Family fun minus one!

Three Generations at Doran Beach!

We're continuing to enjoy our time at Bodega Bay.  We've settled into a nice routine of daily beach walks, hot tubbing, reading, mostly cooking our own meals instead of eating out and me getting beat in Scrabble.  One other thing we really enjoy are the changing views.  All we have to do is sit here and watch out the numerous large windows.  Before our eyes we're treated to the tide rolling in and out, the fog blanketing everything and then lifting, the sun popping out and then going away, the wind blowing followed by calm, all the while the temperatures remain cool to occasionally a bit on the chilly side.

From the balcony of our house......high tide, sunny and calm but subject to change!

Over the Father's Day weekend we were able to enjoy some time with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma Joy.  Although the weather wasn't very cooperative we did get in a little beach time as well as time to simply enjoy being together.  Every time Emma Joy sees us it seems as if in her mind she's thinking, "oh no, they're still here".  She sits and stares at us looking like she's wondering why we  have suddenly infiltrated their family bubble.  She seems to like us just fine as long as we don't try to hold her.  As tempting as it is to just pick her up, we don't want to traumatize her, so we mostly just smile and talk to her from several feet away.  I guess it's "social distancing".  Temptation does get the best of us on occasion and we pick her up from behind.  We're usually good for about 10-15 seconds until she turns around and realizes it's not Sarah, Joey or James holding her.  She quickly voices her displeasure and reasserts that she's running the show.  On a walk back from the beach she fell asleep in Joey's arms so Beth and I both had a chance to hold her for an extended period of time which was awesome.  James, on the other hand, keeps both of us on our toes, busy and laughing.

James making sure we stay on the path

Two beauties and one beast on Father's Day

James flying high with his dad on Father's Day

Just before the secret handoff to MiMi

Shhhhhhhh!  She doesn't realize it's not mom, dad or James holding her.

I was telling James about the time I wrestled a grizzly bear.

It was a great time being together. The only thing missing was one special person.... Ben.  He was in the middle of creating a campground full of "happy campers" back in Pennsylvania.  We did enjoy visiting with him by FaceTime Sunday night which wasn't nearly as good as it would have been to have had him with us.  However, as always the call was very special.
We're enjoying the house, and amenities that are within walking distance, so much that we rarely venture out in the car.  We've had a couple of nice drives along the coast and checked a couple of other items off our list.
Although we wanted to watch The Bird's before visiting it (my technical skills still haven't convinced the DVD player to talk to the TV), we did make the short (4 mile) drive to Bodega to see the Potter Schoolhouse. This was a filming location for one of the most memorable scenes from the 1963 horror movie classic.  The building was originally built in 1873 and over the years it has been a school, community center, inn, restaurant, guesthouse and is now a private residence.  Although we haven't been able to watch the whole movie we did YouTube the scene.  I've attached a link below.
The Birds School Scene

Potters Schoolhouse.  In the movie it is "Bodega School".  No attacking birds on the day we stopped by to take a peek.

There are a few amusing things about the scene.  First, the teacher, played by Tippi Hedren, was smoking on the playground while the kids are having their music lesson.  Second, the kids seemed safe and secure inside the school, why take them outside and have them make a run for it?  Third, If you notice, they run downhill towards the water.  The house is about four miles inland, making it a very long and dangerous run!  Really great film editing, especially considering the movie is close to 60 years old.
We also made a very scenic drive over to Healdsburg for a frozen treat at Amy's Wicked Slush.  We wanted to try this place during our last visit, but unfortunately it's closed on Monday's.  Of course, Monday just so happened to be the day we chose to head that direction last time.  The drive took us from the coast into "wine country" with miles and miles of well manicured green vineyards.  The grapes are on the vine and will be harvested beginning in late August and continuing until October.
The drive was simple and pleasant and the reward of an Amy's Wicked Slush made it even better.  I chose the traditional Root Beer Split (half root beer slush and half vanilla frozen yogurt), Beth opted for the more exotic Very Berry Split (half strawberry lemonade slush and half blueberry frozen yogurt).  We were both pleased with our choices and enjoyed them while visiting for a few minutes with Amy, the proud owner.
Amy's Wicked Slush

A refreshing treat at Amy's Wicked Slush.  When we left Bodega Bay the weather was cloudy and 58 degrees.  30 miles away in Healdsburg it was sunny and 85.........perfect slush weather!

