Eclectic Treats of Northern California

Redwood Giants

We reserved plenty of time to explore the redwoods
on the way from Mendocino back to San Francisco.

Stepping into Hendy Woods,

we saw how fallen trees feed an entire ecosystem.

Seeing Karen beside this enormous rootball was awesome.

Tree heights were so vast we could not capture
the entire height in one photo.

The resilience of the oldest trees was manifest
in their survival of an intense fire years ago.

Bravo Boonsville Hotel

Not ready for lunch but wanting a cool drink,
we stopped at the Boonsville Hotel, a modern roadhouse.

Karen's instincts were right. Behind the fence and
modest hotel entry were more than even she anticipated.

We took our drinks of apple cider and mineral water
out to lounge chairs overlooking the garden.

From there we could see the hotel's delightful
casitas made of recycled materials 

We watched the kitchen's chef come out to clip herbs
from the garden that was planted in an amphitheatre arrangement.

Walking down garden aisles gave us a close up view of Sunflowers
and decorative plants providing shade for  edible crops.

A gazebo in the center of the garden was covered
in bright orange flowers.

Garden terracing, eco-friendly casitas, inviting gazebo, comfortable patio seating, and
artful hotel details showed us what 25 years of manifesting one's dream can produce.

Charming Healdsburg

Leaving Boonsville, we headed into wine country.

Wine from the Russian River Valley has a rich smooth taste.

We arrived in Healdsburg to find gentrification everywhere.

With an attempt to preserve
some of its old world charm.

The downtown center is a square built around a central park.

An art lover's town, even the bookstore displays fabric art by its owner. 

Galleries range from avant gard jewelry, to decorative
paintings, to crafts, to fine art. 

Healdsburg Center for the Arts had a cool juried ceramics show.
It and Barn Diva stimulated my imagination.

Successful vineyards are the source of Healdsburg's prosperity.

Who wouldn't love a climate like that of Tuscany, Italy?

Glorious Golden Gate

Santa Rosa appeared drab after Healdsburg, but
we enjoyed the local botanic garden.

Approaching San Francisco, we were greeted by mystical fog.

Golden Gate bridge was blanketed
in low hanging clouds.

But nothing can really hide its inherent beauty.

Can there be a more fitting entry to a cosmopolitan city?

Or a more inspiring departure from a feast on
the eclectic treats of Northern California?