HAERR TRIPPIN'

Camping Along the Sonoma Coast...

More than 55 miles of dramatic Pacific coast create Sonoma County’s western border. The coastline is rugged, dramatic, and scenic – yet approachable. We spent three days meandering.

Our first camp stop was in Bodega Bay at Doran Regional Park. This is a popular coastal destination featuring a 2-mile stretch of wide, sandy beach. Protected by Bodega Head, its calm south-facing waves make it ideal for families, bodyboarding, kite flying, birdwatching, and our favorite- beachcombing.

And there is such history here! In 1775, Spanish explorer Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra made the first recorded European contact in the area, leading to a century of Russian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American settlement.

In the 1940s, the land that encompasses the modern park was owned by rancher William "Billy" Doran, who lived on a hill just above the outer bay. The federal government seized portions of the Doran Ranch, through eminent domain, to establish a safe harbor for maritime rescue operations. The government dredged the harbor and constructed the rock jetties that still control the entrance today.

Northern California beaches are certainly different from the ones we grew up with. Rarely have we been warm on one. Camping at the sea is magical no matter the ambient temperature.

Our evening treat, provided by the campfire, were what we've deemed ch'ores... cheese s'mores. Because we're not doing sugar, we roasted Babybel cheese and squished them between two gluten free seed crackers.

This savory substitute provided yum and fun!

Our next stop was at the tiny town of Jenner which provided us with a coffee refueling at the darling Café Aquatica.

Our home for night #2 was Stillwater Cove Regional Park which features a picturesque crescent of beach, a small campground, and 3 miles of hiking trails through redwood forest and along ocean bluffs.

After setting up camp, we hit the 1.6-mile Canyon Trail Loop which follows Stockhoff Creek through a canyon of towering redwoods filled with ferns. WOW.

Armed with an informational trail guide, we learned about the lumbering that occurred here in the 1850s. The cuts in the side of the trees held springboards that loggers stood on.

When gold was discovered in north-western California in 1850, thousands crowded the remote redwood region in search of riches and new lives. Failing in efforts to strike it rich in gold, these men turned toward harvesting the giant trees for booming development in San Francisco and other places on the West Coast. These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. The size of the huge trees made them prized timber, as redwood became known for its durability and workability. At that time, redwood forest covered more than 2,000,000 acres of the California coast (remaining old-growth forest: 110,000 acres, 5% of original).

Stillwater Cove’s rich history is tied to the maritime and pioneer settlement of northern California. Early settler Christian Friedrich Ruoff arrived at the cove in 1851. Following his death, his wife Francesca built a lumber chute by the late 1860s. The cove's sheltered waters provided a year-round doghole port where small schooners were loaded with cordwood, railroad ties, and tan bark for San Francisco.

And there is even a Hollywood Connection. The natural beauty of the cove caught the eye of Hollywood, serving as a filming location for the classic 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

"In every outthrust headland,

in every curving beach,

in every grain of sand

there is the story of the earth."

— Rachel Carson

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Baseball, Dads & Prunes!

Our Father's Day was spent in Healdsburg celebrating in an incredibly traditional way... with a Baseball Game!

Quaint Healdsburg is known for prunes, hops, and grapes. As testament to its prominence in the prune industry, it earned the nickname The Buckle of the Prune Belt in the early 20th century. In fact, this small town in Sonoma County became a vital hub for prune production during the prohibition era. Changes in the legal restrictions on alcohol caused hops and grape cultivation to decline. The fertile land of the Healdsburg area was perfect for prunes, a very versatile fruit. By 1924, Healdsburg had firmly established itself as a leader in prune farming with vast orchards and innovative drying techniques.

In 1921, three years before becoming the buckle of the prune belt, Healdsburg established the Prune Packers baseball team which is still one of the most beloved symbols of the town's prune heritage. For 105 years, on and off, the team has played an integral role in the community’s social fabric. Through wartime, economic downturns, and periods of inactivity, the Prune Packers have endured, and the team continues to delight fans to this day. We were beyond delighted!