Although we still have over a week left at Bodega Bay, our time here is going by quickly.  There are a few more visits planned with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma Joy.  Who knows, by the time we go to leave she may even be letting us hold her while she's awake.  The visits will be fun even if they're minus one!

I've posted a lot of sunset pictures from Anna Maria Island and places we've traveled around the globe.  These were taken from our balcony a few nights ago.  I couldn't decide which ones to use so here's all of them.  It was an amazing show!

Getting ready to rob the stagecoach!

Hiker or Stagecoach Robber?

We're continuing to have a blast here along the Sonoma Coast.  The scenery is spectacular and we've certainly managed to escape the hot and humid temperatures of Florida for the time being.  We've actually escaped the heat and humidity so well that it's been downright chilly on several occasions.  Will Rogers is quoted as saying, "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco".  Beth and I are in agreement that this is the coldest June we've ever spent, but we're certainly not complaining.

Wild flowers and the Pacific Ocean (Kortum Trail)

More wildflowers along the Kortum Trail

The small town of Jenner from the bank of the Russian River.  It's population is listed as less than 200.

Sunset from Bodega Head

These two young bucks were enjoying the sunset as well.

We're continuing to enjoy the trails, especially the Birdwatch and Cheney Bridge trails that lead to Doran Beach.  You're required to have a mask with you on the trails and to put it on when you pass others.  The compliance isn't quite 100% but it's pretty darn close.  As soon as you pass your fellow masked human you take it off until the next person approaches.  There are quite a few people on the trails so it's a constant putting the mask on and taking it off.  No matter how many times we do it we always have two thoughts; it's sad we have to do this and we look like a bunch of cowboys pulling our masks up as final preparation for robbing the stagecoach.  Crazy Times!

Excellent Clam Chowder from the Spud Point Crab Company!  This nice table was across the street at the local marina.

Bodega Bay

It's not only a Doo Rag, it's a mask for when we pass people on the trails.  It's required that you have on a mask when you're on the trails.

Beth and I fell in love with Bodega Bay before we had a reason to fall in love with this area.  In other words, before Sarah, Joey and James relocated to the area (they are about forty miles away from Bodega Bay).  With them here, and with the addition of Emma Joy to their family, it's even more fun visiting this area.  They are the reason we're here now!
We're very grateful to have found an amazing house to rent that sits right on the bay.  We wake up to sea lions barking and enjoy our coffee and tea while watching the occasional seal swim in the nearby channel. There are pods of white pelicans and numerous other birds hunting for their morning breakfast in the tidal area.  In the afternoons, after the tide comes in, we enjoy watching the wind surfers and kite surfers zip across the bay at high speeds.  Not a bad place to isolate while we count down the days until we can visit the family.

Isolation with a view!

Bodega Bay is located in Sonoma County and has a population of under 1,000 people.  It covers an area of 12.5 square miles, of which 33% is water.  It's western border is the Pacific Ocean.  There are numerous wide beaches including Doran Beach which is just a ten to fifteen minute walk from the house.  A short drive either way along Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway) will take you not only to other beaches but also to a variety of scenic overlooks with great views.

