Ok, let's give it up to Lisa for doing such a great post on her own. She's entertaining...and yes, my muse.  But now, I'm behind a few days so need to get you caught up. Strap on your seatbelts, here we go...

California is a super long state. Really, check out the map on the blog...it's L-O-N-G long...and if you've kept up with us, we've driven all of it! Last place on the whistle stop is San Rafael. Lisa's friends TK and Kate have lived there 6 years and have a deceivingly large home. By that I mean we each had our own bedroom! So, 2 nights apart PLUS our own rooms...pinch me!! These two were so ready for us, the beef braciole was in the crockpot and the PICNIC was packed. They had proscuitto, strawberries, cheese and crackers all packed up for our day out. Now, I don't even know these people but they have fixed a non-leftover lunch, a home-cooked meal and I get my own bed!!! Seriously, who do I owe?  And, I didn't even tell you about the fireplace yet! Oh vay...

Off to the Russian River vineyards with the gals. What a beautiful day to take in some wine, nosh and listen to Lisa and TK tell high school stories with belly laughs. Such a treat to listen to friends connect as if no time has passed. 

Our tour directors, TK and Kate not only belong to a few wine clubs but they have a great sense of the entire Northern California area. We were fortunate to get fun facts not only of the vineyards but of all the national parks in the U.S.  TK is a supervisor in the Golden Gate National Recreation area and Kate is the Superintendent of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. I'm not sure how much these titles translate to our readers but I'll just say this...they have big girl jobs. And, since they're with the government, they will most likely be employed through their retirement. Job security is good these days as we reach the highest unemployment rate in our history. But anyway, one of the cool things was TK carried a bat-phone since she was on-call while we were touring the vineyards (thank God she's not my doctor). The phone rang...big news (for us)...a body washed ashore at her park. She took the call as if someone just ordered a pizza. She asked questions (what's the sex of the body, how long do you think it's been dead, do you want extra sauce with that).  Seemed like a very routine call for her and she wasn't willing to pour her wine out to solve the crime. Apparently, people jump off the Golden Gate Bridge not intending to survive and it takes days for them to wash ashore. Lucky for TK, sometimes they wash-up in her jurisdiction. We were fascinated because we know if someone jumped off the Michigan Avenue bridge in Chicago, all they would get is dirty and a big, fat fine. It just doesn't seem fair does it?

We drove all around in the valley through beautiful, winding roads with huge redwood trees. I'm not sure the scenery could have been more California. The great thing about taking road trips is the excellent adventure that lies ahead. We're with 2 veterans who fortunately had no idea where we were going either but were more than willing to explore. We drove for a bit on one of the most scenic drives in this wine country and stumble into a hidden gem. The town of Occidental is deeply nestled into Sonoma (there's a song there I just know it). What a spirited, old Bohemian town so full of character and characters. Homestyle italian restaurants, eclectic shops, a tiny post office and of course, a darling tavern. We had 8 eyes wide open as we happened upon this lovely surprise. And, I bet you figured out by now,  we didn't stop in the post office.