For our second trip as fulltime RVers we parked the trailer and drove to a hotel. In our defense, Destination Mendocino was grandfathered-in; I had reserved this hotel room last April when planning my 40th birthday.
Yes. I turn 40 tomorrow. When I started this blog I was 29 years old. Insert some requisite time-flies crap here.
So Jon and I are on the foggy western edge of North America, eating and drinking our way through an extended weekend of disc golf, hiking, and hot-tubbing. I must say it is downright fantastic.
Thursday we started with a walk around downtown Mendocino after ohhhhing and ahhhing at our hotel room (which is over three times older than me). Claw foot tub = Pooks is on bath number four. From the walk we found Patterson's Pub with fresh mussels in a basil broth and a Crab and Shrimp Louie that tasted like I was eating it directly from the Pacific Ocean.
On Friday we hiked nearly every trail in the small Russian Gulch State Park and then Jon played disc at Mendocino High School while I worked on bath number three. Later we hit up the private hot tub/sauna combo at Sweetwater Inn, but only after studying Finnish Sauna technique. We cycled through hot tub, sauna, then cold shower and back into the hot tub to repeat the process. Quite relaxing. The Finns also add beer, sausage, and a light beating with white birch fronds. We settled for coconut water. It was good. The eight miles of hiking melted away.
I'm spending a lot of time in pools of hot water here. I think it is the fog. It is less foggy today in Fort Bragg, where we played some disc at College of the Redwoods. The14 holes were so much fun that we played 28. Very friendly locals. After that is was off to the Sea Pal Cove in the harbor for some fish and chips.
Now I'm loafing in the parlor of our room and fixing to go shopping for some chocolate and local jam. I highly recommend visiting Mendocino.
Mendocino High School DGC has epic views and seasoned chains.
Jon and I photograph the wildlife at Russian Gulch State Park.
The Mendocino Hotel is charming.
The view from the bedroom.
Jon awaits the mussels at Patterson's Pub.
Mom and Dad gave me pearl earrings for my birthday. I wore them to dinner and then kept them on as I lounged about the hotel room. Haven't worn them into the bathtub yet but it may happen.
This morning we hiked along the Mendocino Cliffs.
Beach treasures.
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