White Pelicans at low tide.  Taken from our balcony

View from the same balcony.  Looking across the bay (high tide) to Bodega Head

Bodega Bay
In the 60's there was a plan in place to build a nuclear power plant in Bodega Bay.  Protests by local residents combined with them finding a fault line when they starting digging the first reactor hole quickly and thankfully brought the plans to a halt.  Something about the words "nuclear reactor" and "fault line" just don't seem to go together! The hole remains and is now filled with water.  It is affectionately and appropriately known as "The hole in the head".
There have been numerous movies and TV shows filmed in the area.  The most famous movie is Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", which was released in 1963.  It wasn't anything like the psychotic slasher movies of today, it was downright terrifying........at least it was to me!  Getting your eyeballs pecked out by a bunch of birds just makes for a really bad day.  The house where we are staying has a DVD copy of the movie.  We're looking forward to watching if I can ever figure out how to get the TV and the DVD player to talk to one another.  A few of the filming locations are very close by and we're looking forward to seeing them, but we want to see the movie first if at all possible. Thank goodness we have a month!
California is opening back up at a much slower and more deliberate pace than the rest of the country.  Just this past weekend some of the restrictions were lifted and the beaches, parks and trails have reopened.  Short term rentals are still not available and restaurants have restrictions that limit them to outdoor seating and carry out.  Maybe their slower, more deliberate pace is the right one, maybe it isn't.  I just know it's sad to see so many small, family operated businesses sitting closed at a time of year that is critical to their survival.
The easing of restrictions has opened the many numerous trails in the Bodega Bay area.  According to the All Trails App there are over 500 trails in the area.  Thankfully during this period of isolation we are able to get out and exercise and have taken advantage of a few of them.  While we won't touch them all, we look forward to exploring others over the remaining three weeks.  One of the things we really appreciate about the trails in this area is that many of the best trails have very little elevation change.  We're getting kinda old and we spend a lot of time walking in Florida.  We don't do extreme elevation changes well.
Birdwatch/ Cheney Bridge/Doran Beach-Just a few hundred yards from our house is the Birdwatch Trail Head.  The Birdwatch Trail is a flat, one mile looped trail that offers great views of Bodega Bay.
The Birdwatch Trail connects to the Cheney Bridge Trail which is a half mile trail that connects to Doran Beach and Doran Regional Park.  Doran Beach is a little over two miles in length that at low tide is several hundred yards wide.  The beach sits in a cove facing in a southeasterly direction so it is somewhat protected from the northwesterly winds that pick up in the afternoon.  Although the water is way too chilly for us, there are many swimmers frolicking in the small waves along the shoreline.  It's easy to make a combination walk on these three trails whatever length you desire.

The Cheney Creek Bridge on the Cheney Creek Bridge Trail.  This short trail connects the Birdwatch Trail to Doran Beach.

The Cheney Creek Bridge Trail

The south end of Doran Beach at low tide

The wildflowers are plentiful at this time of year (Birdwatch Trail)

Bodega Head Trail-To access this trail head simply take Westshore Road from Highway 1.  Drive until if you drove any further it would look like the final scene from Thelma and Louise.  You'll find yourself on a high peak overlooking the rocky shore of the Pacific Ocean.  There are numerous trails that can be accessed from here including one that follows right along the rim.  The ocean views are fantastic.  Also keep an eye open to the grassy fields.  There are plenty of deer to be spotted as you enjoy the walk.

Sunset from Bodega Head

Kortum Trail: Shell Beach to Blind Beach-Shell Beach is located about 8 miles north of Bodega Bay on Highway 1.  The entrance is very well marked and there is decent parking available, although I'm sure it fills up quickly on weekends.  There are stairs down to the beach but it is also where the Kortum Trailhead is located.  This out and back trail is approximately 4.5 miles in length (total distance).  It is basically a flat trail along the rim overlooking the ocean.  Near the turnaround point at Blind Beach there is an elevation change of a few hundred feet. The grade up and down isn't bad at all and the views from the top and other side toward Blind Beach and Goat Rock make the climb well worth it.

On the Kortum Trail

Wild Flowers along the hike

The Kortum Trail can be seen on the left side.  This was taken from the top of the highest peak along the trail.

These are great trails, made even better by the fact that daily high temperatures have been in the low/mid 60's with very little humidity. That's a far cry from June in Florida!
One other thing as I wrap up this blog.  I cancelled my Netflix account a few months ago because we weren't using it.  For some reason I didn't start it back as the pandemic broke out, so we're a little behind.  We're only through the third episode of Tiger King.  We weren't sure what all the fuss was about, now we know.

The Masked Travelers..........

There's a first time for everything!

