Last weekend, I was lucky enough to be Brian's guest at one of his lavish work gatherings. As a Christmas gift to the employees of the architectural office, they were treated to a trip in the Santa Lucia Mountains, near Carmel and Monterey. We stayed in a historic grand Spanish colonial hacienda in the coastal foothills, surrounded by beautiful landscape.




The first thing we did when we arrived was ride the waterslide. It was so fun that Brian, Jean-Guy and I must have each done it fifty times. In the photo, Brian and I caught up to J-G.



After we were finished basking in the sun, we played some bocce ball. Red team wins! That was my team, of course. Not that I had anything to do with our victory, that can be attributed to Jean-Guys first-ball skills and Jill's field accuracy. I threw with the strength of a kindergardner.




Dinner was a grand affair, as you might imagine, that lasted four hours. The wine flowed freely and everyone was merry. I had the filet mignon, which was delicious. For dessert I had the chocolate volcano and sorbet trio.





We gathered for Sunday brunch and dined on pancakes, eggs benedict, and omelettes. I had the seared ahi tuna sandwich with hot mustard and horseradish mayo, with asian pear salad. Yum! While packing up the things in our room, Brian and I found that someone had left some women's underwear in the drawers. It was my first time EVER putting on a bra (a pink one, at that). Photos were taken, yes, but they will never leave my computer.

We were sad to leave, but we checked out a bit of Carmel and visited some wineries on the way home with Robert. Thanks, Brian, for making me your guest. And thanks to the Sorrells for a wonderful weekend.

My journey to the Redwood Coast showed me the true diversity of California landscape. In my 3.5 years of being a Californian, I have seen the deserts high and low, the semi-tropical environs of coastal SoCal, the snowy (in June) mountains and glaciers in the Eastern Sierras, and now something new - the damp, green-beyond-belief landscape of the state's Northwest corner. In the Redwood forests, literally every surface is carpeted in mosses and ferns. Waterfalls are sprinkled throughout, wild mushrooms peek out of shady crevices, and thin beams of sunlight filter through tree branches hundreds of feet above. The air is cool and fog-laden, and steam rising off the ground is a common sight.

The 31-mile scenic alternate to Hwy 101, Avenue of the Giants, in Humboldt Redwoods State Park is one of the most famous and sublime driving routes in California. In the late 1800's, it served as a wagon-road that linked ex-lumber-industry towns from Garberville and Redway in the South to Redcrest and Pepperwood in the North. Today, the towns rely on tourism to keep their economies going. Winding next to the Eel River and Hwy 101, the Avenue offers the spectacular experience of seeing the tallest trees, hiking short loops, and even driving your car though tree trunks.

Agate Beach is one of the most unusual beaches I've been to. Why do you think it's named so? Well, because you can find thousands of nearly-polished semi-precious agate stones (also jade, jasper, and moonstones) right there in the sand! You're allowed to take some, so I took home a healthy pocketful of the gems. What a treat!

In the tiny town of Orick, near Redwoods National and State Parks, I stopped to talk to a very friendly wood-worker, Mario, who was in the middle of carving an eagle from a block of redwood. He was only too eager to show me around his shop to view his wooden wares - cute brown bears, majestic eagles, scary Bigfoots - I bought a replica of a redwood tree... because he was so nice and kind of handsome, though he smokes a little too much of the funny stuff (he had that laugh).

The towns of Eureka and Ferndale are dedicated to preserving one of the finest and largest collections of Victorian homes in the world. The "Gingerbread Castle" Carson Mansion and the "Pink Lady" Carson House are the most notable examples. Old Town Eureka is a meticulousy preserved and restored district of shops, restaurants, galleries, and museums.

The people of Eureka and Arcata were very friendly, and really fit more with the look and lifestyle of Pacific Northwest cities like Portland and Seattle than of typical Californians. They are highly artistic, organic, Bohemian - I saw a lot of dingy clothes, scruffy beards, and dreadlock hair. This is not a bad thing, they just looked so comfortable and natural, and for me this was refreshing.

Redwoods grow from Big Sur into Oregon, but only here in Humboldt County do these trees achieve their primeval glory. The visit is well worth it - the Redwood Coast simply will not disappoint.