Sorry readers (we mean, our parents), for our long absence from the blog. We'd like to say that we've been busy changing the world, making it a better place, inventing the next great coffeemaker, or starting a stunning new Silicon-Valley-style-business-venture, but the reality is that we've just been busy with daily life and an awesome new yoga studio.
But, we did make a trip to the lovely Sonoma Valley a couple of weeks ago. We stayed in Santa Rosa, home of professional cyclist Levi Leipheimer, and central to many of the amazing hiking trails in the Sonoma Valley. This was a bit of a pilgrimage for us...not because of wine, but because of the Russian River Brewing Company. Their beers are our favorites and we wanted to taste them from the horse's mouth, so to speak...and they did NOT disappoint.
Russian River makes everything from our hardcore, West Coast, double IPA favorite, Pliny the Elder, to Belgian style sour ales, and they are all excellent. The beers have names like Supplication, Defenestration, Consecration, Sanctification, so they all fit with our pilgrimage theme.
Dear parents, all of our trips do NOT revolve ENTIRELY around alcohol. This trip actually was primarily about hiking. We started the first day with a trip to Jack London State Park. London had a vision to have an entirely self-sustaining farm with a lovely home for his pigs (the swine palace), vineyards, a compost silo, etc., etc. The grounds and the hiking were absolutely lovely. The park also includes "The Wolf House." London and his wife built a gorgeous house overlooking the valley and just when they were preparing to move in, it was destroyed by a fire. They were financially and emotionally destroyed and moved in to a small cottage on the property where they lived for a short time before he died. The structure of the Wolf House still stands where it was built, eerily roofless and hollowed out, but otherwise complete.
The next day, we visited Sonoma Coast State Beach which was incredible. And also incredibly cold. Northern California beaches are NOT for the faint of heart. Someone's hands were blue by the time we ate our lunch. This, by the way, was while Santa Rosa, 20 miles away, was enjoying 80 degree sunshine. The wildflowers are in full bloom right now and pictures do much better than we can in reflecting their spectacular beauty.
We did a couple of tough hikes, ate lunch and froze our asses off, and then decided to follow the Russian River back towards Santa Rosa. So, from the point where the river empties into the Pacific (FOR REAL), we drove along a winding road until we found the proper place to reward ourselves for our hard work.
Just kidding, we're not THAT Californian. We settled for something more our style: Stumptown Brewery
At first, we were a little apprehensive because we saw this:
but, since we left Simon at home, we thought we'd give it a try. Stumptown had a ginormous patio, right on the Russian River, and brews beers with names like "Rat Bastard" and "Bush Wacker Wheat." We were also treated to quite a show while munching on amazing fish & chips.
One of our patio mates took a break from throwing the frisbee on the river bank with his dog to go for a swim. He stripped off all of his clothes, jumped in the River, travelled about 20 meters downstream, climbed out, and ran back to his clothes. 5 minutes later, he was sitting beside us, none the worse for the wear. This happened under the watchful eye of the entire patio. Good times.
California's a funny place. Until next time (we promise it won't be 2 months until the next post)...