Friday (June 5) we did something that we hadn't done in a while, we flew.  When we last stepped off a plane in mid-January after welcoming Emma Joy to the family we didn't know how much the world would change over the next six months.  Wash your hands often, sanitize your phone, wear a mask in public, don't wear a mask, shelter in place, social distancing, no gatherings larger than 500.....make that 100......make that 50......make that 10.  Someone wisely tweeted, "if they make these gatherings any smaller, somebody's going to have to come get some of these kids".  It's been a strange 2020 and unfortunately it just keeps getting crazier and sadder.  Hopefully we'll turn the corner sometime soon, put the pandemic in the rearview mirror and start being kind to one another.
Our destination for this journey was California to see those precious grandkids, and Sarah and Joey, of course!  We continue to be vigilant in making sure that we comply with the latest guidelines from the CDC, which at times is a moving target. 
We boarded the plane with enough hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and masks to outfit a small army.  In addition to the masks we packed, we each had one on from the time we arrived at the airport in Tampa until we were out of the terminal in Oakland.  The only time they were off was when we had something to eat or drink.  I guess after a while I got so used to wearing the mask that several times I tried to eat or drink something while it was still in place.  It didn't work so well!
We flew Southwest, which as I've stated many times is far and away my favorite domestic airline.  As usual they did a great job even if we couldn't see the smiles of the cabin crew or airport agents.
The planes were super clean, although we took extra steps to wipe down the seats, tray tables, seat belts, etc.  Additionally, they are operating at reduced capacity on all flights, blocking off several rows of seats completely and leaving the center seats open on all available rows.  I didn't do a head count, but it looked like there were around 80 fellow masked travelers on the Tampa to Denver flight.  From Denver to Oakland, the gate agent announced there were 44 passengers.  We know we've taken a calculated risk in flying here.  Hopefully all will work out.
So how was it?  It wasn't bad, probably better than we were expecting, but it certainly was a different experience.
Now that we're here, the experience continues to be different.  We've rented an amazing house in Bodega Bay for a month.  We'll be isolating here until a safe time has passed and we get to hug and kiss those that we came to see.  Unbeknownst to James, we did see Sarah and Emma Joy in the parking lot of the local high school for about 10 minutes and at a distance of 10 feet away.  You talk about something hard to resist, imagine seeing your daughter and grandchild for the first time in five months and not being able to hug them.  Emma Joy, who has spent most of her five months on the planet "sheltering in place" looked at us with amusement as we tried and were finally successful in getting her to smile.  This meeting in the parking lot was unbeknownst to James who at close to four wouldn't understand why his MiMi and Pop can't squeeze him in our arms.  If all goes as planned, there'll be plenty of time for hugging on him and the entire family soon.

The toughest social distancing test we've faced since this whole thing started!

Strange times we're in!

Moving our bubble.........Highlands, North Carolina

The Idiots plus one in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park

We're still standing and still speaking to one another after close to two months of "sheltering in place".  In a strange way we were probably somewhat prepared for some aspects of what we've all been going through.  Not having a permanent home and spending so much time traveling, especially the past four years, we understand the importance of liking to spend time with one another.  There hasn't been too much time when we haven't been together.  The challenging part for us has been being in one place for an extended period of time.  By my best calculation, we woke up in the same bed for 93 straight mornings.  That's some kind of record that would date way back to when the kids were at home.  Another record that I'm equally proud of is that I went 57 days without putting on underwear.  Nope, I'm not a nudist or anything like that (try to erase those horrible images from your mind).  I'd just put on a pair of workout shorts in the morning and the next thing I knew it was the end of the day.  It kept happening over and over and over and over!
We've taken this pandemic seriously and our hearts break for the suffering and isolation that everyone has gone through.  Hopefully there are better days ahead, although in my mind there's going to forever be a new normal.  Like everyone, I'm just wondering what it's going to look like. Travel will most likely continue to be a big part of who we are and what we do, but it's going to be different.  It really makes us appreciate even more the places we've visited around the world.
We do the socially responsible things to protect others and ourselves.  We only grocery shop when necessary, which for us is about every two weeks.  When we do grocery shop, buy gas or run into CVS it is with masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes.  We maintain our social distancing from family and friends.  I have so few friends it was pretty easy for me!  All in all I think we've earned an A when it comes to following the CDC Guidelines.  Our A grade pales in comparison to Beth's sister Debbie who in my mind has earned an A+.  If there was such an award, I'd nominate her for the Donald J. Trump Social Distancing Champions Award.
As things have gradually opened up over the past couple of weeks, we've continued to respect the guidelines, but slowly and cautiously merged Debbie into our bubble of two, making it a bubble of three.
Looking for a change of scenery but not wanting much additional risk, we decided on a road trip.  Our destination was the cool mountain air of North Carolina.  We found an Airbnb in Franklin, North Carolina and booked an eight night stay.  Our bubble of three left Holmes Beach at 4:00 AM on Monday, May 11 on a nine hour drive to a complete change of scenery.  We were armed with our own groceries so we could prepare every meal at the cabin.  We also had enough masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and bleach to sterilize a suite of operating rooms at a major hospital.
On the drive up, being the socially responsible citizens that we are, we stopped just one time.  Our stop was for the holy trinity of road trips; gas, bathroom and a chick-fil-biscuit (drive through).  We  made great time in reaching what we thought was going to be our humble abode for the next eight nights.

