hidden treasures of sonoma and mendicino counties

the past two weeks we have found some hidden treasures here in sonoma and mendicino county...thanks to some local residents with good information, and some visitors who helped us get out of our rut! :) with megan as our scribe we actually started "a bucket list" (in her words) of 100 things we would like to do before our mission concludes in july, 2012. we need some more advise from long time residents and missionaries who have enjoyed some exploring along the way.

while keri was here (by the way, it was so great to see her!!!) we went to st. helena for the day. it was a nice, curvey, two lane road drive, with beautiful scenery along the way. i think it must be very close to napa, but if you know me very well, you know i am very dislexic when it comes to directions, so let me be very clear, i am not sure! st. helena is a cute small town with some fun shops and lots and lots of great eateries (i guess, we liked the one we tried), and wine drinkers (i felt a little like i was back in carmel). My favorite purchases from the trip (if keri and i are together we will make purchases): a) an inchworm for beau's first birthday. b) some farm animals for beau (i want him to be practicing what sounds they make!) and four deer for lauren (the daddy-buck, the mommy-shelley, the sister-lily and the brother-bambi). c) some drinking glasses made in eureka (a keepsake).


a vineyard on the road to st. helena.


the only workers i have ever seen harvesting the grapes.


my dear friend!


our classic eatery. but look at the line...it is legendary. :)

we also explored armstrong grove. it is a redwood natural reserve that is about twenty minutes from santa rosa. i loved it! others who have seen the redwoods in oregon and washington and probably yosemite, might not be as impressed as i was with armstrong grove, but it was a fun little hike/walk to see the tallest and oldest trees there. we had a fun time! it was a short drive past some vineyards and through some beautiful country.


a beautiful grove of trees. so quiet and peaceful there.


we started out pretty chilly!


isn't she just cute? and happy looking?


sun coming through the trees.


this tree got the nick-name colonel lance armstrong tree. can you tell why?

last weekend while megan was here, we took a longer drive (a little over two hours) to fort bragg. fort bragg is north and west of santa rosa. you get there by driving on a two lane, very, very curvey road (with hair-pin turns), and vineyards, and lots of beautiful scenery along the way. i am very sad! i missed some beautiful shots of the grape leaves turning the most beautiful colors. i thought i would be able to make jon stop on the way back, but then we tried another road going home. sad. sad. now i have to go looking for some to show you! anyway, do i sound like a broken record? beautiful scenery, vineyards...blah, blah, blah. i thought hailey was going to hit me if i said how beautiful the trees and the fall colors were one more time...but that is a post for another day...when i get those pictures of the vineyards. :) fort bragg ended up being worth the stomach turning drive. :) this is a peak at the town.












it was so great to have megan here with us for a few days. i thought she was going to be all rested when she returned to p-town...then i got a tweet today saying she was sleep walking. what? sorry sweetie! hope you can sleep tonight! we love you!