Wandering Retirees

From San Francisco to Mendocino, CA

We had a wonderful stay last night with Dan and Alexandra, and their children, Julian and Louise. And their Great Danes, Virgil and Diesel. And their fabulous collection of birds. Had a great chance to catch up on their very full lives and share some reminiscences of family lore. We were plied with wine and sumptuous food. Just a great evening and morning. I was delighted to show off Trixy to Julian and Louise who were interested in its workings in a satisfying way. To say “thanks”, both got a ride this morning before heading off to school. They are super kids; Dan and Alexandra are terrific parents.  
We headed north along CA Rt 1 toward Mendocino, this night’s destination. We missed the chance to cross the Golden Gate Bridge because of traffic. However, the beauty of the roads up the coast more than made up for it. First class twisties and stunning views of the California coast made for a long but beautiful day. We met a trio from Brazil who flew into LA and were riding along the coast on rented BMW’s. Their bikes were beautiful GS1200’s, but were overshadowed by our beast. A little tasteful smugness here. We wound up on CA Rt 128 which took us through a redwood forest. They have grown so high and the canopy is so dense that it felt like we were riding through the shadows of a cathedral. That part of our route was unintentional, but we are blessed to have wandered through it.

We arrived in Mendocino, a small coastal village of about 1,000 souls. Beautiful and quaint don’t quite do it. Had supper in a small Irish pub called Patterson’s and met some of the locals: Judy, who owns a jewelry shop in town, and her friend, Kimberly, who just moved to town. They shared some local color and made us feel welcome.

We’re back at our bed and breakfast, Didjeridoo, which is also very cute. An old mansion built in 1882, its rooms are always booked and every room has a working fireplace. We are very lucky to be here.

Tomorrow it’s off to Eureka!

Our first view of the Pacific!

Came across three identical BMW “little” sisters of Trixy.

Hank’s grand niece and nephew ready for pajama day at school.

Flashing the MC riders’ sign of respect.

Early morning ride with Uncle Hank.