Debbie, with mask in place gives the thumbs up sign from our stop on the drive up.  Beth was waiting at the car with the hand sanitizer and wipes. 

The cabin in the woods we had booked looked great.  However, the poorly maintained road with numerous washouts made it hard to reach even in an all wheel drive SUV.  The broken hot tub, which we had been assured was working, had us changing our minds.  Thankfully Beth went right to work and within a couple of hours we had booked another place in nearby Highlands.
Highlands, North Carolina
The place we've called home this past week is awesome.  Debbie has her own floor with two bedrooms and a large game/living room and we have the upstairs master bedroom, with a wonderful kitchen and large gathering area.  There's also an outdoor firepit that we've enjoyed nightly for both relaxing and cooking our evening meals (more on this in the pictures below)  Oh yeah, the narrow, hilly mountain road to the place is nicely paved and the hot tub works perfectly!   If you're ever looking for a place to stay in this area, message me and I'll send you a link.  By the way, after a little fussing we received a full refund from Airbnb for the first place, but I'm not sure we're going to be on that particular host's Christmas card list.

Our Cozy Lodge in Highlands!

We've had a great week relaxing, soaking in the hot tub and taking in the spectacular scenery of Western North Carolina, Northern Georgia and even a little bit of Tennessee. 
Below are some of the images of a few of the places we've seen and things we've done.........all while maintaining proper social distancing!

Sunset Rock overlooking downtown Highlands

One of the many small churches in Highlands

My criteria for a good Boiled P-Nut Stand:
1.  Sign must be hand painted on a piece of plywood, old door, or section of a tin roof.
2. P-Nuts is the proper spelling.........NOT Peanuts!
3.  There must be smoke billowing from a fire
This one met all the criteria.  It also got bonus points because the owner was a Vietnam Vet and Pork Rinds were also on the menu.

There are over 1000 waterfalls in this area.  We missed a few but saw some spectacular ones.

We had a blast mining for gems at the Old Cardinal Gem Mine in Franklin, NC

Old Cardinal Gem Mine

Debbie proudly showing off the treasures she found at the Old Cardinal Gem Mine.  A nice mix of real gems and a few rocks she just couldn't part with.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long.  We only did a couple of miles of it on this trip before turning around and exploring more of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

I was going to hike the 1972 miles of the Appalachian Trail to Maine.  I quickly realized I forgot my backpack, tent and water bottle..........maybe next time.

Along an uncrowded trail in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Picnic in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Soaking our feet in the chilly water near the Old Iron Bridge just outside Highlands

Another of the many spectacular waterfalls we enjoyed.  This one was near the Old Iron Bridge.

We saw three black bear near Unicoi State Park (Northern Georgia)

Along the trail around Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park (Northern Georgia).  We spent two weeks here every summer when I was a kid.  That was a long time ago.  It hasn't changed much and the great memories always come flooding back.

Why cook on a gas grill when you can cook over an open fire pit?  One night I was a little too impatient.  I put the bacon cheeseburger patty melts on before the fire had properly burned down.  I probably set a record for the fastest cooked bacon cheeseburger patty melts ever cooked!  I burnt a few hairs, toasted a few fingers and said a few choice words in the 90 seconds it took to cook everything.