Whenever visit Sonoma County, California, I stop by Bodega Head and Doran Beach. Most visits I’ll go there several times. The beaches there are simply spectacular! And rarely crowded. During my last visit, as I was driving along Westshore Road toward the town of Bodega Bay, […]
All posts tagged: Sonoma County

California Road Trip 2019 … The Laguna de Santa Rosa Revisited!
Looking north towards the Mayacamas Mountains! I last came here four years ago with my friend Christine. This time, it was hot, dry and slightly breezy. Last winter the area received record rains which created a lot of serious flooding. The Meadow Lark Field Pink grass!!! […]

California Road Trip 2019 … Hiking Howarth Park … Again!
Santa Rosa’s Howarth Park is popular with many of the locals. The hiking trails around Lake Ralphine connect to Spring Lake, another favorite local spot to enjoy the outdoors. When we lived here, we spent lots of time at both of these parks. Every […]

Zunday Zen … The Magical Redwood Forest
Sequoia sempervirens the world’s tallest, living trees. There’s not much one can say about these incredibly beautiful, long-lived, resilient, fire-resistant and evergreen sky scraping giants! Even on a warm day the air within the forest stays reasonably cool. There’s really nothing else quite like it! […]

Meditation in Moment … Earth Day
Phoenix Rising from the Ashes, Sonoma County Fair 2018 Sunday night, October 8, 2017, I went to bed excited because the next morning I was going to leave for my annual road trip to California. I had packed my car and was ready. This trip […]

California Road Trip 2018 … Tales of Gravensteins, the West County and a Political Babe
Sonoma County is a unique place. On the westside, Highway 12 and Occidental Road run parallel to each other between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, with peaceful countryside in between the two roads: grassy pastures dotted with gnarly old oaks and grazing cattle, egrets and herons […]

California Road Trip 2018 … Hiking Howarth Park
One morning during my visit to Santa Rosa I met my friend Trish for breakfast at the East West Restaurant across from Howarth Park. I remember when they were located at the corner of Sonoma Avenue and Farmers Lane. The menu hasn’t changed much since […]

California Road Trip 2018 … “Good Grief Charlie Brown”, Part 2
Snoopy’s Home Ice has a bit of an alpine chalet look. The flower boxes remind me of Europe! The area around the entrance. Come on in! Welcome to Santa Rosa! Welcome to Snoopy’s Home Ice! I spent many an afternoon watching our boys learn to […]

California Road Trip 2018 … “Good Grief Charlie Brown” Part 1
Do you remember when most of us used to get a newspaper delivered in the driveway? Some mornings the paper would be wet because it had landed right in the sprinklers. The Sunday paper always contained lots of add inserts and a multi-page color comic […]

California Road Trip 2018 … On the Wing in Bodega Bay
graceful great egret coasting on a summer breeze briny shallows below. Bodega Bay, Bodega Head, Doran Beach and numerous hiking trails in the area make for great bird watching! Especially if you can make it out there during the week when there’s not as much traffic. […]

Happy Friday from scenic Bodega Head!
During all the years we lived in Sonoma County, California, I rarely missed stopping off at Bodega Head, anytime we went to nearby Doran Beach. I still love this spot and still stop here every time I come back to Sonoma County. Bodega Head is […]

Zunday Zen … Bluebirds at Sunset
“Want to look for bluebirds at sunset?” How could I resist? Meandering along a trail, through endless meadows … Golden Hour’s magic in plain sight. Just behind the bend, a Townsend’s Solitaire appears. Quietly, we approach. Off he goes … and so do we … […]

Sun and Fun at the Sonoma County Fair
This summer, while visiting California, I got to enjoy the county fair with Rosalie and Ellya. One morning, the three of us climbed into the car and off we went! It was hot, the lines were long, but the excitement of seeing all the art, quilting, animal, […]

The Natural Wonders of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
My annual road trip to California always takes me back to Sonoma County. Having lived there for many years, it still feels like home every time I visit. The area has grown quite a bit, since we left more than twelve years ago. I still […]

Lost in Thought at Spring Lake Park
There’s nothing like visiting a great friend! One, with whom I can sip a glass of bubbly under the stars, go on lots of different nature hikes, share falafel wraps and sweet potato fries at East West Cafe, call when I’m feeling blue and call when […]