FAMILY DAY AT ROCKVILLE - MARCH 28, 2009

Today is family hike day. Family days are wonderful, but let's face it, they are also hard work. You put in a couple of hours packing the car. Then you have to drive to the trailhead. Once you arrive at your destination everything must come out of the car. It has now been five hours since breakfast and you still have to find the perfect lunch spot. Oh, and don't forget to apply the sunscreen and insect repellent before you get started. I am sure you get the picture. That is why when I scheduled this family hike day, I thought I would be out of town.








Ok mom, I'm ready, now where's the snow?
















Let me know when the fun begins.
















The second Bart lifted his walking stick and pointed towards the west, Chloe and Jeremy knew they were about to get the "sun talk". In an effort to escape they quickly scurried up the side of the mountain.











I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.














Word quickly spread in the underground community to stay put, no one was safe.















This lonely lizard was looking for a friend. He planted himself on Jeremy and made himself at home. It wasn't easy explaining that eventually he would need to let Jeremy go..













Public Service Announcement: This was a catch and release hike. No animals were harmed in the filming of this blog.














You're in big trouble mister.















That's right, you go your way, I'll go mine and my dad won't have to smack you down.















I am at a loss of words on this one. The only possible explanations for her unusual behavior is her failure to take the Organic Chemistry class in college. Rumor has it this oversight has resulted in her being banned from a well known candy store. Had she taken the class, she would recognize the nutritional value of sugar. I have been trying to tell her that all along. Maybe she will listen now.














Chloe was not having a good day until two wonderful things happened. First she fell and skinned her knees which meant that band aids would be necessary. Then during lunch, Bart pulls out a bag of candy (thanks Kelly). When you are three, there is nothing that can turn a bad day into a best day quite like a couple of band aids and a bag of candy.















Those of you who think that it is all about where you eat and not what you eat have obviously never tried the gerber sweet potatoes.
















Colby's first "Best Day Ever" smile



























While watching Chloe reluctantly eat her lunch so she could have the candy or as she calls it, her treat, it suddenly occurred to me that family day was like the candy. Once you get through the unpleasant tasks necessary to prepare for the day, there is nothing left to do but enjoy the treat and have the "Best Day Ever"

A PRELUDE TO A HIKE

When we found out we would be spending the night in wine country, we knew wine tasting was in our future. When we arrived in Napa and saw this view, we knew it was going to be a great day. According to Earle, our host for the weekend, wine is not worth drinking if it doesn't come with a story. I like that, however, I would like to add that wine isn't worth buying if the person pouring doesn't inspire a story.






Our first stop of the day was Laird Winery. We enjoyed the wine, but enjoyed the pourer even more. He loved to tell jokes and kept embarrassing himself. He was trying to send us off to a winery that sold vine-agra. Apparently the wine is sold in large bottles only which he found very amusing. He may have made the whole thing up, but we had a good time listening to him. There was a $10 tasting fee, however it was waived if you made a purchase. The wine was very good so we came home with a couple of bottles and a couple of jokes. When we pop the cork, we will have an amusing story to go with the wine.




Monticello Vineyards was our next stop. This is one of those unmemorable places. The wine was fine and the pourer was pleasant. The problem was that when you were finished your tasting there was no story to tell. In all fairness, the gentleman from Laird was a hard act to follow, but without a story, we could not purchase this wine.




Our next stop was Stags Leap Wine Cellars and a very quick stop it was. The tasting fee was $20 and consisted mostly white wines. Since we prefer red we decided to pass on the tasting. We had glanced at the wine list and realized we couldn't afford do much but smell the wine anyway.






Our next winery will remain unnamed. I don't even remember how the wine tasted. I just remember the guy pouring the wine was personality challenged. I vowed that before we left the winery, I would make him smile. Well, we didn't have all day and there is only so much you can do. He never smiled and I was throwing some pretty funny stuff his way. A tickle attack seemed a little extreme, so I gave up and bought a bottle of wine. After all, he did make a good story. I guess I should get some more clarification about the type of story that goes with wine. Seriously, do white wines have a different criteria than red wine. Do you need a light hearted story for white wine and heavier story for red. Just something to ponder.






Paraduxx is one of those wineries everyone should visit once. The pourers were very professional and would have been out of place telling viagra jokes. The wine tasting is $20, but you get a flight of wines (get it, par-a-ducks, flight of wine) and some cheese and crackers.







Once you have ordered your wine, you go outside, have a seat and enjoy yourself while waiting for your wine and cheese to be delivered. The wine is a bit pricey, but very good. We pooled our money and bought one bottle. I received physical custody of the wine and they received supervised visitation. We decided to save the bottle for a special day. It is my understanding that the person with custody gets to decide what is special and what is not.










Murphy Goode is the only winery that we had previously been too. They make the best Petite Verdot. Unfortunately, you can only purchase it at the winery and they seldom have it. We called first to make sure they had some in stock. We lucked out today. They only bottle 400 cases a year and the wine club members get first pick. I discovered Murphy Goode about four and half years ago when Karen and I went on a sip and cycle for her 50th birthday. Wine tasting on a bike makes for a fun story to tell while sipping a glass of their wine.




