NorCal

From Napa, we made the short drive to my friend Tommy’s house, which was located about an hour north of San Francisco near Occidental, CA. Tommy lives on several acres so it was nice to be able to park our rig out front without fear of offending the neighbors.

Tommy and his wife DeEtte graciously welcomed us into their home for a long weekend, acting as tour guides for the area. The kids had a blast playing with their son Jones, and Liam was especially smitten with Tommy who is an extremely talented science illustrator. Liam was in hog heaven with all the animal reference books floating around the house.

Occidental and the surrounding area is a hidden gem in Northern California. Tommy’s house is situated just a few miles inland from Bodega Bay – made famous by the movie The Birds. We enjoyed a day playing on the rocky beach searching for starfish and sea anemone and eating fish tacos (what else do you eat in California?). We were also happy to have another family who was game to throw their canoe in the water and enjoyed a family paddle on the Russian River, where we saw harbor seals basking along the river and sunning themselves on the rocky beach where the river met the ocean.

This was the first “home-base” we’ve had since visiting my cousin David in New Mexico and was a much needed respite from the road. Thank you all again for sharing your local insights, showers, washing machine, company, and most importantly – the tequila!