The Prune Packers are a wood-bat, collegiate summer baseball team, whose roster consists of college players of the highest skill level, from predominantly Division I college programs, honing their skills over the summer for the next level of baseball.

One cannot attend a game here without a history lesson about the stadium at Art McCaffrey Field built 103 years ago.

Upon entering, one is transported back in time. It's hard to describe the old-timey feel it evokes. Wow.

In a sense, the park dates back even further than 1923, because the redwood that makes up the covered grandstand came from the old Cotati speedway.

In 1920, a builder named Jack Price created excitement when he convinced racing enthusiasts all over the North Bay that he could build a world-class auto speedway. He succeeded on 135 acres. The all-wood, bowl shaped track was 1.25 miles around and required more than 3 million feet of lumber and gave drivers a place to run record-breaking races. Wildly popular, its first race was Aug. 14, 1921 with all 10,000 seats filled. Sadly, cold, rainy weather and traffic congestion to get to the track caused its failure after only two years. The speedway was dismantled and wood from it went to build homes and businesses in the area (including Healdsburg's baseball stadium).

The entertaining announcer kept us not only posted about what was happening in the game but he also peppered the evening with intriguing baseball facts. It was all very interesting.

"Under coach and GM Joey Gomes,

the summer baseball club has become an ever-growing hub

that’s showcasing and producing

some of the best talent of tomorrow."

-Press Democrat

There were great plays and avoidable errors making the game incredibly entertaining.

“The Pacific Empire League checks all the boxes

as a topnotch collegiate baseball league,

featuring historic teams with devoted fan bases,

and strong ties to college coaches and scouts.

Our integrated tech further enhances player exposure and development.”

-Joey Gomes, GM/Head Coach, Healdsburg Prune Packers

We must be the Packers' good luck charms, too. They beat the California Tigers 4 to 3.

🎵Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd;

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team

If they don't win, it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game.🎵

A unique conclusion to a fabulous night was meeting Frank Yates, a local lookalike character named "Guy Fugazi" (a playful nod to Guy Fieri). This Fieri-inspired persona is a regular fixture in Yates's promotional content (Chili Gods hot sauce) and local Sonoma County community events. What fun!

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Russian River Rodeo!

We spent our last day of Spring enjoying traditional rodeo events which showcased at the 59th annual Russian River Rodeo and hosted by the Russian River Rodeo Association (RRRA). This was our second foray into this exciting, local rodeoing. We'll be back.

It is the mission of the RRRA to promote and conduct horsemanship events and provide scholarship to students who desire to pursue a career in agriculture. Its major fundraising activity is the Russian River Rodeo at the practice facility that it maintains in Duncans Mills (a darling little village circa 1877).

Our posse consisted of our younger son and his family along with his in-laws. What a fantastic group with whom to spend a Saturday.

I love the PATRIOTISM expressed at this local rodeo.

While it felt 'small town' this rodeo offered 'big' fun. We witnessed exhilarating Bull & Bronc riding, Team & Breakaway roping, Steer wrestling, Barrel racing, and so much more. What a hoot.

This is a case in which the photos do it justice! Yee haw!

"Saddle bronc is the quintessential rodeo sport -

not the chaos of bull riding

or the thrashing of bareback riding.

It might be harder than both."

- John Branc

"Sometimes I think life is just a rodeo,

the trick is to ride

and make it to the bell."

-John Fogerty

We learned that the most lucrative event at a rodeo is Team roping, also known as heading and heeling. This is a fast-paced rodeo event where two mounted riders—the header and the heeler—work together to rope and immobilize a steer. The duo that ropes the steer in the fastest time wins. It's exhilarating to watch.

Turns out there are a lot of fast-paced rodeo events. Fun to watch is Barrel Racing where a horse and rider sprint into the arena to complete a cloverleaf pattern around three preset barrels. The goal is to post the fastest time by thousandths of a second without knocking any barrels (it's a 5 second penality if you do).