Fortuna-tely friends & family

Our visit with Annie & Steve, and Big Sur was entirely too short, and it is with a heavy heart that we also mark Steve’s passing. We were so lucky to have met him and enjoyed his company during our brief stay.

The time had come to head towards San Francisco to meet up with Cate’s father, aunt, uncle, and stepmom! It was unintentionally great timing that we all ended up in the bay area at the same time! One of the items on Cate’s bucket list had always been the Winchester Mansion in San Jose, and due to the presence of our menagerie, and our ever tightening schedule, we were only able to slip by for a photo op with the camper and a peek over the fence. We plan to return in the future. One item on my bucket list has always been a visit to the “mothership” at 1 Infinity Loop (or Apple headquarters). For the same reasons a drive-by would have to suffice. We were invited by a wonderful family in San Jose to park the Argosy in front of their beautiful house for the night. Luisa, Auntie, Byrn, and the kids could not have been more hospitible. We stayed up late swapping stories and in the morning we expressed our thanks and made our way to Half Moon Bay. Typically we don’t stay in RV campgrounds, but San Fransisco is bereft of boondocking options. Consequently, we got a spot in Pillar Point RV park for the night, right next to the pounding surf of the bay! It was beautiful. We had made arrangements to have a friend watch Frankie while we ate with the family, but not before a short stroll on the beach in the Presidio, where Franks experienced her first nude wizard-hat wearing sun worshipper!

It was wonderful catching up over dinner, and we were able to do it again the next day in Sausalito at Bar Bocce, where with assurances to the staff by the family, that Frankie was indeed a famous goat, let us break the no pet rule! Thanks Craig, Parke, Carl, and Sue!

With upcoming obligations back in our new home in Oregon, and time getting short on this newest outing, we rolled Northward. Along the way we checked out the picturesque victorian town of Ferndale, the gateway to California’s Lost Coast. The Lost Coast is an often overlooked gem in California’s catalog of astounding landscapes! The road over the mountains was not the most camper friendly in March, it was raining cats and dogs, and we were losing our daylight, so we opted for a quick stopover at the Humbolt County Fairgrounds parking lot! It wasnt fancy, but it was quiet, and served it’s purpose for the night.

The next day we were due to meet Ilene and Dave who live in in the neighboring town of Fortuna. They had generously offered their driveway for the night on their beautiful farm. Recently having obtained a cool Boler trailer, Dave wanted to talk renovation. Ilene and I talked sewing and I drooled over her antique featherweight Singer sewing machine. Frankie, Maggie, Dave, and I went hiking while Ilene and Cate hit up the art museum in Eureka. We had a nice dinner , followed the next morning by a great breakfast….complete with Ilene’s home-made jelly. Having made new friends, it was with full bellies, and fuller hearts that we loaded up, barrelled down the long narrow driveway and shot up the highway towards Grant’s Pass.

We ended our journey that night back in Southern Oregon. Once again we were blessed to have had a safe, successful, and fun trip. We made many new friends, found some great new boondocking sites, and visited a few of our old faves, experiencing even more of all that California and it’s wonderful people have to offer!