Our last winery of the day was Geyser Peak. We drove into their parking lot a little after five. Someone had forgotten to lock the door and Bart made it in. Need I say more? They were gracious enough to stay open late and let us taste some of their wine. It was the first time I had ever done express wine tasting. Someone had recommended that we go there and insisted they had the best Malbec. I don't know that it is the best but is is very good.




We ended the day by joining the rest of the group for dinner. We have our wine, our stories and another "Best Day Ever" I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings our way.

ROCKPILE

ROCKPILE -MARCH 21, 2009

I wasn't sure why our destination was called the Rockpile but after having spent some time with Earle, I knew there had to be a great story behind the name. Imagine my surprise when I learned it was simply the name of the street he lived on.








The tall building to the left is the "cottage" we spent the night in. I know, it was a sacrifice but we survived.










To make sure we were mentally prepared for the day, we took the time to sit outside and watch the sunrise.









Today we wouldn't be hiking any further than Earle's backyard. However, before we even set foot on the trail, we could tell that today would qualify as the "Best Day Ever." The truth is there were so many "bests" today that I decided to list some of them.






The best tour guide award must go to Earle. I have never met anyone that knew the technical name of every flower and plant they saw. Impressive to say the least. The downside is it is very hard to take notes while hiking. I have decided that since Earle took so much time sharing his knowledge with us that a test is in order. Therefore, I will be sending him the pictures I took of the flowers to see if he remembers what he told us.



Polly looks like she is paying close attention. Maybe she should take the test with Earle.










Susie gets the award for the best trail namer. So far she has Dead Mouse Pond and Granny Hill. I think she has a knack for it and should make a map of the trails. Our first suggestion was for her to make trail signs. However, Earle has declared this a no trail sign zone. I think that is so once visitors leave, they can't find their way back.



Wayne gets the best water event award. We had been told that if we looked closely we might be able to see some turtles so Wayne decided to go down to the stream to get a closer look.









Well, you can’t get much closer than face down in the stream. Wayne’s story is that he was snorkeling. Personally, I thought it looked a little more like a slip and slide.








Wayne, may I suggest that the next time you go snorkeling you try a wet suit and water proof camera.











The quickest reaction award goes to Bart. While I was watching in horror as Wayne tumbled into the stream, not quite knowing what to do, Bart sprang into action. Without any hesitation, or concern for his own safety, quick thinking Bart pulled out his camera and starting shooting pictures. Thanks Bart, you' re my idol.





The best obstacle course event goes to Polly. This is Polly falling out of a tree. Luckily for her, the tree was laying on the ground. I am not sure what happened, but one minute she was on the tree, the next minute she was under it.






Susie was nice enough to help her out. Personally, I wanted to see how she was going to get herself out.








Best strategic move goes to Dana. I believe she is walking away from her husband and leaving him alone to listen to the weekly lecture on finding your way by reading the direction of the sun. Note the smirk on her face that is saying I love you honey, but out here in the wilderness it is each man for himself.






Ash is always the best mascot. Today he very graciously shared his mascot duties with Scotia.










The best moment goes to the sunrise. Actually, there were several best moments for me today. Watching Wayne fall into the ice cold stream and Polly falling out of the tree were both very high on my list of best moments. However, sitting outside this morning with a cup of coffee, watching the sunrise is moment truly deserving of an award.






We finished our hike by noon and headed back to the cottage for lunch. Who would have imagined that a cottage would qualify for the best lunch spot award.

Best hosts award goes to Earle and Susie with a special thanks for making today "The Best Day Ever"

SALMON FALLS - MARCH 14, 2009

Salmon Falls is another under appreciated hike done only when we are running short on time. A perfect springtime hike and only a quick 30 minute drive from Sacramento. This is an up and back hike, so you can make it as long or as short as time permits. Today, time only permitted an eight and a half mile hike. The problem with an up and back hike is that once you turn around, the hike is over and you are just walking back to the car. So while we hiked over eight miles, it was really a four mile hike and a four mile walk back to the car. If you hike, you know that the longest part is the walk back to the car. For this reason, I avoid doing up and back hikes whenever possible. Silly I know, but that is how I feel.







The one advantage to an up and back hike is that you get to view everything from both directions.










Hikers and Bikers share this trail. There are parts of this trail that look so dangerous you would never catch me on a bike there.









Ok, so the truth is you would never catch me on a bike on any trail. The point is, you must have nerves of steel to ride your bike about the first half mile of this trail. I believe my daughter still has her x-rays that show how dangerous it can be.







It is really to bad that poison oak is poisonous. In the spring it is absolutely beautiful. I would love to plant some in my backyard but am pretty sure that if I did the grandkids wouldn't be allowed over.






When you are out on a hike and nature calls, one usually finds a bush to hide behind. Word of caution, if you ever do need to hide behind a bush it is important to make sure there isn't a trail right behind it. If there happens to be a trail, at the very least you should make sure there isn't a hole in the bush. I am not naming names, but some poor biker ended up with a view of more than he bargained for.





The solitude often experienced while hiking gives you the opportunity to clear your mind of last weeks clutter so you can start next fresh.








So to recap the day, easy hike, short drive, poison oak was beautiful, someone got mooned, yep all adds up to the best day ever.