that didn’t want to hear another word from me once I said “camper.” We had lunch nearby at
home of the Glen Frye chicken sandwich (excellent). It is a pretty amazing place, so if you ever find yourself in the area…
North of Corvalis the I5 traffic got stupid, so we started blazing a trail that took us through Tangent, Stedd, Halsey, Harrisburg, Junction City, Noti, Walton, Mapleton, and finally to the coast at Florence. From there we caught beautiful Hwy 101 to Winchester Bay and the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area. This place is clearly set up for high volume tourism, but in the chilly shoulder season it was mostly empty.
April 20: Another day of driving for distance. It was a rainy day. We drove 101 to Coos Bay and had coffee at “So It Goes” cafe. Further on in Bandon we drove around the cute town and had oatmeal and biscuits at the Rolling Pin. Kayla needed to do a zoom meeting, but the library was closed. She tried and failed to do it using her cell phone. That’s the first oops she has had with connectivity and her job (but she still managed to connect with audio-only).
We finally left the rain behind as we got to the Sue-Meg Campground in Trinidad, CA. We had at one point reserved a space here for four nights, but gave that up when we decided to stay longer in Seattle. Still, one night there was special.
April 21-22: It was time to hustle to Monte Rio and our next housesitting gig. We continued on Hwy 101, but south of Eureka it meanders away from the coast and starts moving inland. About one hour out of Trinidad we leave the redwood forests and by the time we got to Hopland, we are clearly in wine country.
That evening we arrive at Karen and Bev’s house. We will have 31 animals to care for, and we get a good course in their care and routine that evening and the next day. Our hosts and their menagerie of animals are all lovely.
April 23-29: We quickly settle into the routine at Monte Rio and love it. The weather is mostly sunny, though sometimes with big wind. One day we head to the beach and it nearly blows us away. We stayed out for maybe 30 minutes, and the windchill just about froze our brains. Yet, when get back to the house, it feels sunny and calm. The house is nestled on the leeward side of the hill among the redwoods, blocking that pesky wind. Over the course of the week, we find that our favorite place to be is at the house among the critters.
Still, we did venture out a few more times. We had a nice day trip to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Preserve. They just come right out and say it on a sign, “Yeah, our redwoods aren’t as big as the ones up in Humboldt County, but what are you gonna do?” We also headed out one evening to nearby Guerneville to grab a bite and catch a local antiquarian band playing jazz standards and a few surprises. We grab some homemade ice cream at the shop nearby that used to be a bank. You can even hang out and eat your cone in the vault.
Driving among the redwoods on Hwy 101. 
Miles and miles and miles of grape vines. 
The house in Monte Rio. 
Feeding time! 
Oliver the Pig. 
There were two lovely dogs, but the pig stole the show. 
Driving to Goat Rock on the coast. These views are pretty typical. 
The most dangerous beach in California. Let’s go! 
The Russian River meets the ocean here. Look carefully and you’ll see sea lions hauled out. 
The wind was so strong it knocked me over a few times. 
The people of Monte Rio like to hang out on the Russian River when it gets hot. You met these two at the beginning of this blog. 
Cosmo the Goat. 
Bev and Karen with sweet old Stella.
And here’s a bonus video of Oliver. He likes to sleep under a bunch of blankets on the porch.
Cool.
I love the little teeth showing on Sugar or Salt, and their hairdos!!! What a fun time you must’ve had with all those critters.
I am fascinated by maps and charts of the last post.! And, Ooo-la-la, the pictures of the west coast and Oliver! are just delightful! Thanks so much for sharing the highlights of this amazing journey.