Russian Gulch State Park

3 days in June. Bliss.

School was out June 5th and we were on the road to Campsite #9 less than a week later. Because of my summer schedule (I teach summer school but had a week and a half between sessions) and Scott's schedule, we like to take advantage of mid-week camping, because there are more campsite choices and thereby of course, the campgrounds are far less crowded. I use Reserveamerica.com for most of our camping reservations; it's really straightforward and I've never had an issue with it.

The campgrounds at Russian Gulch are pretty great -- they are spacious and private and site #9 in particular is enclosed by a hill on one side and tall bushes on the other. It is ideal if you have children because there is really only one way out of the site. It also has partial shade.

Trails:
Fern Canyon Trail -- So lush! So vibrant! We felt like we were in a a prehistoric forest, which technically I guess we were. The trail will take  you all the way to waterfalls, but with two kids with us we didn't make it quite that far. However, what we did see was phenomenal, and included a trail-side creek, a small brown snake, a juicy fat bright yellow banana slug, and nine-million ferns.

Blowhole -- the blowhole itself is beautiful and unexpected, tucked away in the middle of vast headlands. The really breathtaking aspect, though, are the fields of wildflowers surrounding the blowhole and the walk to the edges of the headlands which overlook the Pacific from a steep cliff. Reds, purples, yellows, and greens suffuse the landscape and drift over softly undulating hills, finally dropping off into rocky crags and finally the azure of the ocean. Too much with the description? Probably. But the scenery demands it.

Things Nearby:
Mendocino! The cutest little town, complete with several chocolate and candy shops, loads of jewelry shops, restaurants and cafes, an Irish pub, and a volunteer fire department. The whole town is situated right next to those headlands of wildflowers. Pretty gorgeous.

Wine:
Predator Zinfandel -- very zinny, which I love. Heavy with juice and a bold aftertaste. Compliments s'mores well. Ha! It also goes well with one of our regular camping meals, roasted sweet potatoes topped with black beans, cheese, and salsa.
La Crema Chardonnay -- a very affordable Chardonnay staple. Buttery and oaky and a tad of vanilla. It's a great go-to, and pairs well with warm afternoon sun.

What I Read:
The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer. I was really struck by this book, though after reading some reviews it seems as though his ideas are similar to other well-known books. That doesn't really bother me too much, as I love to see the different ways an idea can present itself. It's a bit of magical realism in that some time travel is involved, but it looks at the different ways life can unfold in the face of tragedy, based on real world events, namely the AIDS epidemic in the 1985, the flu epidemic in 1918, and the brink of American involvement in WWII in 1941. The same characters unfold in the face of these different societies, and their challenges and heartbreaks are visceral and ephemeral.

Things We Forgot:
Dramamine. There's no easy way to get to such a gorgeous place, so lots of windy roads are involved. We attempted to take the 1 back south, but after a few hours had to find a way to get back to the 101. Dizziness!

Summertime

Summertime means camping! As a teacher, I usually have a large portion of the summer free, and now that we have a 3 1/2 year old son, camping is a great way to vacation. We travel on a budget but with flexibility, so that on the occasion when we don't plan ahead but want to stay out for another night (early July, central coast, and not looking forward to a 6 hour drive back from Big Basin with a cranky toddler), we can stop at an additional campsite or hotel if necessary. We try to plan ahead and we try to be organized, but despite our best efforts (and refusal to use a spreadsheet for something we see as a vacation), we usually forget many things.

Hilarity (and sometimes tears) ensue. 

In any case, we are seeing California! From mountains to oceans to deserts to forests,  California has it all, and in abundance. In this drought year, getting out of a hot town and into cool air is a lovely escape, so we have already had a busy summer. The unexpected hurdles (and sometimes straight calamities -- hail in July??!!) are great life lessons for my son -- and for us (pack an umbrella, geez!). Also, and above all, the experiences of camping get us all out on the trails and into fields of wildflowers, forests of Redwood Giants, undergrowth thick with banana slugs, other-worldly sunsets over (sometimes) shark-infested waters, and finally, into sweet, warm sleeping bags in our lively red tent. We never have enough fire-wood but we always have extra foil. We're learning. Slowly. 

I like red checkered tablecloths. I like wine. I like spending time with my people. I like reading. I like red lipstick. I like vintage clothes. And I like all of those things out with me, on the road, adventuring and exploring.