North Bay Day Trip

Destination
We were itching to get out of town, and with the promise of good weather, we headed for the North Bay on a Saturday morning from Mountain View. After battling frustrating traffic through San Francisco (grrr), and stopping briefly for lunch in Sausalito, we headed up Hwy 1 to Stinson Beach, then on to Sonoma in the late afternoon. My co-blogger Cheryl already has a post on Stinson, so be sure to check it out for more details and another point of view.

For the amount of time we spent on the winding roads (gulp), and trying to find parking (horrendous), I would have rather gone to Carmel Beach. It would have taken less time to get there, the parking is better, the beach is nicer (sorry, I'm a sand snob), and frankly, there weren't as many playful dogs at Stinson. So, after walking the length of the dog-friendly portion (the northern end we've heard referred to as "Upton Beach"), and sitting long enough for Fletcher to discover sand crabs (digging, a new behavior, ensued), we wound our way to Hwy 101 and headed toward Sonoma.

Neither of us had been to Sonoma, so we just made it up as we went along. Before getting into downtown, I spotted Cornerstone from the highway. I had remembered reading about this funky, landscape architecture-inspired series of shops and gardens, so we pulled in. As it was already after 5pm, most of the food/pottery/home wares stores were closed. So, we left Fletcher in the shade while we poked around a bit. There is also wine tasting on site, with roshambo winery winning the fun-name-contest in my book. I love me a game of rock-paper-scissors! Now, I should probably try the wine... There was a wedding getting underway on our way out, and what a beautiful, quirky, setting to say "I do" in.

Onward and northward: Despite a pretty crowded evening downtown we found parking on a side street, parallel to Broadway, the main drag, as it "t's" into the main plaza. Fletcher and the two of us got out of the nicely refridgerated car and wham! hot Sonoma sun. This is where I nag and remind everyone to always keep a big bottle of water in the car for your dogs. We don't go anywhere without filling up one (or two) for Fletcher and collapseable bowls stay in both of our cars.

We strolled around the perimeter of the plaza, and wandered down some side streets to see the idyllic wine country houses. We obviously did not get a lot of time to explore the surrounding area, so next time we'll want to come back with Fletcher and visit some of the dog-friendly wineries and numerous foodie havens.

Degustation
Our quick lunch in Sausalito was takeaway from Salsalito Taco Shop, eaten on a bench in the shade with Fletcher staring up at us hopefully. My fish taco was delicious, my tostada was nothing I'd do again. Chicken nachos were good, but got soggy fast.

I cannot resist spoiling Fletcher when the opportunity arises, so when we spotted Three Dog Bakery I prepared to restrain myself. A little Papillion greeted us, and as usual Fletcher was gentle and let the little dog sniff him out. The woman working the store was very welcoming and we left with "Terrier-Misu" ice cream (getting licked enthusiastically below) and an assortment of cookies and biscuits.


After Fletcher demolished his icey treat, we were on the lookout for our own. On the corner across from The Girl & The Fig is El Dorado Kitchenette. As the name implies, it's a smaller cafe/bakery attached to their hotel and restaurant. I snuck away with some delicious! homemade soft serve ice cream (vanilla and chocolate swirled) and a chocolate chip cookie. The cookie doesn't compare to Icing on the Cake in Los Gatos, but the ice cream? Yes please. We found a nice bench in the shade on the corner of the plaza to appreciate our desserts and the setting sun.

By the time the last of the ice cream was licked away, we were not hungry for dinner. So instead of taking in Sunflower Caffe, recommended to us for being dog-friendly by Three Dog Bakery, we headed home.


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North Coast

For our big trip this summer, we planned a hiking/camping trip up to the Mendocino area. We originally thought we could make it all the way to Eureka, but we opted for less driving and more relaxing. So, we instead headed to Russian Gulch State Park and Salt Point State Park with Clark in tow (or rather, sleeping in the backseat).

The first stop on the trip was a night at Russian Gulch SP, just north of Mendocino. Once we got off 101, the drive was beautiful, winding through forests until we emerged out on the coast. After driving for much of the day, we were happy to finally get to the campground and discover that we had randomly reserved agreat spot. It had a nice alcove in the trees to pitch the tent and a small creek alongside the back. This was one of Clark's favorite parts about the entire trip. He was definitely in his element, pointing out the various birds and other small creatures while splashing through the water. If you're planning a trip to this state park, see if campsite #17 is available!

That night and again in the morning, we took a short walk to a very secluded beach in a small cove, only open to those camping there and those with a day use pass for the park. Both times that we were there, we shared the beach with less than 5 people. The beach had several rocky areas that Clark enjoyed climbing around on. We had nicknamed him Mountain Goat by the end of the trip for his climbing skills!

After camping that night at Russian Gulch, we started making our way south to the next campground. On the way, we stopped in Mendocino to pick up provisions at a cute local market. We also stopped at Mendocino Headlands State Park. There's no fee to park and walk around. The park is basically a series of cliffs and fantastic views of the ocean. Clark loved ambling around on the rocks above the water and investigating all the new and fun smells. I would definitely recommend a stopover at this park if you're in the area.

That night, we stayed in Salt Point SP. At this park, you can reserve a spot ahead of time, but then you pick a campsite once you get there. We managed to get another great site here, #10, that had a trail which led right off of it to the ocean. We did this beautiful hike the next morning and spent awhile walking along the cliffs. Other than being extremely windy, we really enjoyed this park. And, dogs were definitely popular visitors there.

Overall, it was a great trip. Clark loved all the fresh ocean air and time outside. Judging by how much he slept on the way home, I'd say he really enjoyed himself!

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