Day Trip to Indian Springs

Indian Springs is a beautiful spa in Calistoga. It is also where the mister and I got engaged. Needless to say this is special place for me. Stress has been high lately and to battle it back down to reasonable level we got it the car and drove up to spend a day in our magical spot.


There is an olympic size pool of hot, mineral water that you can use if you get any spa treatment or stay in one of the beautiful bungalows. A massage followed by wrapping up in one of their green robes is the perfect way to start the day.


Magazines...

...a picnic picked up from Dean & Deluca on the ride up...


...and a good book are all you need to fill a restful, memorable day. Our adventure was made even more unforgettable by hail. It fell as we floated in steaming hot water, sticking in our hair and pelting our arms. It was surreal.


Hydro Grill is a local spot that has one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. The perfect stop to fill up before heading home.

A Dream Come True

Beach side, listening to the strum of the uke, cooking outside, sleeping in a teardrop trailer. It doesn't get much better than that.

The mister and I took a little trip up the coast to have our first experience in a teardrop trailer in Bodega Bay. It was an incredible trip and probably the exact trip required to reset and relax.

We started our little trip on Fourth Street in Berkeley at Bette's To Go. An Almond Tea Cake, Old Fashioned Doughnut Muffin (yes, it is delicious), and a couple mochas got us ready for the road.

When we reached Bodega Bay we had to stop at an adorable, ocean view wine bar called Gourmet Au Bay. Wine surfing, as they call it, was definitely in order. I loved the surf boards that our wines were delivered on. A seal floated by as we sipped our wine and enjoyed the serene sound of water lapping the boards of the pier.


When we arrived at our campsite we were greeted by the incredible sight of our teardrop trailer. My jaw dropped and my heart soared. Then I turned to look at our view of the ocean and headed straight out for a walk along the beach. Wright's Beach campground (called Sonoma Coast SP on Reserve America) was a great pick.


Two trees stood out as the perfect spot to hang our camping hammock...


...and I relished in setting up our outdoor kitchen hidden away in the back of our trailer.


Games, books, and roasted marshmallows filled our first evening and the entire following day.


The Salt Point Trail provided the incredible scenery the filled our third day away from home. We took a six mile hike that wound along the coast, rarely loosing sight of the water. Seals, waterfalls, and incredible peaks kept us company as we tromped along deep blue ocean.





Lesson learned:
- Bodega Bay is beautiful and is worth returning to.
- Teardrop trailers are an incredible creation and I am set on spending many more days holed up in one.
- I HEART hiking along the coast.
- Wine surfing is a hit.
- Books are wonderful, but might be even more wonderful when read in a camp hammock.
- Wind + Sand usually = disaster, but not if you have a teardrop trailer....

If you live in the Bay, consider making the trip to Bodega. It is worth it.

Escaping to the Garden

I find that although I have not always had the greenest of thumbs, putting my hands in dirt often eases the weight of the world on my shoulders. I have also learned that with practice you can make your thumb greener. Mine, at this point, seems to be spottily/seasonally green...

My garden has also taught me that a trip to a magical nursery can be a great date. Mr. Smyth joined me at the fabulous Annie's Annuals over the weekend. It is the strangest drive through the heart of Richmond to get to the odd dirt road where Annie's Annuals is hiding. Their selection includes gorgeous flowers, rare California natives, and intriguing edibles. Not to mention the adorable Radio Flyer wagons that you get to load your baby plants into. They even have resident chickens!

We roamed the acre of incredible little plants. Each plant has a photo of what it will look like as it matures, a summary of the growing conditions, and how the plant can be used. The people who work there are the most helpful plant people I have ever met. And if that wasn't enough they hold free classes and talks (which I have heard about, but not yet attended).

The only part of this date that is more fun than dreaming up a garden while wandering together is actually planting the selections that made it into your trunk. Our trunk ended up with mostly edibles. Someday I am hoping that my thumb turns a shade of green that allows me to have a huge edible garden! For now we have kale, shard, cilantro, walking onions, and strawberries. For the first time we will have two colors of strawberries in the garden, red and white. I can't wait to see how that turns out. I also couldn't resist a couple California native lupinus varieties.

They don't look like this yet, but hopefully they will eventually...

Now the trick is keeping them alive!

Lessons Learned on a Rainy Bike Adventure

The view from our seats at the Boiler House

I am back in the saddle again so to speak. Many ages ago I was an avid biker, not really by choice, but because I was a teenager who did not yet have a car, but did have a job across town. I think the fact that it wasn't a choice made it harder to love then. Recently, I have found myself stumbling back into biking. It all started with biking to work, which I love. Now I find myself looking online for different weekend biking adventures and keeping my eye out for local haunts that Mr. Smyth and I might find our way to.

A lovely part of the Bay Trail

Trusty Sunset Magazine provided me with my first weekend inspiration. There is a restaurant housed in an old factory building in Richmond called the Boiler House that is conveniently located on the Bay Trail. My hopes were somewhat dampened by the light rain, but Mr. Smyth and I decided to make a run at it anyway. The ride took us about an hour, started at our little apartment in Emeryville and winding along the bay all the way into Richmond. At first I was a little grumpy, disappointed with the weather literally raining on what I had been looking forward to all week. But quickly my spirits brightened as Jeff and I chatted and laughed together, riding our bikes through the local scene.

Not only did this adventure provide much entertainment, it also taught me several things:
1. A windbreaker is not a waterbreaker (I was soaked through and through...hehehehe)
2. Contacts are probably the way to go next time, unless there are mini-glasses-windshield-wipers that I can acquire before our next outing.
3. I don't love the way my helmet looks in photos, must look at some biker's blogs to see if I spot any good looks.
4. It might be a good idea to pack a small towel in my bike bag to wipe stuff down when biking in the rain.
5. I still need to bring a water bottle regardless of how much water is falling out of the sky.
6. Don't eat too much (no matter how delicious the food!) when you have an hour long bike ride home waiting for you.

Hope everybody had a fun filled weekend adventure.
Here's wishing you a happy Monday.